Windows 7 Sudden HDD 100% useage Long boot time

toddpaw · Jun 17, 2013

Hi All, My PC was running great but when I started it from overnight sleep, which woke at the normal speed, I as always did a manual update to Avast definitions. It did the download as quick as always, but then during the "saving package" it hung. I left it like that for some minutes, and then did a restart. I was prompted with the force shutdown screen. I had not opened anything prior to the Avast update.

Since then, it takes about an hour to load Win 7 pro, safe mode is quicker but extremely slow.

Resource monitor shows 100% HDD usage, normal CPU and memory. I have done a restore, which took 3 hrs. with no change. Uninstalled Avast, and removed all entries for it in registry. No change.

Question, when I shut down now I always get the program running in background, force shut down...... How do I find out what is running in background? I shut down anything I have had open.

I am running windows 7 64, and it was up to date.

thanks

MikeHawthorne · Jun 18, 2013

Hi

When you say you did a restore do you mean you reset it to a prior restore point?

There is no way that, that would normally take more than 15 minutes or so, so something is really messed up someplace.

You should be able to find out what's running by bringing up task manager and looking at what's running, (control alt delete).

Can you boot into safe mode?

If you can try that and see if you still get the same thing.

If you don't then use, msconfig (type in run window) to set the computer to diagnostic startup on the general tab and reboot.

If the problem goes away see if you can figure out what isn't running that was causing the problem.

Also look at Tools, Startup in CCleaner and see what's running at startup...

MikeHawthorne · Jun 18, 2013

Hi

When you say you did a restore do you mean you reset it to a prior restore point?

There is no way that, that would normally take more than 15 minutes or so, so something is really messed up someplace.

You should be able to find out what's running by bringing up task manager and looking at what's running, (control alt delete).

Can you boot into safe mode?

If you can try that and see if you still get the same thing.

If you don't then use, msconfig (type in run window) to set the computer to diagnostic startup on the general tab and reboot.

If the problem goes away see if you can figure out what isn't running that was causing the problem.

Also look at Tools, Startup in CCleaner and see what's running at startup, turn off anything that might look like a problem, especially anything related to Avast, you can always turn them back on later. You can do this in msconfig too.

Try and run SFC \scannow from the elevated prompt and let it look for corrupted files.

As a last resort you can do a repair install of the OS but unless your Windows disk has service pack one on it, you will have to download the version of Windows you have with service pack one included and make a disk to do that.

Download Windows 7 (SP1 included)

You will need Imgburn to make the disk from the ISO image file.

The Official ImgBurn Website

Repair Install - Windows 7 Help Forums

Mike

toddpaw · Jun 18, 2013

Thanks Mike, to answer your questions, yes I did a restore from 3 days prior to problem starting, and yes it took 3hrs., that's how slow pc is running. I have been into task manager, as well as the resource monitor within the TM. It is there that shows the 100% HDD activity. There are a lot of processes running, but none that seem un-normal, most are svchost, and system. CPU 2%, memory at 15%. I have been to safe mode, still takes long time to get there, but it does let me into msconfig, ect sooner the win 7 but opening said is still lengthly and timed out several times.

I have run ProcessExplorer as well as some anti-malware apps, with nothing found. ProcessExplorer shows nothing more than TM. I should mention that after about an hour of boot time, I can open places like control panel, event viewer ect.. They are extremely slow in opening,

As well, right now all seems to be OK, as I type this, I just opened processexplorer and it opened instantly, TM and resource monitor are running, event viewer is open, HDD led is not on. But just tried email and it timed out, oh well. So after some time it does get better, but it is not yet right.

I will try the SFC\scannow and what other you suggest, before a re-boot.
thanks, todd

toddpaw · Jun 19, 2013

Hi, An update and more questions. #1- Can I post images of processes running? I am baffled by what I see in resource monitor(RM). Besides LONG boot time, when I can actually do something with the PC, (HDD stops 100% activity) it will without me doing anything, jump to 100% and in RM show many entries in the ACTIVITY widow, including game file saves.....

# 2- How can I test the spin speed of my HDD. I have switched cables, SATA ports, as well as to a second SATA controller (Marvel), so motherboard is ok.

Things still as same. I have run SFC \scannow verifyonly. No integrity violations. I ran it in "Windows\system32, didn't know if it should be run elsewhere as well.

I have run a full sys scsn with Avast, newly re-installed, and it did find "severe threat" which I quarantined. This was done from another drive in the PC and I assume that is now where it is. I think the only options were to delete, quarantine or skip.

TDSSKiler also found an low threat that was as well quarantined.

I have run disk defragmenter - Analyze only, after 2 years from original install, 10% fragmented, 162Gb used of 1Tb. I could be wrong but I am assuming this is not the issue.

My start up in MSconfig is minimal, I have always kept that on all pcs I have had that way. Did use diagnostic start-up and no change in boot time or slow afterwards.

I have now used CCleaner, and did disable some start up items elsewhere, no change.

Thanks, todd

Windows 7 Sudden HDD 100% useage Long boot time

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