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AR15.COM
8/19/2011 5:22:03 PM EDT
Just wanting to know if my external hard drive is always suppose to be running? As far as I remember when it was new it only ran when I was using it, i.e playing a movie from it, or looking at pictures from it. Now the light on the front is always blinking, and I can feel it vibrating/drive spinning. I also cannot safely remove it using the removal tool in vista. I receive the error "Windows cant stop your 'Generic volume' device because it is in use. Close any programs or windows that might be using the device, and try again later."

The Hard drive is a WD 1TB
8/19/2011 5:23:47 PM EDT
[#1]
It should only run on startup or when accessing it. Windows cant stop it because something is accessing it.




8/19/2011 5:24:18 PM EDT
[#2]
Have you installed onto the drive that runs all the time? Or maybe installed something that uses files on it?  Do you have any kind of backup software that may be automatically running and scanning that drive when you start up?  lot of possibilities here, but it seems obvious that something is running that is accessing that drive.

You could always just unplug it and see what kind of error shows up :)
8/19/2011 5:24:36 PM EDT
[#3]
Quoted:
It should only run on startup or when accessing it. Windows cant stop it because something is accessing it.



How do i find what is using it?
8/19/2011 5:26:31 PM EDT
[#4]
Virus scanner might be scanning it?



-Foxxz
8/19/2011 5:30:59 PM EDT
[#5]
Quoted:
Virus scanner might be scanning it?

-Foxxz


nope, does it even when the virus scanner is off and I also have the drive excluded.
8/19/2011 5:37:26 PM EDT
[#6]



Quoted:



Quoted:

It should only run on startup or when accessing it. Windows cant stop it because something is accessing it.







How do i find what is using it?


I would start by terminating processes in the task manager to see what stops it.
 
8/19/2011 5:46:01 PM EDT
[#7]
Try defragmenting the drive.  Could be that it's fragmented and slow...
8/19/2011 5:58:38 PM EDT
[#8]
Don't know about Vista but one time with my XP system I had a Maxtor HD that would not let the " safely remove hardware" function work.
Maxtor tech said I could always just shutdownthe system using the regular shutdown procedure and then unplug it.
8/19/2011 6:20:41 PM EDT
[#9]
restart in safe mode and see if its running , while there do a virus scan
8/19/2011 6:26:56 PM EDT
[#10]
Start -> Run -> perfmon.exe /res



Look under disk, you can see which process is accessing files on that drive.
8/19/2011 7:01:39 PM EDT
[#11]
Quoted:
Start -> Run -> perfmon.exe /res

Look under disk, you can see which process is accessing files on that drive.


Thanks, this is what i was looking for. I just hope it works
8/19/2011 7:08:46 PM EDT
[#12]
There is also a program called 'unlocker' that will show you what processes are acessing a USB drive so yo can unlock it and safely remove it


http://majorgeeks.com/Unlocker_d4660.html