# How do I speed up my hard drive?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-speed-up-my-hard-drive/167086>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 7, 2003, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-speed-up-my-hard-drive/167086 "2003-04-07T15:59:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-speed-up-my-hard-drive/167086/1 "2003-04-07T15:59:25Z")

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I just got a new computer, and everything about it is fast except for the hard drive. I’m running large memory footprint apps, and every so often the hard disk is hit for an extended period of time while Windows waits. Task manager shows is plenty of available ram, so I’m guessing it’s not paging.

I’m running Win2000 Server on the new system. My older Win2000 Pro system does not seem to have this problem. Any advice out there?

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**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-speed-up-my-hard-drive/167086/2 "2003-04-07T16:12:58Z")

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There is a MS “fast find” utility from MS-Office that causes this behavior. [Disable it in the Startup menu.](http://aroundcny.com/technofile/texts/tec051798.html)

That’s right a MS utility to speed things up actually slows things down. Hardly a surprise.

Another thing to check: disk defrag (it can be done under 2000).

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**Author:** ![LordVor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90ced4/32.png) [@LordVor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordVor)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-speed-up-my-hard-drive/167086/3 "2003-04-07T16:43:02Z")

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another thing to check is if it’s doing a scheduled virus scan during the slow time.

-lv

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**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-speed-up-my-hard-drive/167086/4 "2003-04-07T16:51:08Z")

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Thanks for the tips. I’m running Office XP, not Office 95 / 98 so it’s not “fast find”. I already did a disk defrag yesterday… but I’ll try another today during my lunch break. It’s not a virus scan either.

My current theory is that it’s just a slower hard drive than I’m used to. What’s a good way to find stats about hard drive performance (maybe a utility can tell me?)

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**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-speed-up-my-hard-drive/167086/5 "2003-04-07T17:01:39Z")

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Sounds like thrashing of the paging file.