Hard Drive LED

[Robert M]

After booting up my 486, and the MS-DOS prompt is displayed, my hard drive activity LED continues to shine for about ten seconds. Then it goes out and everything is fine. I don't remember it doing this before. I wonder if anyone knows why it does this? During the time it is on, I can perform a dir command etc without any problem.

[Vernon Frazee]

Depends on what programs are being loaded on bootup, and then what they are doing. You might try this from any DOS prompt:

dir c:\ /a /s | find "11-19-03" | more

(Change that "11-19-03" to whatever the system date is when you bootup).

Note that this command could take a couple of minutes before it produces any results on the screen. What it will do is give you a listing of all files on drive C: that have been modified on the date specified. If you also have another hard drive (or partition), run the command again with the correct drive letter. For example:

dir d:\ /a /s | find "11-19-03" | more

If you'd rather have the info in a scrollable file, you can redirect it into a file, (instead of through the MORE filter). For example:

dir c:\ /a /s | find "11-19-03" > c:\filelist.txt

Note that the ">" redirection will create|overwrite "c:\filelist.txt". If you want to append (add to) to the "c:\filelist.txt" file, use two ">>" redirection symbols, like so:

dir d:\ /a /s | find "11-19-03" >> c:\filelist.txt

You can then do a:

edit c:\filelist.txt

to browse through the "c:\filelist.txt" file.

Hopefully, this listing of all the files that are being modified will give you indication of why the hard drive continues to run for a few seconds after the system lands at the DOS prompt.

[Robert M]

Thanks Vern,
Will let you know.

[Vernon Frazee]

No problem.

Let us know what you find? Kinda got me curious now.

[TangZ]

WOW...nice command...ima try that...

can you do it from within 2000? on the cmd.exe?

[Robert M]

Hey Vern; Sorry for the delay, The command worked.....

I executed the command about 4:19PM today.
Here's the list output from your suggested command.

Some of the files in the list are in my Windows directory.
Two of the files I created earlier in the day today about noon time.

The two files of zero length at the end of the list must have been created when I restarted my computer to perform this command you suggested. The time on them indicates this.

What's going on? Why are these files being date stamped anew every day? Is this causing my delay at boot time? Thanks.


386SPART PAR 28,782,592 11-24-03 12:11p
JOHNSTUF TXT 1,481 11-24-03 11:56a
CID INI 1,010 11-24-03 12:04p
3FC267BF PLX 266 11-24-03 12:19p
AKEYS DAT 97,689 11-24-03 12:19p
CABINET DAT 80 11-24-03 12:19p
CDATE IDX 27,654 11-24-03 12:19p
DNAME IDX 32,774 11-24-03 12:19p
DSUBJECT IDX 41,990 11-24-03 12:19p
EADDRESS IDX 33,798 11-24-03 12:19p
FILE IDX 27,654 11-24-03 12:19p
FOLDER IDX 26,630 11-24-03 12:19p
TYPE IDX 13,318 11-24-03 12:19p
3FC26373 PLX 1,789 11-24-03 12:00p
MARKED SES 94 11-24-03 12:19p
FORUMS DB 5,965 11-24-03 12:14p
WINCIM INI 2,560 11-24-03 12:09p
EMCOOKIE DAT 1,639 11-24-03 12:11p
MAIN IDX 6,257 11-24-03 12:11p
PROGMAN INI 653 11-24-03 12:19p
MAIN0 GRP 12,462 11-24-03 12:19p
ACCESSO0 GRP 16,085 11-24-03 12:19p
GAMES0 GRP 2,500 11-24-03 12:19p
STARTUP0 GRP 62 11-24-03 12:19p
APPLICA2 GRP 10,121 11-24-03 12:19p
COMPUSER GRP 6,430 11-24-03 12:19p
MICROSO1 GRP 10,254 11-24-03 12:19p
CSERVE INI 53 11-24-03 12:00p
VGAUTIL GRP 1,338 11-24-03 12:19p
VIRTUALK GRP 5,220 11-24-03 12:19p
NEWFOLDE GRP 2,549 11-24-03 12:19p
NOVELLCB GRP 1,418 11-24-03 12:19p
IQTEST GRP 1,322 11-24-03 12:19p
MTL GRP 6,346 11-24-03 12:19p
MICROSO0 GRP 5,438 11-24-03 12:19p
TOUCHSTO GRP 6,356 11-24-03 12:19p
ADOBEACR GRP 2,646 11-24-03 12:19p
HOME GRP 3,864 11-24-03 12:19p
BAANBLEB 0 11-24-03 4:13p
BAANBLEH 0 11-24-03 4:13p

Never found the cause of the Hard Drive LED indicaor shining after command prompt is displayed

[Vernon Frazee]

BAANBLEB              0 11-24-03  4:13p - Temporary files create by the
BAANBLEH              0 11-24-03  4:13p   FIND filter, (the "|" pipe).

FORUMS    DB      5,965 11-24-03 12:14p - Unknown, DataBase file.

AKEYS    DAT     97,689 11-24-03 12:19p - Windows DATa files.
CABINET  DAT         80 11-24-03 12:19p
EMCOOKIE DAT      1,639 11-24-03 12:11p

ACCESSO0 GRP     16,085 11-24-03 12:19p - Windows GRouP files. (May all
ADOBEACR GRP      2,646 11-24-03 12:19p   be listed in your Windows
APPLICA2 GRP     10,121 11-24-03 12:19p   PROGMAN.INI file).
COMPUSER GRP      6,430 11-24-03 12:19p
GAMES0   GRP      2,500 11-24-03 12:19p
HOME     GRP      3,864 11-24-03 12:19p
IQTEST   GRP      1,322 11-24-03 12:19p
MAIN0    GRP     12,462 11-24-03 12:19p
MICROSO0 GRP      5,438 11-24-03 12:19p
MICROSO1 GRP     10,254 11-24-03 12:19p
MTL      GRP      6,346 11-24-03 12:19p
NEWFOLDE GRP      2,549 11-24-03 12:19p
NOVELLCB GRP      1,418 11-24-03 12:19p
STARTUP0 GRP         62 11-24-03 12:19p
TOUCHSTO GRP      6,356 11-24-03 12:19p
VGAUTIL  GRP      1,338 11-24-03 12:19p
VIRTUALK GRP      5,220 11-24-03 12:19p

CDATE    IDX     27,654 11-24-03 12:19p - Windows InDeX files.
DNAME    IDX     32,774 11-24-03 12:19p
DSUBJECT IDX     41,990 11-24-03 12:19p
EADDRESS IDX     33,798 11-24-03 12:19p
FILE     IDX     27,654 11-24-03 12:19p
FOLDER   IDX     26,630 11-24-03 12:19p
MAIN     IDX      6,257 11-24-03 12:11p
TYPE     IDX     13,318 11-24-03 12:19p

CID      INI      1,010 11-24-03 12:04p - Windows .INI files.
CSERVE   INI         53 11-24-03 12:00p
PROGMAN  INI        653 11-24-03 12:19p
WINCIM   INI      2,560 11-24-03 12:09p

386SPART PAR 28,782,592 11-24-03 12:11p - Windows 3.1 hidden virtual
                                          memory swap file.

3FC26373 PLX      1,789 11-24-03 12:00p - Unknown.
3FC267BF PLX        266 11-24-03 12:19p

MARKED   SES         94 11-24-03 12:19p - Unknown.

JOHNSTUF TXT      1,481 11-24-03 11:56a - Unknown.