Question Secondary HDD keeps activating when computer is in sleep mode

[Juggernaut122]

Hi.

I put my secondary HDD (seagate 8 TB), into my new computer (it was my secondary drive in my old computer) and now when the computer is in sleep mode, about every 5 minutes I hear this drive spool up and then turn off.
How do I stop it from doing that? It never did that in the older computer.

New system:
HP Envy, Windows 11, 32 gb RAM, i7 (12 core), primary SSD, 1TB HDD drive (came with the computer), and 8 TB drive.

Is there any way to keep my HDD from spooling up and down every few minutes while it is in sleep mode?

Thanks!
Juggernaut

 

[Colif]

see if this helps

1. Press Windows key on your keyboard, type Edit power plan, and then click the search results.
2. On the next window, click Change advanced power settings.
3. Click the + Hard disk button then + Turn off hard disk after. Set On batter (Minutes): and Plugged in: to your most convenient time where you want to turn off the hard disk.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...eep-mode/11a43479-2236-4d2a-a5b3-e43ed8620e5a

 

[Juggernaut122]

see if this helps

1. Press Windows key on your keyboard, type Edit power plan, and then click the search results.
2. On the next window, click Change advanced power settings.
3. Click the + Hard disk button then + Turn off hard disk after. Set On batter (Minutes): and Plugged in: to your most convenient time where you want to turn off the hard disk.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...eep-mode/11a43479-2236-4d2a-a5b3-e43ed8620e5a

Hi Colif.

If I set the time for longer, does that mean it will keep cycling that entire time, or will setting it to a shorter time stop cycling faster?

To stop the cycling, do I set the time shorter or longer?

Thanks for the information!
Juggernaut

 

[Colif]

way i read it, if you set the time shorter it will turn the drive off faster and you shouldn't hear any noise

 

[Juggernaut122]

way i read it, if you set the time shorter it will turn the drive off faster and you shouldn't hear any noise

I tried it and it didn't make any difference.

I did finally change it so the hard drive does not turn off at all & it stopped continuously spooling on and off.
Which is better for the drive - keeping it on all the time or having it repeatedly spooling on and off every 3-5 minutes?

Thanks!

 

[Colif]

You can go to Device Manager in Windows, right-click on the line of your HDD in the Storage section, and check Power Management there: maybe it's set to turn off to save power, and that's device-dependent. If so, uncheck the "Turn off to save power" box.

I think the following is happening: your HDD turns itself off to save power after x minutes of inactivity, but Windows wakes it up when it does, because it's mapped in Explorer, and must be accessible at any time you're using your computer.

https://superuser.com/questions/1534613/hdd-randomly-turns-itself-off-and-on

 

[Juggernaut122]

Looks like preventing the HD from turning off in the settings has solved the problem.
Interestingly it doesn't seem to make any noise though, unless I am actively using it.

I suspect that since I was also backing up the drive with Carbonite, that every time the drive went to sleep carbonite would wake it back up so that it could continue to back it up in sleep mode.

Thanks for the help!