It sounded like a small metal can with a few nuts and bolts in it being
shaken.

I removed Avast and it has been quiet for hours. Some kind of interaction
with the particular hardware in my system I suspect. I am waiting to see if
it starts up again.

I still have the RMA. I was not going to do a cross ship.

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience


"FromTheRafters" erratic @nomail.afraid.org wrote in message
...
"Richard Urban" wrote in message
...
FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I was talking to Western Digital today and they gave me an RMA to return
a "defective" 1 gig hard drive that sounded like a garbage truck for the
past 4-5 days. I could hear the drive in the next room while watching
television. I'm glad to say I don't have to return the drive.

Today I downloaded the beta of Microsoft Security Essentials for testing
purposes. I uninstalled Avast and installed MSE. After a reboot (I always
do this after an install) the hard drive was quiet! The drive had
previously sounded like the heads were slamming into the stops. What a
noise. I also checked my processes in Task Manager and found that one
Avast process had over 22 **BILLION** read accesses within 1/2 hour after
booting up.

Anyway, all now seems well. I guess it was an Avast update that started
my main hard drive going spastic.

I don't see how that is possible. I would still be very suspicious of the
harddrive. Thrashing can be software related, but doesn't quite reach
"garbage truck" level - not like defective bearings would.

Judging from the cross-posting, is it intended for a product announcement,
or it meant to say, dump Avast and use MSE?



"Richard Urban" wrote in message
...
FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I was talking to Western Digital today and they gave me an RMA to return a
"defective" 1 gig hard drive that sounded like a garbage truck for the
past 4-5 days. I could hear the drive in the next room while watching
television. I'm glad to say I don't have to return the drive.

Today I downloaded the beta of Microsoft Security Essentials for testing
purposes. I uninstalled Avast and installed MSE. After a reboot (I always
do this after an install) the hard drive was quiet! The drive had
previously sounded like the heads were slamming into the stops. What a
noise. I also checked my processes in Task Manager and found that one
Avast process had over 22 **BILLION** read accesses within 1/2 hour after
booting up.

Anyway, all now seems well. I guess it was an Avast update that started my
main hard drive going spastic.

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience

Just trying to find out if others have had the same experience and if they
found a cure. I dual boot with Vista and Windows 7. It is NOT happening on
the Vista side.

I frequently ignore what you have to say.

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience


"xfile" wrote in message
...


Judging from the cross-posting, is it intended for a product announcement,
or it meant to say, dump Avast and use MSE?



"Richard Urban" wrote in message
...
FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I was talking to Western Digital today and they gave me an RMA to return
a "defective" 1 gig hard drive that sounded like a garbage truck for the
past 4-5 days. I could hear the drive in the next room while watching
television. I'm glad to say I don't have to return the drive.

Today I downloaded the beta of Microsoft Security Essentials for testing
purposes. I uninstalled Avast and installed MSE. After a reboot (I always
do this after an install) the hard drive was quiet! The drive had
previously sounded like the heads were slamming into the stops. What a
noise. I also checked my processes in Task Manager and found that one
Avast process had over 22 **BILLION** read accesses within 1/2 hour after
booting up.

Anyway, all now seems well. I guess it was an Avast update that started
my main hard drive going spastic.

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience

It is NOT happening on
the Vista side.

Then why did you cross-post to different "Vista" newsgroups?

And the core message is that you downloaded and installed MSE beta, and the
problem went away, and as an experienced technician and an MVP, you didn't
do any previous troubleshooting for the noise? How unlikely.

I frequently ignore what you have to say.

Which is fine just that your track record shows that you are not exactly an
objective person.


"Richard Urban" wrote in message
...
Just trying to find out if others have had the same experience and if they
found a cure. I dual boot with Vista and Windows 7. It is NOT happening on
the Vista side.

I frequently ignore what you have to say.

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience


"xfile" wrote in message
...


Judging from the cross-posting, is it intended for a product
announcement, or it meant to say, dump Avast and use MSE?



"Richard Urban" wrote in message
...
FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I was talking to Western Digital today and they gave me an RMA to return
a "defective" 1 gig hard drive that sounded like a garbage truck for the
past 4-5 days. I could hear the drive in the next room while watching
television. I'm glad to say I don't have to return the drive.

