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Question

Need help diagnosing unwanted secondary HDD spins ups.

by Nov 12, 2018 2:02PM PST

Hi there.
I'm writting here because i'm getting kind of desperate as of why my secondary HDD keeps firing up when not supposed to be.

First let me give my PC details, its a less than a year old MSI GT75 with W10 Pro. It has 2 256GB mini ssd in a raid 0 and a normal 2.5 HDD storage slot, that contains a 2TB Seagate mechanical HDD.

When used on my other laptop (W7) this same storage HDD would stay quiet until i actually ask him to do something or i performed a virus scan, but since i got my MSI, this HDD keeps spinning down and up at random times, even with my system completly idle.
HDD cool down is set for 15 minutes.

I have been searching the web, including Tomshardware, for help, but got no definitive answer.

This is what i've tried so far, turn off indexing, format and leave it empty, turn off windows defender auto scans for the HDD, disabled auto defrag and even reset the whole PC to factory state.

What im trying to is now is to use Process Monitor to sniff out anything bothering my HDD but the program is confusing and i can't set my filters right.

Any tips would be very apreciated.
Thank you

Discussion is locked

6 Posts
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Answer
No definitive answer.
by Forum moderator Nov 12, 2018 2:16PM PST

Windows does a lot of things without much reason. You are on the right track with Process Monitor and that other piece File Mon.

W10 does so much other work that I think it would be the most annoying to folk that attach a drive and want it to stay down.

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An area that drives folk crazy.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Nov 12, 2018 2:36PM PST

If you ever open a file or app on that drive, then any app with a recent files menu could trigger the drive to start up as the file's thumbnail along with does it exist check happens. This is what Windows and apps do so it can really upset those that want a drive to stay down. You can find this happen on all the Windows OS versions. It's not OS specific.

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Answer
Seems some BIOS setting in MSI motherboard
by Nov 12, 2018 2:42PM PST

may be causing it. I would look there first. I use Linux and nothing spins up unless it's volume is "mounted". I don't remember such a setting in Windows versions I have used. However, your description seems to indicate one windows computer doesn't mount it unless it's accessed by some means, but your other windows computer does, and the only difference (?) being the new motherboard.

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Neat. Maybe that's the trick. Unmount that drive!
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Nov 12, 2018 3:20PM PST
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that should do it, but...
by James Denison Nov 12, 2018 4:11PM PST

...sort of "clunky". In Linux file manager I can right clk on the volume and choose to mount or unmount it. That can't also be done in windows file explorer?

Post was last edited on November 12, 2018 4:12 PM PST

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For USB drives, sure.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Nov 13, 2018 8:44AM PST

Just eject that drive.

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