Hard drive thrashing - Windows XP Home

I've recently installed Windows XP Home on a partitioned hard drive.
The C: Drive (which contains the operating system) is about 10GB, and
the D: Drive is about 18GB. I have the most horrendous case of hard
drive thrashing that I've ever come across. It's particularly bad
whenever I open up an Internet Explorer 8 webpage, even if that page
is simply sitting idle. I confirmed this when I downloaded and ran
"Process Explorer". I don't have Norton installed on my system, and
I've defragged both my C: and D: Drives, as well as cleaning out all
temp folders.
I recently followed these instructions:

http://bucarotechelp.com/computers/w...s/95021801.asp

But still this problem of thrashing continues. It's got so bad my
system freezes (or comes very close to it). Please help!

"Gas Bag" ha scritto nel messaggio

I've recently installed Windows XP Home on a partitioned hard drive.
The C: Drive (which contains the operating system) is about 10GB, and
the D: Drive is about 18GB. I have the most horrendous case of hard
drive thrashing that I've ever come across. It's particularly bad
whenever I open up an Internet Explorer 8 webpage, even if that page
is simply sitting idle. I confirmed this when I downloaded and ran
"Process Explorer". I don't have Norton installed on my system, and
I've defragged both my C: and D: Drives, as well as cleaning out all
temp folders.
I recently followed these instructions:

http://bucarotechelp.com/computers/w...s/95021801.asp

But still this problem of thrashing continues. It's got so bad my
system freezes (or comes very close to it). Please help!

Sorry.
This is an Italian NG.
Best regards.

--
Franco Leuzzi
Microsoft ® MVP
Windows Desktop Experience

http://blogs.dotnethell.it/franco/

"Gas Bag" ha scritto nel messaggio

I've recently installed Windows XP Home on a partitioned hard drive.
The C: Drive (which contains the operating system) is about 10GB, and
the D: Drive is about 18GB. I have the most horrendous case of hard
drive thrashing that I've ever come across. It's particularly bad
whenever I open up an Internet Explorer 8 webpage, even if that page
is simply sitting idle. I confirmed this when I downloaded and ran
"Process Explorer". I don't have Norton installed on my system, and
I've defragged both my C: and D: Drives, as well as cleaning out all
temp folders.
I recently followed these instructions:

http://bucarotechelp.com/computers/w...s/95021801.asp

But still this problem of thrashing continues. It's got so bad my
system freezes (or comes very close to it). Please help!

Sorry.
This is an Italian NG.
Best regards.

--
Franco Leuzzi
Microsoft ® MVP
Windows Desktop Experience

http://blogs.dotnethell.it/franco/

"Franco Leuzzi [MVP]" wrote in message
...

"Gas Bag" ha scritto nel messaggio

I've recently installed Windows XP Home on a partitioned hard drive.
The C: Drive (which contains the operating system) is about 10GB, and
the D: Drive is about 18GB. I have the most horrendous case of hard
drive thrashing that I've ever come across. It's particularly bad
whenever I open up an Internet Explorer 8 webpage, even if that page
is simply sitting idle. I confirmed this when I downloaded and ran
"Process Explorer". I don't have Norton installed on my system, and
I've defragged both my C: and D: Drives, as well as cleaning out all
temp folders.
I recently followed these instructions:

http://bucarotechelp.com/computers/w...s/95021801.asp

But still this problem of thrashing continues. It's got so bad my
system freezes (or comes very close to it). Please help!

Sorry.
This is an Italian NG.
Best regards.

--
Franco Leuzzi
Microsoft ® MVP
Windows Desktop Experience

http://blogs.dotnethell.it/franco/



Only the Italian one out of those to which you and the OP cross-posted is,
though...

"Franco Leuzzi [MVP]" wrote in message
...

