Suspicious HDD activity

[Cerberus_SV]

I ve been having a problem for a couple of days now and i suspect it is my HDD that is causing it. It all began when one other desktop was connected in my home's network. I restarted the router and then suddently my computer became extremely slow and sluggish. It was so sluggish that i couldnt even restart it so i pressed the reset button. After this, every time i start my computer, windows work fine only for a couple of minutes and then they become extremely slow, so slow that i cant do anything. Since it began after a router restart, i assumed that maybe its network settings that affect it. It seems though that it isnt, since the problem remained even if i disconnected the ethernet cable. Running windows in safe mode also didnt help because it was doing exactly the same thing even there! I unsuccesfuly tried to do a system restore but it said it failed so there was no other option than to do a format.
I formated my HDD and installed windows again, only to come across with the same problem again! Even on fresh installed windows.
What i have noticed is that the disk usage is permanently at 100% even if i dont do anything at all.
So, since it does it even after format and also even if i run windows in safe mode, i assumed that its not likely to be a software issue but rather a hardware issue.
Does anyone have a clue about what might be the problem? Is it indeed a hardware problem? Did anyone face similar issues as me? Notice that i cant run many diagnostic tests since my computer becomes sluggish a couple of minutes after startup.
My configuration is:
OS: Windows 8 Pro
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 3 GHz (E8400)
M/B: Gigabyte P35-DS3L
RAM: 4 GB Kingston Hyper X at 1066 MHz
HDD: Western Digital 1 TB (WD1001FALS) Caviar Black
PSU: Corsair TX850M (850 Watt)

Everything is updated and i also didnt install anything new (neither software nor hardware) before this problem appeared.

 

[InvalidError]

Severe HDD performance degradation was a common symptom for all my failing HDDs.

Since you are experiencing the same problem even after re-installing Windows, get your HDD manufacturer's diagnostic tools and see what they have to say about it. You can also try changing which motherboard port the HDD is plugged into and the cable itself just in case.

 

[USAFRet]

This only happens when the other PC is turned on?

Turn that one off and run diagnostics.
Then run diagnostics/antivirus/malware scans on the other PC. There may be some virus trying to access any device it sees on the LAN.

 

[Cerberus_SV]

This only happens when the other PC is turned on?

Turn that one off and run diagnostics.
Then run diagnostics/antivirus/malware scans on the other PC. There may be some virus trying to access any device it sees on the LAN.

Oh i am sorry that i didnt mention that in my first post but the other desktop was there only for that day. It was removed a few hours later but the problem remained. That specific desktop was connected once more some days before the incident and caused no problems to my computer so i am guessing that it was just a coincidence.

 

[Cerberus_SV]

Severe HDD performance degradation was a common symptom for all my failing HDDs.

Since you are experiencing the same problem even after re-installing Windows, get your HDD manufacturer's diagnostic tools and see what they have to say about it. You can also try changing which motherboard port the HDD is plugged into and the cable itself just in case.

Well thats what i am afraid of but unfortunately as i ve already stated in my first post, running diagnostic tests is very difficult for me since the computer is extremely sluggish and very close to "non-responsive". I know that Western Digital has a diagnostic tool but as i have looked, the extented scan that can determin if the HDD is failing or not may take up to several hours. I dont even dare to imagine how long it would take to an almost non responsive computer.
Changing port can be easily tested though and i will do it just in case, even though i dont expect any miracles.

 

[USAFRet]

Severe HDD performance degradation was a common symptom for all my failing HDDs.

Since you are experiencing the same problem even after re-installing Windows, get your HDD manufacturer's diagnostic tools and see what they have to say about it. You can also try changing which motherboard port the HDD is plugged into and the cable itself just in case.

Well thats what i am afraid of but unfortunately as i ve already stated in my first post, running diagnostic tests is very difficult for me since the computer is extremely sluggish and very close to "non-responsive". I know that Western Digital has a diagnostic tool but as i have looked, the extented scan that can determin if the HDD is failing or not may take up to several hours. I dont even dare to imagine how long it would take to an almost non responsive computer.
Changing port can be easily tested though and i will do it just in case, even though i dont expect any miracles.

Well then...it looks like a dying drive.
As it is not dead 'yet', I suggest getting any critical data off of it now. Not applictions, but just your personal files.
Then you can look to fixing or replacing.

 

[popatim]

boot disk w/ antivirus would be my next on my list after the important files rescue.
http://www.raymond.cc/blog/13-antivirus-rescue-cds-software-compared-in-search-for-the-best-rescue-disk/

 

[InvalidError]

Well then...it looks like a dying drive.
As it is not dead 'yet', I suggest getting any critical data off of it now.

Yup.

I got lucky with my dying HDDs since I managed to back up my most important files every time and the bulk of my less important files as well before my drives started locking up increasingly frequently. Ex.: on one backup run, I might manage to backup 3-4GB of data before the HDD locks up and I have to shutdown and restart the PC before I can continue backing up but then it locks up again after another 2-3GB, rinse and repeat until it starts locking up too fast to get any useful amount of data off of it.

Out of the five times I have done this with one of my drives, there was only one time where I didn't manage to do a full backup before the drive failed completely. Three of them failed while I was full-formatting them before RMA. Only one managed to survive long enough to get in its return box still in (sort of) working condition.

 

[Cerberus_SV]

Ok i have an update. In order to be sure that its my HDD that is causing the problem, i decided to try one old IDE HDD i used to have and i installed windows on it. At first i was sure that it is definately my HDD's fault because it completed windows installation in only 8 minutes while my suspicious HDD did it in 3 hours. Here is the problem though. It works fine but if i leave the computer it does the same problem as my normal HDD with the only difference that it comes back to normal operation after a minute or so while the other doesnt at all or takes a loooong long time. I am suspecting now that background tasks may do this? I searched about idle maintenance but it was already disabled. Can anyone tell me which other possible background tasks i have to disable to figure out if this causes my problem?

 

[Cerberus_SV]

I just want to mention that my problem was eventually solved by making a full format on my hard drive (took me 2:30 hours). After i did this and installed windows again, everything was working fine.

 

[goldenchris81]

It's likely to be hdd issue.