Automatic digest processor wrote:
> Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2000 15:21:02 -0600
> From: "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: Re: Need a file access monitor
>
> At 10:56 AM 3/23/00 -0500, you wrote:
> > Some program on my computer, in Windows 98, is accessing
> >the hard drive every 17 minutes, and I'd like to know what program it is,
> >and what file it is opening.
> >Thanks.
> >
> >--
> >[EMAIL PROTECTED][EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> Could be the swap file, perhaps? For those who may not know about it, a
> swap file is like a RAM extension. it sits on the hard drive, like a table
> behind your desk where you stick the extra reference books you have for the
> document you are writing. You bring one book to the desk, with the other
> four open behind you, copy the reference, then put it back and grab another
> from behind you. Like this, the computer uses the RAM like your desk, and
> the swap like that table. Command codes currently in direct use are kept
> in RAM to the extent that the space will allow, and swapped back and forth
> between that file as needed. If your disk is accessing too much, this
> means that you have too little RAM for the job at hand. Either reduce the
> job, increase the RAM, or wear out the drive.
> Even when your machine is sitting idle it will check the swap drive
> periodically, either because simply running the TSRs and drawing the screen
> requires it, or because it makes sure it "remembers" what may be in
> there. If you have no TSRs running save the operating system, you might
> want to enable power saving managment options available in your operating
> system to suspend the computer when idle. (consider the screen saver as a
> memory drain)
>
> bye,,,,,,,,,,,,,,(\
> Yolanda ,,,,,,,,,,\\_/(\
> UIN 4898262,,,..,,,Q Q \)
> ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,=(_T_)=
> http://members.home.net/pippi5
> {.. / .-.. --- ...- . / -... ..- -. -. .. . ... .-.-.- } A+
> Inertia. It's not just an object at rest tends to stay at rest; it's
> also an object in motion tends to stay in motion.
>
Hi, Yolanda. Thanks for the response. I'm still new at using and
setting up Windows on my home computer. I used Windows for a few years
at work, but someone else always set it up for me, and then I just used
the term emulator to connect to the midrange anyway.
Anyway, I've been trying to get APM to work on this machine, so I can
extend the life of the hard drive. I read most of the MS Knowledge base
docs that deal w/APM, and I was left with the impression that APM can be
made to work on almost any machine, but I'm starting to think that it
ain't so. I can get the Windows98
APM to turn off my monitor, but not the HD. I *can* get the (newly
flashed) BIOS APM to shut down the hard drive after say, 15 minutes, but
while I was watching it once, I saw that 2 minutes later the IDE LED
flashed, making the HD spin up again, even though I hadn't touched the
keyboard or mouse. I think that for the HD to be off for 2 minutes out
of every 17 seems pretty useless. In fact, I'd guess that even if I
made it shut down after, say, 10 minutes, so that it would be off for 7
minutes out of every 17, that it might be harder on it to be constantly
turning on and off all the time than for it to just be on constantly.
You agree? IOW, at
what point would a person reach the point of diminishing returns? Has
anyone seen any stats on this?
I assume that some program that resides in my system tray, or, at least
is auto-started by the Registry, is accessing the hard drive every so
often, but it piqued my interest, so I thought I'd find out. {:^>)
FWIW, I don't think it's happening every 17 minutes exactly, but varies
rather.
I have 64 megs of RAM, with plenty to spare usually, and a 1 gig HD.
--
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