So a couple of weeks ago I build this computer, and it seems like the tasks I'm performing are taxing it, which doesn't make sense. I'm a research lawyer, and primarily use the computer for work. That said, I also watch a lot of videos, have a lot of tabs open, and am trying to learn a bit about programming (free online lectures and materials at MIT and the like). This morning, I've got three Chrome windows open, with 9 tabs in one (Facebook, HBO Now streaming Real Time, Google News, e-mail, etc), two tabs in another, and three tabs in the last one. I'm running Spyder (Python3.6) but not actively using it. I've got a PDF open through Microsoft Edge browser, task manager running, and a couple of word documents open.
As I went to open a document from a client file stored on the external hard drive, I got a "Device not ready" message. It was plugged in and being read, but not responding. When I held it in my hand, I could feel vibrations like it was working (though maybe that was coming from my fan through the USB cord?)
Anyway, I know the simple answer is "close some stuff and see if that helps." The point of building this, though, was to have a system that accommodates how I like to work (lots of stuff open, not shutting down for weeks). So if I need more RAM, a different internal hard drive, a different processor, etc., I'd prefer that to changing how I do things.
I've had the external hard drive (1 TB WD My Passport ) for at least a few years, and have a few different computers' worth of info stored on it. All the same, I've only used 97 gigs out of the terabyte that's available.
So, suggestions for what could be causing sluggish response times and non-responsiveness? Do I need a new external hard drive? Is it a driver issue? How do I find out?
Current build (build date April 20, 2017):
Tower: Thermaltake Versa N23
Power: Thermaltake 750W 80PLUS
Motherboard: MSI X370 SLI PLUS
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 1400
Internal hard drive: Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM010 1 TB 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
RAM: Crucial 16GB DDR4 SDRAM Memory Module (16GBx1)
Graphics: Nvidia Geforce 210 Graphics Card
Wireless: Netis Wireless N 300Mbps PCIE Card 2x5dBi Antenna
Wireless: Asus USB-BT400 Bluetooth 4.0 adapter
Disc: Asus DVD read/write
Operating system: Windows 10 Home 64 bit
As I went to open a document from a client file stored on the external hard drive, I got a "Device not ready" message. It was plugged in and being read, but not responding. When I held it in my hand, I could feel vibrations like it was working (though maybe that was coming from my fan through the USB cord?)
Anyway, I know the simple answer is "close some stuff and see if that helps." The point of building this, though, was to have a system that accommodates how I like to work (lots of stuff open, not shutting down for weeks). So if I need more RAM, a different internal hard drive, a different processor, etc., I'd prefer that to changing how I do things.
I've had the external hard drive (1 TB WD My Passport ) for at least a few years, and have a few different computers' worth of info stored on it. All the same, I've only used 97 gigs out of the terabyte that's available.
So, suggestions for what could be causing sluggish response times and non-responsiveness? Do I need a new external hard drive? Is it a driver issue? How do I find out?
Current build (build date April 20, 2017):
Tower: Thermaltake Versa N23
Power: Thermaltake 750W 80PLUS
Motherboard: MSI X370 SLI PLUS
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 1400
Internal hard drive: Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM010 1 TB 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
RAM: Crucial 16GB DDR4 SDRAM Memory Module (16GBx1)
Graphics: Nvidia Geforce 210 Graphics Card
Wireless: Netis Wireless N 300Mbps PCIE Card 2x5dBi Antenna
Wireless: Asus USB-BT400 Bluetooth 4.0 adapter
Disc: Asus DVD read/write
Operating system: Windows 10 Home 64 bit