Today I downloaded the beta of Microsoft Security Essentials for testing
purposes. I uninstalled Avast and installed MSE. After a reboot (I
always do this after an install) the hard drive was quiet! The drive had
previously sounded like the heads were slamming into the stops. What a
noise. I also checked my processes in Task Manager and found that one
Avast process had over 22 **BILLION** read accesses within 1/2 hour
after booting up.

Anyway, all now seems well. I guess it was an Avast update that started
my main hard drive going spastic.

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience

You fail to either read or comprehend.

Both I and Western Digital had nailed it down as a failing drive. They even
gave me an MRA number. Removing Avast eliminated the problem. It has nothing
to do with M/S's new security program except I loaded it after I removed
Avast. I was giving the chain of events. I cross posted to the three
newsgroups that I thought would get the best exposure. But you KNOW this.

Can you comprehend THAT?



--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience


"xfile" wrote in message
...

It is NOT happening on
the Vista side.

Then why did you cross-post to different "Vista" newsgroups?

And the core message is that you downloaded and installed MSE beta, and
the problem went away, and as an experienced technician and an MVP, you
didn't do any previous troubleshooting for the noise? How unlikely.

I frequently ignore what you have to say.

Which is fine just that your track record shows that you are not exactly
an objective person.


"Richard Urban" wrote in message
...
Just trying to find out if others have had the same experience and if
they found a cure. I dual boot with Vista and Windows 7. It is NOT
happening on the Vista side.

I frequently ignore what you have to say.

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience


"xfile" wrote in message
...


Judging from the cross-posting, is it intended for a product
announcement, or it meant to say, dump Avast and use MSE?



"Richard Urban" wrote in message
...
FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I was talking to Western Digital today and they gave me an RMA to
return a "defective" 1 gig hard drive that sounded like a garbage truck
for the past 4-5 days. I could hear the drive in the next room while
watching television. I'm glad to say I don't have to return the drive.

Today I downloaded the beta of Microsoft Security Essentials for
testing purposes. I uninstalled Avast and installed MSE. After a reboot
(I always do this after an install) the hard drive was quiet! The drive
had previously sounded like the heads were slamming into the stops.
What a noise. I also checked my processes in Task Manager and found
that one Avast process had over 22 **BILLION** read accesses within 1/2
hour after booting up.

Anyway, all now seems well. I guess it was an Avast update that started
my main hard drive going spastic.

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience

If you have run the Western Digital Data Lifeguard Diagnostic from
http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?lang=en and identified a
hardware problem AVAST is a red herring.

If you haven't, I suggest you do so now. Intermittent hardware problems
usually end in data loss when they are ignored in the hope that they
have resolved themselves.


On 24/06/2009 04:45, Richard Urban wrote:
You fail to either read or comprehend.

Both I and Western Digital had nailed it down as a failing drive. They
even gave me an MRA number. Removing Avast eliminated the problem. It
has nothing to do with M/S's new security program except I loaded it
after I removed Avast. I was giving the chain of events. I cross posted
to the three newsgroups that I thought would get the best exposure. But
you KNOW this.

Can you comprehend THAT?

"Richard Urban" wrote in message
...
It sounded like a small metal can with a few nuts and bolts in it being
shaken.

I removed Avast and it has been quiet for hours. Some kind of interaction
with the particular hardware in my system I suspect. I am waiting to see
if it starts up again.

I still have the RMA. I was not going to do a cross ship.

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience


"FromTheRafters" erratic @nomail.afraid.org wrote in message
...
"Richard Urban" wrote in message
...
FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I was talking to Western Digital today and they gave me an RMA to return
a "defective" 1 gig hard drive that sounded like a garbage truck for the
past 4-5 days. I could hear the drive in the next room while watching
television. I'm glad to say I don't have to return the drive.

Today I downloaded the beta of Microsoft Security Essentials for testing
purposes. I uninstalled Avast and installed MSE. After a reboot (I
always do this after an install) the hard drive was quiet! The drive had
previously sounded like the heads were slamming into the stops. What a
noise. I also checked my processes in Task Manager and found that one
Avast process had over 22 **BILLION** read accesses within 1/2 hour
after booting up.

Anyway, all now seems well. I guess it was an Avast update that started
my main hard drive going spastic.

I don't see how that is possible. I would still be very suspicious of the
harddrive. Thrashing can be software related, but doesn't quite reach
"garbage truck" level - not like defective bearings would.



