External HDD keeps running/working?

I recently installed an External HDD on my Dell 830 Notebook. I primarily use the HDD for datafile backups and do not leave the unit powered on save for when I'm backing up or looking for files.

What troubles me is that the HDD always seems to be working or accessing something. I've made sure my file manager has selected my C drive and that sometimes slows it down, but as I'm writing this post it is working away and the only two apps I have open are MS Outlook/Exchange and Google Chrome.

Of course I'm sure there are multiple behind the scenes items just cooking along.

Would looking at MS Config maybe provide a solution? There are likely things running in the background that I can do without, but I'm not that much of the expert to make that determination.

Thanks in advance for any/all help.

Cheers,

Nolan K.
D/FW

 

Hi

It would also be helpful to know how you perform your backups. Are you using backup software, if so which one? Or are you manually copy/pasting files onto the drive? Some backup programs, depending on the settings, constantly scan for new/changed files and transfer them to the backup drive.

 

Thanks for the input.

I resolved the issue by checking/verifying all processes and found a few that had done their normal thing when I installed the applications that kept them accessing various things. Included Diskeeper, QuickTime and a few more.

I modified or removed those processes and/or adjusted the involved applications.

I'm using XP Pro (I'm old fashioned) and I also manually move my data files for my business from the notebook HDD to the external HDD on a regular basis. I happen to use the Opus file manager application.

Thanks again and Merry Christmas to everyone.


Cheers,

Nolan K.
D/FW