# Hard drive busy indicator for laptops **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 23, 2002, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-drive-busy-indicator-for-laptops/138283 "2002-11-23T01:22:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-drive-busy-indicator-for-laptops/138283/1 "2002-11-23T01:22:25Z")
Couldn’t think of a better way to phrase this. I have an older laptop (Compaq 1625). I have no way of knowing when the harddrive is active. It’s not a big deal, however. I was wondering if there’s a utility available that will let me know when the harddrive is working. Perhaps some sort of on-screen flashing dot or something? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-drive-busy-indicator-for-laptops/138283/2 "2002-11-23T01:49:41Z")
Umm…are you _sure_ about that. Normally there has been an LED on the front edge or bezel above the keyboard of every hard disk based Presario notebook I have ever used. There should be a drive indicator somewhere on the chassis. Run scandisk then turn the lights off in the room off and see if anything is glowing or flashing on the bezel or chassis . ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-drive-busy-indicator-for-laptops/138283/3 "2002-11-23T02:35:13Z")
Nope. ---
**Author:** ![Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-drive-busy-indicator-for-laptops/138283/4 "2002-11-23T14:18:31Z")
If you are somewhere quiet, your ears should suffice, otherwise a fingertip lightly on the laptop should feel the vibration. I looked around, and I can’t find any utilities. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-drive-busy-indicator-for-laptops/138283/5 "2002-11-23T17:10:37Z")
I knew a guy who had found a utility that would make a buzzing sound as the drive was being accessed. That would drive you nuts after, say, 30 seconds. I’ll have to keep looking. Thanks, Wonko. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-drive-busy-indicator-for-laptops/138283/6 "2002-11-23T23:12:08Z")
> **[Free Software Downloads and Reviews for Windows, Android, Mac, and iOS – CNET...](https://download.cnet.com/)** > > CNET Download provides free downloads for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android devices across all categories of software and apps, including security, utilities, games, video and browsers should have something. Thats a big free & shareware site. They have software that can do just about anything. Id seach for hard drive lights. ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-drive-busy-indicator-for-laptops/138283/7 "2002-11-24T00:04:36Z")
Drop a note to the blind computer users news groups. They may have an app.