Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!alberta!sask!skatter!kuo From: kuo@skatter.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: Hard Drive dir problem Message-ID: <330@skatter.UUCP> Date: Thu, 9-Jul-87 23:52:53 EDT Article-I.D.: skatter.330 Posted: Thu Jul 9 23:52:53 1987 Date-Received: Sun, 12-Jul-87 10:34:02 EDT References: <3774@garfield.UUCP> Organization: Accelerator Lab, Saskatoon, Sask. Lines: 34 Keywords: flashing lights Summary: Its okay In article <3774@garfield.UUCP>, robert4@garfield.UUCP writes: > Has anyone else had this problem, or does anyone know of a fix or patch (if > that's what's needed) ? > > Whenever I (or a programme) access a directory for the first time after a cold > boot (after loading dos and executing autoexec.bat, etc.) my hard drive access > indicator light flashes rapidly and steadily for about 5-10 sec and then > produces the results of the dir scan. This ONLY occurs the first time after I > turn the system on OR when using a utility like PCTools (each time it checks > the dir or a path). And this only seems to happen with DOS 3.2 (I was using > 2.11 before this without the problem) and only on the hard drive. I have asked > some friends (with different PCs and/or hard drives) about this and some have > and others have not had a similar experience. > I think it is okay. My 20MB disk does the same after a cold boot or after access by Norton Utils etc. I think what happens is at that particular time, the FAT info is not in core, so the system is reading from the disk to see how much space is used up/free. Some programs might wipe out this part of memory so a re-read is needed. I am running PC-DOS 3.1 (8-) ... Peter/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Peter Kuo | Bitnet (VMS) : KUO@SASK Accelerator Laboratory | (a.k.a. The Beam Warehouse) | uucp (Unix) : !alberta\ Univ. of Saskatchewan | !ihnp4 -- !sask!skatter!kuo Saskatoon, Saskatchewan | !utcsri / CANADA S7N 0W0 | (Earth) | Ma Bell : (306) 966-6059 Disclaimer: I don't know what I am saying, so don't quote me on anything! And I only speak for myself.