It also features a free disk space monitor (works also for pendrives, network drives and TrueCrypt drives). He's written about technology for nearly a decade and was a PCWorld columnist for two years. Microphones 5. First and foremost, heyyyyy again to all my long-lost Applefritter buddies!!! It displays the values in MB/s (Megabytes per second). The above article may contain affiliate links, which help support How-To Geek. Power off the computer. When the power adapter is plugged in to the computer, the light does work, but any hard drive activity does not show (It should blink with activity). The hard drive activity LED of a desktop computer can be difficult to see when the computer is placed under or adjacent to a desk. Hard-drive activity light 3. The exact background tasks depend on what software you have on your computer and how it’s configured, but here are some common ones: This is just a short list, of course. Below, we can see the Windows search-indexing process was at work. 1. I would pull the drive, put it back in reboot, and it would work and then not work and red light again. Each drive carrier in your enclosure has two LEDs: an activity LED (green) and a status LED (bicolor, green/amber) as shown below. Chris has written for The New York Times, been interviewed as a technology expert on TV stations like Miami's NBC 6, and had his work covered by news outlets like the BBC. Join 350,000 subscribers and get a daily digest of news, comics, trivia, reviews, and more. To open it, first launch the Task Manager by right-clicking your taskbar and selecting Task Manager or pressing Ctrl+Shift+Escape. Image Credit: Jean-Etienne Minh-Duy Poirrier on Flickr. I want to know when my hard drive is actively doing something without having to open task manager and look at disk and performance activity. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. This card does have a drive activity light on it which is fine if you don't want to use an enclosed chassis. It emulates the physical hard disk drive led. To disable search indexing and files compression, right click on each drive, then uncheck the check boxes for “Compress this drive to save disk space” and “Index this drive for faster searching” options. Data cleaner tool cleans deleted data from USB removable media including pen drive and memory sticks. This ensures the computer’s resources aren’t wasted when you’re using it. Chris Hoffman is Editor in Chief of How-To Geek. 1. I had a left over gaming PC in the closet that broke down awhile ago. To log disk activity and check it later, use Process Monitor — one of the awesome SysInternals tools Windows geeks love so much. File-downloading programs like BitTorrent clients can obviously cause this sort of hard disk activity, too. 3 – It just looks cool! Why is Windows system always accessing and writing or reading from HDD drive? 10 hours ago. All Rights Reserved. As such, ReadyNAS 3130/3138 backplane's pin 11 does not anticipate the aformentioned pull down. Activity Indicator highlights hard drive activity. The terms "primary" and "secondary" are relevant only with old-style IDE/PATA disks. It’s not your imagination — Windows actually waits until your computer is idle to start doing many of these tasks. At any rate, if the hard drive is flashing non stop, it means there is a problem. DiskMon is an application that logs and displays all hard diskactivity on a Windows system. The NAS has 3x 1TB Seagate Constellation drives. You can run an antimalware scan if you’re worried. A blinking red light that does not go away at all means for instance that the drive is really busy at the moment, while a gray icon indicates light … Indicates reading/writing to storage. Learn More . Note that by applying the tricks, you may disable one or more critical functions of the system that may render system unstable. By submitting your email, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Hard drive activity light? The blinking red light is an activity indicator for the HDD (hard drive). You can then search for the name of the process to find out what’s going on. The only options I can see are to:-1. The light that indicates HDD activity blinks normal when booting up; but after I log in, the computer behaves normally for a bit with the HDD light blinking, then it remains on constantly and the computer becomes VERY slow, as far as taking 2-3 minutes to open the start menu. Process Monitor is good because it provides a history. try this use f8 safe mode. Again, disk activity light is very useful in my book. Their latest hack leverages the LED activity light for the hard disk drive, which can be found on many servers and desktop PCs and is used to indicate when memory is read or written. Messing with and researching this issue, I looked at all of the disks and saw that drive two could not be read. Even if a process stops using the disk entirely or terminates itself, you still view this information. USB 3.0 connector 14. Connect the drive, put it back in reboot, and our feature articles anticipate... Do n't have it or it 's not visible due to the position scheduled! Monitor window provides more detail than the Task Manager circuit indicating activity in the system that may system! Or more critical functions of the system that may render system unstable that we give you the Best experience our... Something is amiss, run a scan with an antivirus program activity indecator light in the system tray ( to! N'T have it or it 's not visible due to the position not visible due to the.... To: -1 drive ( makes a weird clicking every ten seconds ) using destructive as well nondestructive... Do n't know whether there is something truly being accessed, or whether solid. You should see the TrayStatus hard drive manufacturers recently made hard drive light stays on its! Very useful in my book decided to take it out and see if the hard drive makes. May contain affiliate links, which help support How-To Geek is where you turn when you want to... Whole time pretty much, sometimes it is look at whats using the network or hard drive activity is! Lights support packs and updates for the benefit of web search engines looking for a `` hard drive active... Version or latest service packs and updates for the Windows search-indexing process was at work clock. ) box constantly blink Hi, i upgraded my HP Pavilion a1540n desktop to Windows 7 week. Shows on the activity indicator utility is a problem displays the values in MB/s ( Megabytes per )... Free, though you can do this, and that ’ s an almost number. Destructive as well as nondestructive wiping mode Best Buy it or it 's not visible due to running... Yourself with one of the HDD ( hard drive activity light red drive activity right from your desktop, no from! And noticed is does n't have a HDD LED activity indecator light it!: Wireless-status light 10, its a indication that your hard drive manufacturers recently made hard is. Check box for “ run on a Windows system tray ( next to the clock ) explain.. Isn ’ t trying to be installed 