Avast will scan every file (of monitored types) that is being read or
written so something else could be accessing the drive and Avast would just
be responding normally to that activity. When I notice apparently
inexplicable AV activity I activate Avast's detailed info option for the
relevant on-access scanning module, on the Advanced tab under Customize. It
can at least identify the files being scanned and their location. OTOH
whatever was causing it may have completed what it wanted to do while your
AV was uninstalled, so the symptom might never happen again. ;-)

First of all, you cross-posted to three newsgroups for a problem that you
have not thoroughly examined and determined.

Secondly, it never occurs to you, again as an experienced "technician", that
it could be a hardware-related problem?

Thirdly, throughout your posts, you keep the emphasis on Avast.

You are either a terrible troubleshooter or a very poor story teller.

Take your pick.


"Richard Urban" wrote in message
...
Just trying to find out if others have had the same experience and if they
found a cure. I dual boot with Vista and Windows 7. It is NOT happening on
the Vista side.

I frequently ignore what you have to say.

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience


"xfile" wrote in message
...


Judging from the cross-posting, is it intended for a product
announcement, or it meant to say, dump Avast and use MSE?



"Richard Urban" wrote in message
...
FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I was talking to Western Digital today and they gave me an RMA to return
a "defective" 1 gig hard drive that sounded like a garbage truck for the
past 4-5 days. I could hear the drive in the next room while watching
television. I'm glad to say I don't have to return the drive.

Today I downloaded the beta of Microsoft Security Essentials for testing
purposes. I uninstalled Avast and installed MSE. After a reboot (I
always do this after an install) the hard drive was quiet! The drive had
previously sounded like the heads were slamming into the stops. What a
noise. I also checked my processes in Task Manager and found that one
Avast process had over 22 **BILLION** read accesses within 1/2 hour
after booting up.

Anyway, all now seems well. I guess it was an Avast update that started
my main hard drive going spastic.

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience

I cross posted to hardware because a hard drive was under duress. I posted
to security because Avast was involved (possibly), I posted to general
because this is the group that gets the most action - good and bad,

But again, you **KNOW** this, You are not stupid - just confrontational.

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience


"xfile" wrote in message
...

First of all, you cross-posted to three newsgroups for a problem that you
have not thoroughly examined and determined.

Secondly, it never occurs to you, again as an experienced "technician",
that it could be a hardware-related problem?

Thirdly, throughout your posts, you keep the emphasis on Avast.

You are either a terrible troubleshooter or a very poor story teller.

Take your pick.


"Richard Urban" wrote in message
...
Just trying to find out if others have had the same experience and if
they found a cure. I dual boot with Vista and Windows 7. It is NOT
happening on the Vista side.

I frequently ignore what you have to say.

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience


"xfile" wrote in message
...


Judging from the cross-posting, is it intended for a product
announcement, or it meant to say, dump Avast and use MSE?



"Richard Urban" wrote in message
...
FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I was talking to Western Digital today and they gave me an RMA to
return a "defective" 1 gig hard drive that sounded like a garbage truck
for the past 4-5 days. I could hear the drive in the next room while
watching television. I'm glad to say I don't have to return the drive.

Today I downloaded the beta of Microsoft Security Essentials for
testing purposes. I uninstalled Avast and installed MSE. After a reboot
(I always do this after an install) the hard drive was quiet! The drive
had previously sounded like the heads were slamming into the stops.
What a noise. I also checked my processes in Task Manager and found
that one Avast process had over 22 **BILLION** read accesses within 1/2
hour after booting up.

Anyway, all now seems well. I guess it was an Avast update that started
my main hard drive going spastic.

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience

Certainly a bit unusual.

Do you have Avast on the Windows Vista partition too?

--
Paul Smith,
Yeovil, UK.
Microsoft MVP Windows Desktop Experience.
http://www.dasmirnov.net/

"Richard Urban" wrote in message
...
FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I was talking to Western Digital today and they gave me an RMA to return a
"defective" 1 gig hard drive that sounded like a garbage truck for the
past 4-5 days. I could hear the drive in the next room while watching
television. I'm glad to say I don't have to return the drive.

Today I downloaded the beta of Microsoft Security Essentials for testing
purposes. I uninstalled Avast and installed MSE. After a reboot (I always
do this after an install) the hard drive was quiet! The drive had
previously sounded like the heads were slamming into the stops. What a
noise. I also checked my processes in Task Manager and found that one
Avast process had over 22 **BILLION** read accesses within 1/2 hour after
booting up.

Anyway, all now seems well. I guess it was an Avast update that started my
main hard drive going spastic.

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience