100% hdd usage

[Abode Msarwe]

guys i just cant take it anymore , i have tried each and every method in order to fix it but nothing works, firstly it was 100% disk usage while idle , but after fixing some little things i've got rid of the idle 100% usage problem , but a new issue showed up , which is when i do simple things like opening internet browser or opening microsoft word the disk usage rises up to 100% !! , so i started to believe that its the hdd not the windows 7 problem

so what do you think guys
sharing your thoughts helps me a lot , and i would appreciate it
Thank you
#Abodi

 

[Abode Msarwe]

 

[techgeek]

What are your system specs? What OS are you using? Are you overclocking?

 

[Abode Msarwe]

no overclocking , windows 7 , specs"

amd r9 290x

intel i5 4690k

WD 1tb black 7200 rpm

corsair cx750m

gigabyte z97x gaming 7

 

[Abode Msarwe]

 

[rgd1101]

just history from OP
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2991786/100-hdd-usage-windows.html

 

[techgeek]

Are you using the latest audio drivers for your motherboard?

Also open Sound from your Control panel, select your default playback device and click the enhancements tab, and check the box Disable all sound effects.

 

[SuperSoph_WD]

Hey there, Abodi!

You mentioned that you've tried a lot of troubleshooting methods to fix this issue, can you please share them?
I'd also suggest you to try disabling some Windows Services that you use and see if that will help with the HDD usage.
press Windows+R > Write services.msc > Disable
1-Super fetch
2-Windows Search
3-Background Intelligent Transfer Service

If that doesn't help, I'd strongly advise you to backup your data from the HDD and test it using its manufacturer's brand-specific diagnostic tool to check up on the health and S.M.A.R.T. status.

EDIT: Just saw that you've shared your specs and you have a WD Black, you should use WD's Data LifeGuard Diagnostics for Windows then, and run both - the QUICK & the EXTENDED tests.

Keep us posted with the results.
SuperSoph_WD

 

[Abode Msarwe]

things i've tried "

1)reinstalling a fresh copy of windows by + formating the HDD
2) done clean boot , and still the same
3) windows safe mode
4) downloaded some HDD diagnostic tools and passed all the tests , shows that everything is fine.

 

[Abode Msarwe]

Are you using the latest audio drivers for your motherboard?

Also open Sound from your Control panel, select your default playback device and click the enhancements tab, and check the box Disable all sound effects.

yes i'm sure i'm using the latest drivers

 

[Abode Msarwe]

btw , the shocking thing here is that in these pictures i was downloading a game from steam which has nothing to do with audio and other services !!! , i've expected to see high disk usage caused by steam itself but not by other services !!

 

[Abode Msarwe]

i can afford a new 240gb ssd but i'm afraid that buying it won't solve anything ....

 

[SuperSoph_WD]

Hey there again, Abodi.

I'd recommend you to try re-seating the connections inside your PC. I'd also suggest trying the WD Black in a different SATA port with a different SATA cable as well. Another thing you should do is reinstall the drivers for your motherboard from the manufacturer's website manually, instead of letting Windows Updates take care of them. While on it, you should also check your BIOS version and make sure that it's up-to-date as well.

Have you tried disabling the services mentioned in my previous post, though?

Keep us posted.
SuperSoph_WD

 

[Abode Msarwe]

i have already tried this i also got a new sata and power connectors and still the same , i Disassembled the whole pc and reinstalled the parts

 

[Abode Msarwe]

i guess my bios is the latest one which is F8

 

[Abode Msarwe]

yes i've i have already disabled the services that you have mentioned before

 

[Abode Msarwe]

passed both tests.

 

[SuperSoph_WD]

Hi again, Abode Msarwe!

I'm not sure if you mentioned it or not, but try reinstalling the drivers from Device manager and make sure you manually have downloaded them from the motherboard manufacturer's website. You should also try scanning your PC rig for any malware/virus infections that could potentially cause such spikes as well.
If nothing helps, you should definitely consider contacting a professional PC repair service and let the guys there perform full diagnostics on your system. They might easily determine the source of the issue and provide you with assistance on how to deal with it.

Keep us posted, though. Good luck!
SuperSoph_WD

 

[Abode Msarwe]

thanks

 

[Abode Msarwe]

that is really weird to be honest , i've even removed the gpu and used the intel graphics and still the same , just was curious if it could be the gpu but still the same , i doubt that it could be the mobo 0.o

 

[Abode Msarwe]

out of curiosity ! , can i downgrade the bios version ??? , i think it could be better if i get to an older version of the bios ....

 

[techgeek]

Not sure about GigaByte boards allowing downgrades. I know in the past ASUS blocked downgrading. The only way around it was to download an engineering sample (ES) version of their BIOS flash utility. It wouldn't work with the one they had on their site, nor would it work from the flash utility built into the BIOS.

GigaByte maybe different. Do they still do the Dual-BIOS thing? If so, you might still have your pre-upgrade BIOS on the secondary BIOS.

 

[techgeek]

Your situation reminds me of an issue I had with a WD HDD I had years ago. I had done a clean install of Windows XP on this drive which was like 2 years old and still in warranty. The drive had worked flawlessly up until this point. Following the clean install, I kept getting hitching. I could move my mouse, but clicking anything including the Start button wouldn't respond. This happened randomly and not too often, so it wasn't immediately obvious what the problem was. While troubleshooting my system I had the case side off and when it happened, I could hear a faint repeated clicking. It would click a few times and when the clicking stopped, Windows would become responsive again. I ran SMART tests, and surface scans and found nothing. Then I contacted WD support and explained the situation, expecting them to give some troubleshooting tips or suggestions and they immediately sent me an RMA. I replaced the drive and the issue was solved.

 

[SuperSoph_WD]

I'd have to agree with @techgeek on this one. I'd definitely not tamper with the BIOS firmware any further if I were you.
IMHO, you should consider testing your whole system in order to find the source of the issue.
There is a Tom's Hardware Tutorial that can suggest you some other troubleshooting methods as well.

Keep us posted & Best of luck!
SuperSoph_WD

 

[techgeek]

I feel for you buddy, but I'm thinking you may have to bite the bullet here. You need to try another drive. Whether that's a HDD or SSD, you need to eliminate the drive as the problem. I've seen drives from both Seagate and WD pass their own test software as well as third party software and the drive still have problems.

With everything that you've tried in the two threads you've started here, it's either the drive or the motherboard. Neither is a cheap proposition. I tend to lean more to HDD's before the motherboard because components with moving parts tend to fail more often / more likely to fail.

So if you have tried different SATA data cables, a different SATA port on the motherboard, different SATA power connector (on a separate SATA power string), multiple OS's, formats between OS installs, Intel SATA AHCI drivers, and scans with WD Diagnostics, there really isn't much more troubleshooting you can do.

P.S. I just had a look at the info for your motherboard. Please make sure you are using a SATA port between 0 and 3, and most definitely don't use either 6 or 7. SATA ports 6 & 7 are a third party (Marvell) SATA controller and to put it mildly are garbage, especially compared to the native Intel controller.