Question File explorer and some programs linked randomly freeze for a few seconds

[vensus]

Okay, so I'm still pretty new with Windows 10. I replaced most of my old build a few months back and everything has been for the most part okay outside of this one issue that continues to grow annoying at times.

I assume it's a software problem? But I notice that when this issue starts happening, I hear what I believe is the hard drive or possibly the sdd? Will make a weird series of noises, as if it's trying to load and process it? (It's hard to explain)

Let me first begin with the actual issue and what is happening, I've noticed that when I am navigating through documents, folders, etc. Using file explorer, there's a chance that the window will freeze/stop responding for about roughly 5-7 seconds, before allowing me to continue with my business like normal. Then it'll be okay for however long before I'll have it randomly happen again. This happens nearly once an hour or so and I've began to notice that my hdd or ssd is making this loading sound even when I'm not personally experiencing the mentioned file explorer freezing/stop responding issue. So at this point I'm not sure if I should count this as a software problem with windows 10 or if it's a hardware problem with how the noises are happening.

The only stuff that seems affected during this issue is file explorer navigating or trying to open a file within it, etc. I have also noticed trying to open "Paint tool sai program" that it has taken 5-7 seconds while the hdd/sdd is making that noise before allowing it to pop up like normally. I don't know why it happens with only that program outside of file explorer stuff. I'll hear this loading noise from the hdd/sdd while playing games and other programs, browsing websites, etc. But nothing is affected by it except file explorer/paint tool sai to my knowledge.

I'm sorry if this sounds more like a hardware issue, but I really can't tell if it is or not. While the noises are happening through out the day at random from the hdd/sdd, it could be caused simply because file explorer is running as a background process? All I know for sure is that it's something that's as far as I can tell, only affecting really file explorer and so there's times when I'm looking through documents, folders, etc. clicking on different stuff to navigate through and it'll happen, then it's good for X amount of time (45minutes to an hour?) before I come face to face with it happening again, repeat anytime I'm just trying to look through folders and such.

 

[Lutfij]

I think you should've included a video or an audio clip to corroborate your story. On another note, can you please add more information? We will need your specs, like so:
CPU:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:

include the version of your OS. We're currently on 1909 for Windows 10. Also, check and see what BIOS version you're currently on. I'd also try and reinstall chipset drivers and if it's an Intel platform, install Intel's RST app.

 

[vensus]

I think you should've included a video or an audio clip to corroborate your story. On another note, can you please add more information? We will need your specs, like so:
CPU: Intel Core i7 7700 @ 3.60GHz
Motherboard: Micro-Star International Co. Ltd. MPG Z390 GAMING PLUS
Ram: 16.0GB
SSD/HDD: 465GB Samsung SSD 860 EVO 500GB (SATA (SSD)) and 1863GB Seagate ST2000DL003-9VT166 (SATA )
GPU: 4095MB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER
PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA 850 G2, 80+ gold 850W, fully modular.
Chassis: Thermaltake V200 Tempered Glass RGB Edition Mid-Tower Chassis

OS: Windows 10 Home 64-bit update 1903
BIOS: Bios version/date "American Megatrends Inc. 1.60, 3/27/2019"

include the version of your OS. We're currently on 1909 for Windows 10. Also, check and see what BIOS version you're currently on. I'd also try and reinstall chipset drivers and if it's an Intel platform, install Intel's RST app.

I can try to capture video of the sound being made, but it's really hard to catch it in the moment due to it's random timing that I'm aware of. In less I have my phone ready to record and sit there for about an hour or so on the chance it'll happen any second, it only lasts for 5-7 seconds. So by the time I notice and hear it, getting record going it'll be catching the tail end of it at best. I'm pretty sure it is coming from the hard drive, which is pushing close to 10 years old at this point. But Windows 10 is being booted and installed with it's system files on the ssd (which is under a year old), I don't know if it's worth mentioning. But the hdd did have windows 7 on it and was used as my primary boot drive for 8+ years, but once I converted to the ssd and Windows 10. I completely reformatted and wiped the hdd before installing it into the system if I remember right.

I'll try at the very least to update windows 10, the bios and give the chipset drivers a reinstall and check out the RST app. In the mean time while trying to figure out if there's a more clear pattern to the timing of the hdd noises to capture video/audio of it.

 

[vensus]

Sorry for the long delay in replies and testing...

I have some further information about this. So when I hear my hdd make this odd noise, if I go into my task manager quickly and in the performance tab it shows me my cpu, gpu, ram % being used and same for my ssd and hdd. I noticed that when the noise is happening and delaying certain things from being accessed, my hdd (d) drive isn't shown at all!

After the noise resolves, it pops my (d) drive aka the hdd back onto that list and even shows a 100% used spike from the event. Does this mean anything like my hdd might be on it's last leg? It is roughly about 10 years old by this point, I run my os for windows 10 on my ssd and most of my main programs by the way.