"Gas Bag" ha scritto nel messaggio

I've recently installed Windows XP Home on a partitioned hard drive.
The C: Drive (which contains the operating system) is about 10GB, and
the D: Drive is about 18GB. I have the most horrendous case of hard
drive thrashing that I've ever come across. It's particularly bad
whenever I open up an Internet Explorer 8 webpage, even if that page
is simply sitting idle. I confirmed this when I downloaded and ran
"Process Explorer". I don't have Norton installed on my system, and
I've defragged both my C: and D: Drives, as well as cleaning out all
temp folders.
I recently followed these instructions:

http://bucarotechelp.com/computers/w...s/95021801.asp

But still this problem of thrashing continues. It's got so bad my
system freezes (or comes very close to it). Please help!

Sorry.
This is an Italian NG.
Best regards.

--
Franco Leuzzi
Microsoft ® MVP
Windows Desktop Experience

http://blogs.dotnethell.it/franco/



Only the Italian one out of those to which you and the OP cross-posted is,
though...

(Italian 'group removed)

In message
, Gas
Bag writes:
I've recently installed Windows XP Home on a partitioned hard drive.
The C: Drive (which contains the operating system) is about 10GB, and
the D: Drive is about 18GB. I have the most horrendous case of hard
drive thrashing that I've ever come across. It's particularly bad

Where are your swap file and Temporary Internet files (C: or D?

How much RAM does the system have?

whenever I open up an Internet Explorer 8 webpage, even if that page
is simply sitting idle. I confirmed this when I downloaded and ran
"Process Explorer". I don't have Norton installed on my system, and

What does process explorer - or the Processes tab in task manager (click
twice on the CPU column heading) say is using the majority of processor
time when this happens?

I've defragged both my C: and D: Drives, as well as cleaning out all
temp folders.
I recently followed these instructions:

http://bucarotechelp.com/computers/w...s/95021801.asp

Thanks - much useful stuff there; I don't think I learnt anything new,
but it's a useful collection all in one place (well, 7 places).

But still this problem of thrashing continues. It's got so bad my
system freezes (or comes very close to it). Please help!

My _guess_ would be insufficient RAM.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)[email protected]+Sh0!:`)DNAf
** http://www.soft255.demon.co.uk/G6JPG-PC/JPGminPC.htm for ludicrously
outdated thoughts on PCs. **

No matter how beautiful a girl is, no matter how much you might love her,
squeeze her tight enough and she'll fart - Joe Barron, quoted by son Fred ("My
Family" creator), RT, 15-21 March 2003

(Italian 'group removed)

In message
, Gas
Bag writes:
I've recently installed Windows XP Home on a partitioned hard drive.
The C: Drive (which contains the operating system) is about 10GB, and
the D: Drive is about 18GB. I have the most horrendous case of hard
drive thrashing that I've ever come across. It's particularly bad

Where are your swap file and Temporary Internet files (C: or D?

How much RAM does the system have?

whenever I open up an Internet Explorer 8 webpage, even if that page
is simply sitting idle. I confirmed this when I downloaded and ran
"Process Explorer". I don't have Norton installed on my system, and

What does process explorer - or the Processes tab in task manager (click
twice on the CPU column heading) say is using the majority of processor
time when this happens?

I've defragged both my C: and D: Drives, as well as cleaning out all
temp folders.
I recently followed these instructions:

http://bucarotechelp.com/computers/w...s/95021801.asp

Thanks - much useful stuff there; I don't think I learnt anything new,
but it's a useful collection all in one place (well, 7 places).

But still this problem of thrashing continues. It's got so bad my
system freezes (or comes very close to it). Please help!

My _guess_ would be insufficient RAM.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)[email protected]+Sh0!:`)DNAf
** http://www.soft255.demon.co.uk/G6JPG-PC/JPGminPC.htm for ludicrously
outdated thoughts on PCs. **

No matter how beautiful a girl is, no matter how much you might love her,
squeeze her tight enough and she'll fart - Joe Barron, quoted by son Fred ("My
Family" creator), RT, 15-21 March 2003

On 02/19/2010 01:52 AM, Gas Bag wrote:
I've recently installed Windows XP Home on a partitioned hard drive.
The C: Drive (which contains the operating system) is about 10GB, and
the D: Drive is about 18GB. I have the most horrendous case of hard
drive thrashing that I've ever come across. It's particularly bad
whenever I open up an Internet Explorer 8 webpage, even if that page
is simply sitting idle. I confirmed this when I downloaded and ran
"Process Explorer". I don't have Norton installed on my system, and
I've defragged both my C: and D: Drives, as well as cleaning out all
temp folders.
I recently followed these instructions:

http://bucarotechelp.com/computers/w...s/95021801.asp

But still this problem of thrashing continues. It's got so bad my
system freezes (or comes very close to it). Please help!

