Something is "ticking" my hard drive LED.

squeaky

To the tune of April Showers...

Tick tick tick goes the little blighter
Flashing away as the day goes by
Tick tick tick goes the little blighter
Going ahead despite every try
TICK
Tick
TICK
Tick
Tick tick tick goes the little blighter

....

Firmware... hmm... I'll have look.

Paradigm

Details please....

Motherboard make & model no + bios revision installed
DVD drives make & model no + firmware installed
Hard drives make & model

Pretty sure this is a futile exercise but I'll give it a whirl.... then I'll retire to a dark corner & stick pins in my eyes

squeaky

Paradigm wrote: »

Details please....

Motherboard make & model no + bios revision installed

Manufacturer = Foxconn
Product = G31MX Series
System Version = IntelR - 42302e31
Phoenix - Award BIOS v6.00PG
SMBIOS Version = 2.5
BIOS Vendor = Phoenix Technologies,
LTDBIOS = Version6.00 PG

Paradigm wrote: »

DVD drives make & model no + firmware installed

Device Name = ATAPI iHAS122 8
Description = CD-ROM
Location = 1
DriveManufacturer = (Standard CD-ROM drives)Location1
Driver Provider = Microsoft
Driver Version = 5.1.2535.0

Device Name = PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-106D
Description = CD-ROM
DriveManufacturer(Standard CD-ROM drives)
Location = 0
Driver Provider = Microsoft
Driver Version = 5.1.2535.0

I have no idea where to find the firmware version, doesn't show in Device Manager, nor in this info picked from Winaudit. In case it helps...

Device Type = IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers
DescriptionIntel = (R) 82801G (ICH7 Family) Ultra ATA Storage Controllers - 2
Manufacturer = Intel
Location = PCI bus 0, device 31, function 1
Driver Provider = Intel
Driver Version = 8.2.0.1011

Paradigm wrote: »

Hard drives make & model

Device Name = Hitachi HDP725050GLA360
Description = Disk drive
Manufacture = (Standard disk drives)
Location = 0
Driver Provider = Microsoft
Driver Version = 5.1.2535.0

Device Name = WDC WD1200JB-00GVC0
Description = Disk drive
Manufacturer = (Standard disk drives)
Location = 1
Driver Provider = Microsoft
Driver Version = 5.1.2535.0

I had been working through those getting updates using DriverMax. That's when I (finally?) noticed the "ticking". These drivers are all from a bog standard install of Win XP Home to sp3 and up to date KB's.

Paradigm

Ok, no need to go any further...

squeaky wrote: »

Device Name = PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-106D
Description = CD-ROM
DriveManufacturer(Standard CD-ROM drives)
Location = 0
Driver Provider = Microsoft
Driver Version = 5.1.2535.0

This artifact is 5 years old at least, born before SATA was a twinkle in some boffins eyes! The latest available firmware revision is dated 2004... I'm surprised it still works.

Two options...

Edit See Zandoni's post below

1) Put up with the flickering.

2) N/A

Zandoni

I have sata dvd-rw in both my machines still get the flicker. Did in the ones before that and the ones before that and the ones before that etc....

4Fingus

Click Start, Run
Type MSCONFIG and click OK - This is a good tool to diagnose startup problems. Blanket fix by disabling all startups and non microsoft services. Does it still 'tick'?

Enable one by one. Although it may take time you WILL find the culprit.

Patience is a virtue, especially with PC's

Paradigm

So you've seen some flickering then

I've never seen it, maybe I'm just lucky. Certainly on this & my previous system it's never happened & believe me, since reading this thread, I've tried my utmost to set "flicker mode" to on.

Looks like squeaky better get some dark glasses!

4Fingus

The worst case of 'flickering' I have ever seen was due to a faultly batch of capacitors released by some 2 bob firm in China. The marketing for these chips was so good that Dell, Panasonic, HP blah blah blah all bought in bluk and installed in some of their top end products. 'Bulging Caps' (google it) has caused millions in damage... 3rd Party support companies have made a small fortune replacing mobo'sand controller units.

One begins to remember why he stopped offering FREE advise on forums many moons ago....

squeaky

4Fingus wrote: »

Click Start, Run
Type MSCONFIG and click OK - This is a good tool to diagnose startup problems. Blanket fix by disabling all startups and non microsoft services. Does it still 'tick'?

Enable one by one. Although it may take time you WILL find the culprit.

Patience is a virtue, especially with PC's

Went there, did that, disabled everything with the "disable all" button on each of the tabs. No change. Or am I supposed to try a start after disabling each section? Or one at a time in each section?

*I've got plenty of patience... it's hair that I'm losing!

4Fingus

squeaky wrote: »

Went there, did that, disabled everything with the "disable all" button on each of the tabs. No change. Or am I supposed to try a start after disabling each section? Or one at a time in each section?

*I've got plenty of patience... it's hair that I'm losing!

Not having read the entire thread... sorry.. is it just the light that is bothering you? A flickering light really is normal. It means that there a READ operations against your hard disk which is needed for normal OS operation.

If it is really driving you that mad get yourself another Hard disk and re-install windows onto it, keep the other as a storage disk in your machine. they are cheap and at least your mind will be at rest.