Something is searching my A drive.

When I boot the computer, the Desktop, and Icons, and just before The icon for Local Area Connection shows on the taskbar, something searches the Floppy Disk Drive. (Local Area Connection Is the last to appear.) Does someone Know what this might be, or how I might find what, and how to stop it. The BIOS is set to Floppy, CD, and Hard drive, so I know this happens at first startup. That is not the one I am asking about.

 

A couple of things that come to mind are to empty your My Recent Documents folder as this can happen if there is a link there to a file that was once on a floppy and also to check your AV to see if it's scanning your floppy drive at startup.

 

I have nothing in Recent Documents.
I use McAfee antivirus and scan floppies is turned off.
This is an edit.
I checked the bootup and Floppy search happens way before McAfee scan starts, so I do not think it can be antivirus.

 

Follow Tony's advice but keep these basics in mind also. This issue is a blast from the past and has plagued many a user. Causes can come from quite a number of reasons. I had this txt handy so here it is.....

Excessive Floppy Seek---Common Problem
Some of the causes and solutions:

1. It happens after a floppy use or check was done or after using an install/update which had windows or yourself checking the A: drive for a setup or drivers. Windows may not stop polling the floppy for updated files. To stop this put a disk into the drive. Double-click the icon for drive A: then close the window, double-click on the C: icon, remove the floppy disk. NOTE: This may cause the opposite effect or has left a link in the My documents mru history list that points to the floppy, In that case go to 2.

2. Something on your recent documents list makes Windows check A:\. Clear the mru list. To do this, right-click the taskbar, select Properties, click the StartMenu Programs tab>customize button>click "clear list ", button both on the general tab and the advanced tab. NOTE: It may be another mru history list from within a program such as word, paint, startmenu>runline etc. but the documents mru history is usually the culprit.

3. Your anti-virus software options may be configured to scan drive A: automatically, whether there is a disk in the drive or not. Check these options.

4. Desktop shortcut or a shortcut somewhere is pointing to a file or program on A: can also trigger this pointless access. Do a file/folder find (search) for *.Ink, *.pif. You will come up with any number of them but it is only the ones who's path source is leading to the floppy a: that your interested in. Delete any pointing to the a:\*. Some users make ther own shortcuts to the a:\ drive and put them in various places such as the desktop or on the links bar. This can cause floppy seeks.

5. If you use Microsoft Office, the FindFast utility could be causing the problem, First off, you should have disabled and removed this bugger to begin with but if you haven't, from the controlpanel>findfast icon, see whether drive A: is on the list of indexes. If it is, delete the Index.

I'm sure there are also other things to be done, but this should cover some of the basics. Try these and see if the problem is fixed. If not, I can dig up some more.

There's a couple of interesting ideas, I hadn't or wouldn't have thought of, in this link. (Specific to XP):
http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp/t1043873843

 

I work with a lady who gives me data on recycled floppies. I copy the data to my hard drive, and remove the floppy. For the next day or so, everytime I open an Office application, the floppy drive whirs and lights up. Then it goes away. I just stuck one of her floppies in, and I'll try to see if I can make it stop looking, and if I figure it out, I'll post back. (Norton doesn't scan existing Office files on my comp, so that's not it.)

Johanna

 

Here is the Startup list.

StartupList report, 7/2/2005, 12:01:31 PM
StartupList version: 1.52
Started from : C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\startuplist\StartupList.EXE
Detected: Windows XP SP1 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
Detected: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP1 (6.00.2800.1106)
* Using default options
==================================================

Running processes:

C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\Program Files\McAfee\McAfee VirusScan\Avsynmgr.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Network Associates\McShield\Mcshield.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\HPHipm09.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Microsoft IntelliPoint\point32.exe
C:\Program Files\McAfee\McAfee Firewall\CPD.EXE
C:\Program Files\McAfee\McAfee VirusScan\VsStat.exe
C:\Program Files\McAfee\McAfee Firewall\CPD.EXE
C:\Program Files\McAfee\McAfee VirusScan\Vshwin32.exe
C:\Program Files\McAfee\McAfee VirusScan\Avconsol.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\wuauclt.exe
C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\Desktop\startuplist\StartupList.exe

--------------------------------------------------

Checking Windows NT UserInit:

[HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]
UserInit = C:\WINDOWS\system32\userinit.exe,C:\Clean Cache.bat

