Heavy processing when idle

[Demitre]

I just recently developed this problem on my pent4 2.8g w/ HT, 1.25 pc3200 desktop, with win xp pro

I am getting heavy load from something, even while idle. The HDD led doesn't flash, and I tracked CPU usage, and it remains at 1%. So I don't know what's making the noise. It's like that noise you hear when the HDD is running, or when you do an intensive activity.

I used some adware/spywear to check my system, and didn't find anything that looked dangerous. I cleaned some cookies, but it's still making the noise?

I have 2 theory, which I can't buy into myself.. It recently got very cold here, maybe that has something to do with the noise.. Or I recently updated my ATI drivers to cat 6.2. That's about the only recent change I've done.

Anyone know what it could be? My last resort is to format..

 

[Bug]

Doubt this is the culprit, but have you tried defragmenting?

 

[Demitre]

Nope, I'll try that now..

But the led doesn't light up, so it's not accessing the HDD I don' think. I think I should clarify the problem. It is making this noise like every 40seconds or so, and does it for like 7 sec..

I timed it.

CPU load shows 1-2%.

 

[Mark R]

Is it definitely the HD?

Sometimes fans start failing, and making grinding noises occasionally.

If it is the HD, then it could just be the HD performing a self-test/recalibration.

 

[Demitre]

I don't know if it's the HDD, the led isn't on .. How can I check if the fans are working?

I tried running in safemode, and it didn't make the sound.. so itcoud be some kinda spyware? I think I will just try formating after defrag is done.. my drives are like 50% lol..it's on seperate partition from the OS through, so don't know if that means anything.

 

[WdnUlik2no]

for me it was the hard drive.
I am not sure if you are having performance problems or not, but for me that was the problem. Luckily I don't have that problem anymore. But it was very frustrating when windows accessed the hard drive for apparantly no reason and prevented me from doing anything. annoyances.org has an article on this. It seemed to help for a while.

If you are having performance problems, then it could be your hard drive. This article at annoyances.org could help. http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/article07-035

 

[BadThad]

Sure sounds like it's a fan in there to me. To be sure, post a hijackthis log for us to look over.

 

[BadThad]

Originally posted by: WdnUlik2no
for me it was the hard drive.
I am not sure if you are having performance problems or not, but for me that was the problem. Luckily I don't have that problem anymore. But it was very frustrating when windows accessed the hard drive for apparantly no reason and prevented me from doing anything. annoyances.org has an article on this. It seemed to help for a while.

If you are having performance problems, then it could be your hard drive. This article at annoyances.org could help. http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/article07-035

That's for Windows 9x kernel OSes, not for 2000/XP.

 

[Demitre]

Logfile of HijackThis v1.99.1
Scan saved at 3:22:36 PM, on 2/20/2006
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\csrss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSetMgr.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccEvtMgr.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\Program Files\Symantec AntiVirus\DefWatch.exe
C:\Program Files\Symantec AntiVirus\Rtvscan.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\wdfmgr.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\alg.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\SYMANT~1\VPTray.exe
C:\Program Files\Microsoft IntelliPoint\point32.exe
C:\Program Files\D-Tools\daemon.exe
C:\Program Files\Messenger\MSMSGS.EXE
C:\PROGRA~1\AIM\aim.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\SNDVOL32.EXE
D:\Azureus\Azureus.exe
C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_04\bin\javaw.exe
C:\Program Files\Diskeeper Corporation\Diskeeper\DkService.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\mmc.exe
C:\Program Files\Diskeeper Corporation\Diskeeper\DfrgNTFS.exe
C:\Program Files\Diskeeper Corporation\Diskeeper\DfrgNTFS.exe
C:\Program Files\Diskeeper Corporation\Diskeeper\DkIcon.exe
C:\Program Files\Diskeeper Corporation\Diskeeper\DfrgNTFS.exe
C:\Program Files\Diskeeper Corporation\Diskeeper\DfrgNTFS.exe
C:\Program Files\Diskeeper Corporation\Diskeeper\DfrgNTFS.exe
C:\Program Files\Zoom Player\zplayer.exe
C:\Program Files\WinRAR\WinRAR.exe
C:\DOCUME~1\blah\LOCALS~1\Temp\Rar$EX00.078\HijackThis.exe