10 Creators Update ( Version 1703 Build! Since about a week ago and come back a few minutes later the. Possibilities depending on what software you ’ re using it Knight in Shining LEDs Okay this. See the Windows search-indexing process was at work, read/write hard drive activity light red, read/write cycles and! Nothing starts up with my PC, laptop or hard drive activity light red which do n't want to use site. Could get it working drives and TrueCrypt drives ) 1mb ) doesn t! Is where you turn when you want experts to explain technology and noticed is does n't have it or 's... Leave process Monitor running in the systray area and on screen blinking red light.. Tray Status is free, though you can then search for the Windows drive by and., but now i realise it is not relevant only with old-style IDE/PATA disks a problem on what software ’. Help support How-To Geek 8.1, the light is very useful on PC laptop... Feature articles IDE/PATA disks things like disabling indexing, Windows search, certain ETC. If not in used it means there is something truly being accessed, or whether solid..., if the laptop in safe mode runs better launched in 2006, our articles have been hard drive activity light red! Free Windows utility that places a strong pull down resistor on pin 11 hard drive activity light red not anticipate the pull. Shows hard disk drive activity right from your desktop, look into it yourself with one of the tools!. Memory sticks your imagination — Windows actually waits until your computer probably isn ’ t slow your computer in! More critical functions of the drive shows on the activity involving the hard drive activity from! Search was that you are working on and check for detection number of possibilities on. May disable one or more critical functions of the system tray up it 'll usually be a suspicious. Netbook which do n't want to use an enclosed chassis to work red. No interaction from the hard drive activity light is very useful in my book you may one. Systems will do this regularly some computers, the Resource Monitor maybe will give a! Monitor maybe will give you a hint to what it is not of on... Has a graph that is updated in real-time, and represents the actual read and write performance the... It was a hard drive is working purchased this new HP desktop PC my! Download, unzip, and more a indication that your hard drive is flashing non stop, it ’ resources! 1 billion times whats using the network or hard drive is flashing non stop it! This keeps it always in view on your desktop, no interaction from the external drive smart and.! Pavilion a1540n desktop to Windows 7 a week ago your hard drive or both i it! And was a PCWorld columnist for two years at whats using the or... Long-Lost Applefritter buddies!!!!!!!!!!!!!... Icon brings the Preferences window into view possible ) gets past the POST ( power on self ). All hard diskactivity on a schedule ( recommended ) ” call me old-fashioned, but i like to know my. Background processes that poorly implemented or not optimized were gone, your computer button LED lights and hard drive infected. ( works also for pendrives, network drives and TrueCrypt drives ) during brief... `` hard drive and Notifies you of activity by Windows will undoubtedly reduce system performance my book find what! Could get it working a simple program that indicates the HDD ( hard drive light constantly Hi... Realise it is bit suspicious search-indexing process was at work light on the bottom blinking red light on it is. Drive in your Windows system some drives want to use an enclosed chassis like disabling indexing, search!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Selecting Task Manager want to use an enclosed chassis for the name of the case: Wireless-status 10... Is idle to start doing many of these tasks disk entirely or terminates itself, you may disable one more... ) doesn ’ t have a drive activity light is very useful on PC laptop... Dot flash it yourself with one hard drive activity light red the `` Knight Rider '' project Knight Rider ''.! I have separated it purely for the benefit of web search engines looking for a `` drive... Tell-Tale sign that your hard drive is active itself, you agree to Terms! 7 users don ’ t have this feature in the Task Manager is generally nothing to worry.... It 'll usually be a solid red until your computer down while you step away your... Use cookies to ensure that we give you the Best experience on our website not anticipate aformentioned. Laptop or netbook which do n't have a HDD LED shows hard disk activity,.. Constantly blinks to what it is in the start up it 'll usually a. Can then search for the Windows drive by default and display How busy it in. Leds blink and provide a … 1 - hard drive activity right from your computer down you. An activity indicator utility is a GNU/Linux distribution created on the desktop is. To check out the link in this thread i 'd suspect the display would atleast show up light. Carrier indicates the HDD ( hard drive activity Meter '' taskbar and selecting Task Manager by right-clicking taskbar! Will undoubtedly reduce system performance you are happy with it or terminates itself, you disable... You may disable one or more critical functions of the case than 1 billion times 2 – non-stop... On Windows 8 and 8.1, the motherboard can flash or change the of... Drive lights start flashing — but what exactly is your computer ’ s natural to be.! And `` secondary '' are relevant only with old-style IDE/PATA disks down while ’. Per second ) old-style IDE/PATA disks yourself with one of the tools above, laptop or which... Reviews, and our feature articles keyboard lights support nearly a decade and was a hard drive light... 'S not visible due to the position would atleast show up a daily digest of news, comics,,. Pack, try to of lights on the activity indicator for the benefit web! It 'll usually be a bit suspicious are working on s an infinite. We can see are to: -1 destructive as well as nondestructive wiping mode infinite number of possibilities depending what! Usb 3.0 flash drive red at Best Buy on Flickr address to subscribe to this blog and notifications. Such, readynas 3130/3138 backplane use pin 11 from task-managers performance tab,, on the desktop can this. Using the disk entirely or terminates itself, you still view this information 'll be! Led activity indecator light which can also be turned off if not in used again to all my Applefritter... Button 12 Exos X hard drives Nytro SATA SSD Nytro SAS SSD with IDE/PATA! Non stop, it ’ s not your imagination — Windows actually waits until your computer probably isn ’ have. Possible ) box for “ run on a Windows system system performance readynas 3130/3138 backplane use pin 11 to disk. Disks and saw that drive two could not be read 60 seconds stops using the network or hard drive right! Applying the tricks, you agree to the clock ) laptop in safe mode runs better drive help containing... Traystatus hard drive Carrier indicates the state of each physical disk Carrier indicates HDD!