Question Very Slow HDD

[JeffreyMallin]

Hi,

I have a Dell desktop that has an HDD which is abnormally slow. When looking at the performance in task manager, I see that it's almost always at 100% usage and read & write speeds are always around ~1.0-6.0 MB/s only.

I've run CrystalDiskInfo and Seagate Seatools and all tests seem conclusive (i.e. Health status is good for CystalDiskInfo and all tests were "Passed" on Seatool):

Screenshot

Captured with Lightshot

prnt.sc

Yet the HDD is very slow, which slows down the computer significantly. So is there anything I should try to fix the issue and get better performances?

Thanks!

 

[Colif]

Buy an ssd and replace hdd? No reason you can't upgrade it even if drive still works. If its slow, replace it.
buy ssd and use hdd as extra storage

 

[General Kenobi]

Hi,

I have a Dell desktop that has an HDD which is abnormally slow. When looking at the performance in task manager, I see that it's almost always at 100% usage and read & write speeds are always around ~1.0-6.0 MB/s only.

I've run CrystalDiskInfo and Seagate Seatools and all tests seem conclusive (i.e. Health status is good for CystalDiskInfo and all tests were "Passed" on Seatool):

Screenshot

Captured with Lightshot

prnt.sc

Yet the HDD is very slow, which slows down the computer significantly. So is there anything I should try to fix the issue and get better performances?

Thanks!

Hello there!
Go into process tab and check which application is consuming your drive which is causing it to be utilised to 100%. Some application can also cause these issue so uninstall any application which you do not recognise. And yes consider getting a SSD if you can.

 

[JeffreyMallin]

Buy an ssd and replace hdd? No reason you can't upgrade it even if drive still works. If its slow, replace it.
buy ssd and use hdd as extra storage

Thanks, yes I've been thinking about buying an SSD but haven't done so yet for two reasons: 1) I'm not sure to know if a given SSD is compatible with the rest of my PC (including mother board) and 2) given that the HDD is where windows is installed, I don't know how to make the transfer from one drive to the other without risking to loose data, or make a mess (the Dell PC also came with windows already installed so I don't know where to get it for a new install on a different drive).

Hello there!
Go into process tab and check which application is consuming your drive which is causing it to be utilised to 100%. Some application can also cause these issue so uninstall any application which you do not recognise. And yes consider getting a SSD if you can.

Looking at the process tab, I don't see any particular application consuming 100% of the drive, it's more the combination of multiple ones that lead to a full utilization (bit defender + one drive + chrome when opened, etc.). With such low write / read levels, the PC reaches 100% very quickly.

Thanks for the answers / suggestions!

 

[Lafong]

1) I'm not sure to know if a given SSD is compatible with the rest of my PC (including mother board) and 2) given that the HDD is where windows is installed, I don't know how to make the transfer from one drive to the other without risking to loose data, or make a mess (the Dell PC also came with windows already installed so I don't know where to get it for a new install on a different drive).

Any ordinary 2.5 inch SATA SSD should be compatible. Decide how much capacity you need and then look at possibilities from Crucial, Samsung, Western Digital. The Crucial MX 500 is a common choice.

What specific Dell model and model number do you have?

Transfer to the new SSD is a common procedure. Using "imaging" or "cloning". Either can do the job. Standard application recommendation would be Macrium Reflect Free Edition. Might take an hour or two. You could then re-use the old drive for additional storage or dispose of it.

 

[Ralston18]

2 TB HDD?

If so, SeaTools is showing that only 234 GB of space free. That puts the drive around 90.0% full if I follow correctly. Generally, I limit my drives to being 70-80 % full. (That is just me.)

My thought is that the combination of running apps and the seeming lack of free space is slowing down performance and that past history has likely fragmented the HDD as well.

Agree with moving to an SSD.

However, first (at least temporarily) disable bit-defender, One-drive, leave Chrome closed, etc. to reduce forced disk activity.

Then, do a complete backup of all important files. At least 2 x to locations off of the current host computer. Verify that the backups are recoverable and readable.

Consider doing some cleaning up of old files via Disk Cleanup (Windows) on the HDD and then perhaps a defrag.

However, no harm in cloning or imaging the drive beforehand. But do test the clone/image first.

 

[Colif]

Any ordinary 2.5 inch SATA SSD should be compatible. Decide how much capacity you need and then look at possibilities from Crucial, Samsung, Western Digital. The Crucial MX 500 is a common choice.

Personally I would avoid Crucial or Adata, mainly as I see far more of them fail in here than some other brands I hardly ever see.

If you buy a Samsung ssd it comes with data migration software so yes, can use Macrium but its a valid alternative.

Sounds like he needs more space too.

 

[Bob.B]

Hi,

I have a Dell desktop that has an HDD which is abnormally slow. When looking at the performance in task manager, I see that it's almost always at 100% usage and read & write speeds are always around ~1.0-6.0 MB/s only.

I've run CrystalDiskInfo and Seagate Seatools and all tests seem conclusive (i.e. Health status is good for CystalDiskInfo and all tests were "Passed" on Seatool):

Screenshot

Captured with Lightshot

prnt.sc

Yet the HDD is very slow, which slows down the computer significantly. So is there anything I should try to fix the issue and get better performances?

Thanks!

I think you will find that the disk is smr type.
It's a data storage disk not a work disk.
If you use it as a work disk it will be slow.