It sounds like disk doctor program is in order to defrag you system.
There is actually a defrag built into Windows 7 but I haven't used it yet.

On 02/19/2010 01:52 AM, Gas Bag wrote:
I've recently installed Windows XP Home on a partitioned hard drive.
The C: Drive (which contains the operating system) is about 10GB, and
the D: Drive is about 18GB. I have the most horrendous case of hard
drive thrashing that I've ever come across. It's particularly bad
whenever I open up an Internet Explorer 8 webpage, even if that page
is simply sitting idle. I confirmed this when I downloaded and ran
"Process Explorer". I don't have Norton installed on my system, and
I've defragged both my C: and D: Drives, as well as cleaning out all
temp folders.
I recently followed these instructions:

http://bucarotechelp.com/computers/w...s/95021801.asp

But still this problem of thrashing continues. It's got so bad my
system freezes (or comes very close to it). Please help!

It sounds like disk doctor program is in order to defrag you system.
There is actually a defrag built into Windows 7 but I haven't used it yet.

On Fri, 19 Feb 2010 01:52:26 -0800 (PST), Gas Bag
wrote:

I've recently installed Windows XP Home on a partitioned hard drive.
The C: Drive (which contains the operating system) is about 10GB, and
the D: Drive is about 18GB.

Note that when you defragment two partitions on a single drive, you
may actually make matters worse. Defragmentation usually works by
moving the files as close together as possible, and usually as close
to location zero within the partition as possible. So your data ends
up in two "bands", and each time you reference the other partition,
you have to cross the gap between the bands.

The answer to this is to defragment the lower-placed partition towards
the upper end of its range, and the higher placed partition towards
the lower end of its range. I believe that jkdefrag can do this, but
you might have to force the issue by requesting a gap at the bottom of
the lowest partition.

If you do things this way, then your data ends up on one band, which
spans the divide between your partition.

However, in most cases the problem is insufficient RAM, which causes
swapping. That can really hammer your disk. Your Process Explorer can
tell you if this is happening a lot - look at column "Page Fault
Delta" (which you'll have to add - it is not in the default columns
displayed)

--
Steve Swift
http://www.swiftys.org.uk/swifty.html
http://www.ringers.org.uk

On Fri, 19 Feb 2010 01:52:26 -0800 (PST), Gas Bag
wrote:

I've recently installed Windows XP Home on a partitioned hard drive.
The C: Drive (which contains the operating system) is about 10GB, and
the D: Drive is about 18GB.

Note that when you defragment two partitions on a single drive, you
may actually make matters worse. Defragmentation usually works by
moving the files as close together as possible, and usually as close
to location zero within the partition as possible. So your data ends
up in two "bands", and each time you reference the other partition,
you have to cross the gap between the bands.

The answer to this is to defragment the lower-placed partition towards
the upper end of its range, and the higher placed partition towards
the lower end of its range. I believe that jkdefrag can do this, but
you might have to force the issue by requesting a gap at the bottom of
the lowest partition.

If you do things this way, then your data ends up on one band, which
spans the divide between your partition.

However, in most cases the problem is insufficient RAM, which causes
swapping. That can really hammer your disk. Your Process Explorer can
tell you if this is happening a lot - look at column "Page Fault
Delta" (which you'll have to add - it is not in the default columns
displayed)

--
Steve Swift
http://www.swiftys.org.uk/swifty.html
http://www.ringers.org.uk