i think my hard disk starts spinning randomly

[shashgo]

When Im doing anything on my computer, or actually when my computer is on,  I hear my hard disk start every so often, about every fifteen minutes, stay spinning for about 4 minutes and then slow down or stop.  Why is this happening and is it a problem?  How do I fix it?

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

This doesn't happen to be the fan is it?
Can you confirm it is the hard disk?

[programming_pat]

u will need to open your computer up and watch it to see where the sound is coming from. Computers can have 2 or more fans so one of them could be going bad or it could be completley normal

[ChrisXPPro]

I guess activity with the HDD LED should confirm whether a drive or not.

Have to wonder also what tasks you have running - scheduled events perhaps like email going to check server for email etc.

Be useful to know what is running when this happens - hard drives will IMO always be doing something at odd times even when it seems not much is happening, altho you suggest a rather fixed pattern - which could be puzzling.

Check ''Processes" and see what all is running behind the scenes.

[shashgo]

the funny thing is that I dont do anything which I havent done before, but it seems like the whirring noise is not related to anything Im doing.  For example, say Im checking my email or surfing the web, at one time the whirring noise is not hear at another time it is, and its quite random.  Is there a setting somewhere that says turn the hard disk on or make the hard disk run every so often?

[Broni]

u will need to open your computer up and watch it to see where the sound is coming from

[drmsucks]

u will need to open your computer up and watch it to see where the sound is coming from

"I see that sound...over there!"

Probably Windows doing maintenance or indexing. Try turning of the Indexing Service and see if that helps. Turn it back on if you like the indexing benefit - I don't and I it off.

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

I'm pretty sure it's the fan because:

the funny thing is that I dont do anything which I havent done before, but it seems like the whirring noise is not related to anything Im doing.

Let's stop quoting each other and wait for a reply. 

[shashgo]

ill try stopping the indexing.  How do I do that?

[drmsucks]

ill try stopping the indexing.  How do I do that?

Start>Run> type services.msc, enter>BE VERY CAREFUL IN HERE TO NOT DO ANYTHING UNINTENDED>Scroll to "Indexing Service">right-click>Properties>Stop service>set Startup type to Disabled; re-boot. Reverse and set startup type to Automatic to re-enable.

The hdd noise, if you're certain that's where the noise is coming from (see the posts above - ignoring any reference to 'seeing sound' ) could also be Windows re-sizing the swap file, malware activity, or a sign that the hdd is about to fail.

Download and run the diagnostic utility from your hdd mfg's site.

Run a complete anti-virus scan.

Most likely, there is nothing to worry about; but, if the noise is new it is worth investigating.

Finally, you are probably part of the 0.000000006% of computer users who regularly and properly backup their data - but, if not, now would be a good time to start!

[shashgo]

Good suggestion about stopping the indexing.  What exactly is that though? 

[drmsucks]

Good suggestion about stopping the indexing.  What exactly is that though? 

Basically, the Indexing feature builds an index of the files on your computer so that any search will be faster. With the indexing service disabled, searches will still find files, the search will just take longer.

[Broni]

Windows search feature is pretty crappy, anyway, so no indexing service is running on my computers.