Can a HDD slow down?

Discussions about anything Computer Hardware Related. Overclocking, underclocking and talk about the latest or even the oldest technology. PCA Reviews feedback
Post Reply
User avatar
two slow
Senior Member
Posts: 403
Joined: Thu Jun 06, 2002 11:08 am

Can a HDD slow down?

Post by two slow »

In my Moms old comp everything is so slow. I have added ram, reformated, gone through the bios. I ran the diagnostic off WD site and it checked out OK. It just seems to be a lot slower then it used to be.
Any ideas?
TIA

Specs.
Chaintech CT-7AIVL
900 athlon 200fsb
512 meg Muskin I think
8gig caviar HDD
<marquee><span style="width: 100%; Filter: Glow(Color=#3333FF, Strength=2)">I was here</span></marquee>
blade
Posts: 9113
Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2000 1:56 am
Location: LV-426
Contact:

Post by blade »

They do get much slower as we install and delete files. Have you defragged recently?
[align=center]<img src="http://www.statgfx.com/statgfx/folding/?&username=blade&border=0,0,64&custom=21,138,255&label=79,79,255&header=149,202,255&stats=0,255,255&bgcolor=0,0,181&trans=no&template=fah_original&.jpg" alt="www.Statgfx.com" />
<img src="http://www.pcabusers.org/funnies/monkey2.gif">
<i><small>"Too much monkee business"</i></small>[/align]
User avatar
FlyingPenguin
Flightless Bird
Posts: 33162
Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2000 11:13 am
Location: Central Florida
Contact:

Post by FlyingPenguin »

They will only get slower due to fragmentation. As Blade suggested, try a defrag.

They may also get slower if the drive is failing and dropping data, but I you'd probably have data corruption problems or bad sectors.

Other things can make a computer seem slow. Have you used Adaware or Spybot to Search & Destroy to clean out spyware?

Have you disabled uneccesary background apps?
---
“The Government of Spain will not applaud those who set the world on fire just because they show up with a bucket.” - Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez

Image
User avatar
CaterpillarAssassin
Almighty Member
Posts: 2252
Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2000 11:29 am
Location: somewhere in N.E

Re: Can a HDD slow down?

Post by CaterpillarAssassin »

Originally posted by two slow
...I have added ram, reformated, gone through the bios. I ran the diagnostic off WD site and it checked out OK...
Apparently he is working on a fresh install, FP.


I dunno. I also get the same notion that PC's get slower in there old age. Sure it could be due to newer software but what would happen if u put the OLD software on it and ran it? I'll tell ya cuz I did it on a P133. Win95, etc. It ran SLOW. But thats probably because I am used to having everything be instant now. So in comparison, it is slow as hell. But thats because I put it next to a very fast machine.
Image
User avatar
two slow
Senior Member
Posts: 403
Joined: Thu Jun 06, 2002 11:08 am

Post by two slow »

Yep on a fresh install it is still slow. It acts like it lost about 500MHz. I'm not getting any corruption. Everything is stable it is just slow. This was the first comp my Mom had and she told me it was slower then when I gave it to her. She now has something a lot better, it just bugs me that I can't find whats wrong.
<marquee><span style="width: 100%; Filter: Glow(Color=#3333FF, Strength=2)">I was here</span></marquee>
User avatar
DoPeY5007
Almighty Member
Posts: 4259
Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2002 5:50 pm
Location: Moved to the hood, a few blocks from USC
Contact:

Post by DoPeY5007 »

you are just use to the faster speeds, so the slower seam slower then thay actually are ;)
Image Image Image

"I'm seriously going to pummel you until you purr like a bitch-kitten!!"
Post Reply