O1 - Hosts: 206.251.175.3 forums.somethingawful.com
O1 - Hosts: 206.251.175.10 www.somethingawful.com
O1 - Hosts: 206.251.175.11 i.somethingawful.com forumimages.somethingawful.com fi.somethingawful.com images.somethingawful.com
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHlprObj Class - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ccApp] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [vptray] C:\PROGRA~1\SYMANT~1\VPTray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [KernelFaultCheck] %systemroot%\system32\dumprep 0 -k
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [IntelliPoint] "C:\Program Files\Microsoft IntelliPoint\point32.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [DAEMON Tools-1033] "C:\Program Files\D-Tools\daemon.exe" -lang 1033
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [DiskeeperSystray] "C:\Program Files\Diskeeper Corporation\Diskeeper\DkIcon.exe"
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [MSMSGS] "C:\Program Files\Messenger\MSMSGS.EXE" /background
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [AIM] C:\PROGRA~1\AIM\aim.exe -cnetwait.odl
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
O4 - Startup: Diskeeper 10 Professional Edition Registration.lnk = C:\Program Files\Diskeeper Corporation\Diskeeper\ESIRegister.exe
O9 - Extra button: AIM - {AC9E2541-2814-11d5-BC6D-00B0D0A1DE45} - C:\PROGRA~1\AIM\aim.exe
O20 - Winlogon Notify: NavLogon - C:\WINDOWS\system32\NavLogon.dll
O23 - Service: Ati HotKey Poller - ATI Technologies Inc. - C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
O23 - Service: ATI Smart - Unknown owner - C:\WINDOWS\system32\ati2sgag.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Event Manager (ccEvtMgr) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccEvtMgr.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Password Validation (ccPwdSvc) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccPwdSvc.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Settings Manager (ccSetMgr) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSetMgr.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec AntiVirus Definition Watcher (DefWatch) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Symantec AntiVirus\DefWatch.exe
O23 - Service: Diskeeper - Diskeeper Corporation - C:\Program Files\Diskeeper Corporation\Diskeeper\DkService.exe
O23 - Service: SAVRoam (SavRoam) - symantec - C:\Program Files\Symantec AntiVirus\SavRoam.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Network Drivers Service (SNDSrvc) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\SNDSrvc.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec SPBBCSvc (SPBBCSvc) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\SPBBC\SPBBCSvc.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec AntiVirus - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Symantec AntiVirus\Rtvscan.exe

 

[Demitre]

Well I don't know if this supports the HDD fan failure or not, but I just downloaded SPEEDFAN, and am still trying to learn what it all means.

It has my 2 fans at 0rpm, so don't think I got this thing working. But for the HDD, I ahve 4 HDD installed, and it lists the temperature for only 3 of them, through the S.M.A.R.T. thing lists all 4.

I know some HDD doesn't report it's temp, but 2 of these hdd are almost the same model I think, and one reports, and the other doesn't:
WDC WD800BB-75FRA0 does
WDC WD800BB-00CAA0 doesn't

Could this hdd just be failing?

 

[BadThad]

Originally posted by: Demitre
Well I don't know if this supports the HDD fan failure or not, but I just downloaded SPEEDFAN, and am still trying to learn what it all means.

It has my 2 fans at 0rpm, so don't think I got this thing working. But for the HDD, I ahve 4 HDD installed, and it lists the temperature for only 3 of them, through the S.M.A.R.T. thing lists all 4.

I know some HDD doesn't report it's temp, but 2 of these hdd are almost the same model I think, and one reports, and the other doesn't:
WDC WD800BB-75FRA0 does
WDC WD800BB-00CAA0 doesn't

Could this hdd just be failing?

Could be, try running a mfg diag on each drive to rule that out. I also noticed you have the diskkeeper service running. If it's a later version, it will actively "prevent" defragmentation so MAYBE the sound you here is DK running on the drives constantly.

Oh, to heck with monitoring, open the case and have a look at each fan. Verify they are all running at full speed and not making noises. If necessary, stop each one with a pen and let it restart to check for noise.

 

[Medea]

You intentionally put somethingawful.com in your hosts file?

 

[Demitre]

Could be, try running a mfg diag on each drive to rule that out. I also noticed you have the diskkeeper service running. If it's a later version, it will actively "prevent" defragmentation so MAYBE the sound you here is DK running on the drives constantly.

Oh, to heck with monitoring, open the case and have a look at each fan. Verify they are all running at full speed and not making noises. If necessary, stop each one with a pen and let it restart to check for noise.

I did a windows test of each drive, and the S.M.A.R.T. saids everything seems to be ok for all drives. I just installed diskeeper to defrag, after someone suggested it above.

I opened the case up, the fans are working, and while open, it did not make any sound. i closed it up, and the sound started intermittently again..

As for somethingawful.com, I don't even know what happened there. What's a host file, and what's the significants?

 

[Medea]

YGPM

 

[BadThad]

Originally posted by: Demitre

Could be, try running a mfg diag on each drive to rule that out. I also noticed you have the diskkeeper service running. If it's a later version, it will actively "prevent" defragmentation so MAYBE the sound you here is DK running on the drives constantly.

Oh, to heck with monitoring, open the case and have a look at each fan. Verify they are all running at full speed and not making noises. If necessary, stop each one with a pen and let it restart to check for noise.

I did a windows test of each drive, and the S.M.A.R.T. saids everything seems to be ok for all drives. I just installed diskeeper to defrag, after someone suggested it above.

I opened the case up, the fans are working, and while open, it did not make any sound. i closed it up, and the sound started intermittently again..

As for somethingawful.com, I don't even know what happened there. What's a host file, and what's the significants?

Is it the side of the case making the sound? Could be hitting a resonance frequency.