--------------------------------------------------

Autorun entries from Registry:
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

IntelliPoint = "C:\Program Files\Microsoft IntelliPoint\point32.exe "

--------------------------------------------------

Autorun entries from Registry:
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx

(Default) =

--------------------------------------------------

Shell & screensaver key from C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.INI:

Shell=*INI section not found*
SCRNSAVE.EXE=*INI section not found*
drivers=*INI section not found*

Shell & screensaver key from Registry:

Shell=Explorer.exe
SCRNSAVE.EXE=*Registry value not found*
drivers=*Registry value not found*

Policies Shell key:

HKCU\..\Policies: Shell=*Registry value not found*
HKLM\..\Policies: Shell=*Registry value not found*

--------------------------------------------------


Enumerating Browser Helper Objects:

(no name) - C:\Program Files\SpywareGuard\dlprotect.dll - {4A368E80-174F-4872-96B5-0B27DDD11DB2}
(no name) - C:\Program Files\EarthLink Toolbar\Pnel.dll - {4B5F2E08-6F39-479a-B547-B2026E4C7EDF}
(no name) - C:\PROGRA~1\SPYBOT~1\SDHelper.dll - {53707962-6F74-2D53-2644-206D7942484F}
(no name) - C:\Program Files\EarthLink Toolbar\EScamBlk.dll - {66252F33-BE30-4188-9199-63F2AC8BA137}
(no name) - c:\program files\google\googletoolbar2.dll - {AA58ED58-01DD-4d91-8333-CF10577473F7}

--------------------------------------------------

Enumerating Download Program Files:

[PCPitstop Utility]
InProcServer32 = C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Program Files\PCPitstop.dll
CODEBASE = http://www.pcpitstop.com/pcpitstop/PCPitStop.CAB

[Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool]
InProcServer32 = C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Program Files\LegitCheckControl.DLL
CODEBASE = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=34738&clcid=0x409

[WUWebControl Class]
InProcServer32 = C:\WINDOWS\System32\wuweb.dll
CODEBASE = http://v5.windowsupdate.microsoft.c...ls/en/x86/client/wuweb_site.cab?1092891458688

[Update Class]
InProcServer32 = C:\WINDOWS\System32\iuctl.dll
CODEBASE = http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/CAB/x86/unicode/iuctl.CAB?38225.6225347222

[Shockwave Flash Object]
InProcServer32 = C:\WINDOWS\System32\macromed\flash\Flash.ocx
CODEBASE = http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab

--------------------------------------------------

Enumerating ShellServiceObjectDelayLoad items:

PostBootReminder: C:\WINDOWS\system32\SHELL32.DLL
CDBurn: C:\WINDOWS\system32\SHELL32.DLL
WebCheck: C:\WINDOWS\System32\webcheck.dll
SysTray: C:\WINDOWS\System32\stobject.dll

--------------------------------------------------
End of report, 4,828 bytes
Report generated in 0.270 seconds

Command line options:
/verbose - to add additional info on each section
/complete - to include empty sections and unsuspicious data
/full - to include several rarely-important sections
/force9x - to include Win9x-only startups even if running on WinNT
/forcent - to include WinNT-only startups even if running on Win9x
/forceall - to include all Win9x and WinNT startups, regardless of platform
/history - to list version history only

 

Ann,
#2 seems to work for me. Thank you! (MRU in Word)

Johanna

 

I will go with No. 4. I had put a Shortcut to my A drive on my desktop. Removed it and search is gone. Have Shortcuts for my other drives and partitions, but no search. Will never understand this machine. It should do what I want instead of what I tell it to do. Thanks to everyone for your help. I always know where to go for help.

 

Well, I'm glad to see that dusty old list has been put to some good use. Your both most welcome. Twas nothin'. You did the work, in tracking it down.

 

HI TonyT. I made a shortcut with a disk in my A drive, and without a disk, and both times the search returned. I also tried this in Safe Mode, with the same results. This search happens long after the Shortcuts arrive on my Desktop. Do not understand, but will live it. Thanks again.

 

Just a little more information. I placed a Shortcut to Floppy Drive A: in a folder on drive C: No searching. Placed a Shortcut to that Shortcut at the top of the Start button. Searching came back. Seems, the more I search, the less I know.