TheShadowFl

I called on an old friend/customer today and found out that the New Toshiba laptop I installed for him last summer has had two hard drive replacements since then. It runs Vista Home.

He was told first by a technician at the Toshiba Service Center and later by another tech that there is something in Vista that's killing the Toshiba laptop hard drives.

A solution to this would be nice, but mainly I'm asking all you tech's out there if you've seen or heard of this phenomenon?

Any authoritative info would be appreciated.

Thanks,
The Shadow

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l_b_rex

I know that when an OEM company replaces a hard drive they don't always send the same manufactured drive. I don't think Toshiba makes their own hard drives. And I know Seagate, Western Digital and Maxtor are fine from my work experience.
I believe it is just bad luck.

TheShadowFl

Toshiba, does make their own hard drives. I have several of them here, from older laptops.

The problem is NOT in the drive involved but in Vista.
It's doing something that appears to be causing the drives to 'thrash' themselves to death.

I'm looking for corroboration of this problem.

Shadow

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l_b_rex

Wish ya best in your search, however I think this idea is way out there. Toshiba would be going broke if that was the case.

TheShadowFl

I know it's, "Way out there",,,, if if were not, I'd not be seeking info from the internet.

It's been a while, but I've definitely heard of programs (usually not good ones) that cause a hard drive to "Thrash".
If that continues, the HD can be damaged.
Back in the 80's, there was a virus specially written to trash a HD.

I'm testing Vista here and I've noticed NO adverse HD activity, so it may be a problem with not only Vista, but some of the specialty software/drivers installed by Toshiba on their laptops.

Had the information come from the "Geek Squad", I'd discount it off-hand, but it came from a tech at a certified Toshiba Service Center, so I at least have to try to research it a bit further.
Alas, I don't have a Toshiba laptop here to test with.

So I would ask any Toshiba laptop owner/user to take note of any excessive Hard Drive activity and let me know.

I appreciate you guys!

The Shadow

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Snoopdogie187

Hi, I have a Toshiba laptop, fairly new, has Vista Home Premium. Generally I don't have any un-explanned hard drive activity. While still setting it up though I came back to it once and Vista started a disk defragment in the background as part of the default setting and it took some time to cancle it.

I mostly see the hard drive when just opening a program or saving something. But I als changed a lot of settings, I have to have it so it takes the least power when on battery and I also have disabled a lot of un needed programs that aren't helpful in anyway.

I have noticed over the past few days though, I can not use Toshibas Flash Cards otherwise I can't use the FN key for anything and the flash cards dont show up.

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TheShadowFl

I've set up a gaggle of Toshiba laptops with both XP and Vista, but, I never get to just run one as an end user, so,
I'm not familiar with "Toshiba Flash Cards".
Exactly what are you referring to?

You said that you've made changes....

I know Toshiba loads a ton of little apps and drivers for their touch pad, keyboard, etc., so if you disabled any of those apps you may see some dis-function like the FN key not working.
Just a thought.

There are truly a LOT of little things you can do to make Vista run more like XP and consequently more EFFICIENT.
I would NOT allow Defrag to run by the scheduler.

Thanks for your input,
The Shadow

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Snoopdogie187

well the flash cards is this program that corspondes to the FN functions, they auto hide at the type or bottom of the screen, and are clickable and can control everything like you could with the FN key, and also they give access to other TOshiba settings.

Also, I dont let anything run on a schedule, I only let the programs I want or that I use all the time to start with windows, the rest I disabled. Anytime I install a new program I go through all the settings and change it for how I like. Hard to say exactly what I did. Basically I have it optimazed for the battery to last the longest.

The FN key doesnt work if the flashcard program is laoded, even after being updated. At first it just wouldnt let the multimedia key work but now most of the extra keys wouldnt work.

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burhangondal

i can't discuss this but i can give u something that will stop trashing not only toshiba laptop but all of em.....in device manager wen u double click on disk drive option and go in policies u will see vista already set the harddrive to ENABLE WRITE CACHING ON THE DISK by default dats wat trashing hard drives....either click on the next policy too which is ENABLE ADVANCE PERFORMANCE and u have both enabled which wont trash ur hard drive or turn both off ( ENABLE WRITE CACHING ON THE DISK AND ENABLE ADVANCE PERFORMANCE ).......m done!...

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HaCkEr

burhangondal

and Snoopdogie187 i think u need new TOSHIBA VALUE ADDED PACKAGE
http://support.toshiba.ca/support/Do...ln_byModel.asp

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HaCkEr

Snoopdogie187

I actually did try that, I think there is some conflict between the value pack (more so just the flash cards) and some other program I installed recently. Hard to say since I have been playing with a few programs, but I think it is from an Adobe product, since I dont remember seeing the flash cards after taht and that is when everything started if I remmeber right.

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burhangondal

u could try lookin at flash card setting in toshiba folder in the start menu program list? probably disabled from dere?

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HaCkEr

TheShadowFl

Thanks a million!
That could be very valuable information.
I've printed out your post and will go right to my Vista PC and see if I can implement that setting.
I will be seeing my friend and his Toshiba laptop soon, (I hope) and I'll be doing all I can to limit HD activity.

Thanks again!
The Shadow

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Snoopdogie187

I currently disabled them (a few days back) from there, and when I get back to college I am going to play more with them there. The dial up at home is getting to me.

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