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On Windows 11, I have a couple SSDs with my system, some data and whatnot. But I also have one big HDD with lots of data. All internal.

The issue is, when I open the file explorer for the first time or after a long time, it freezes, sometimes up to 30 seconds long.

Or, when I drag a file and the left sidebar happens to be in the trajectory.

I highly suspect the culprit is my HDD because I hear it "waking up" while it freezes. And it also happens when I am actually browsing the HDD (though it doesn't bother me then, since I'm intentionally using it).

Is there a way to make this less of an issue? Maybe there's a form of faster waking up, or prevent it from waking up when I'm not using it, or even prevent it from going asleep ? Though I guess that's not the best idea for its health and lifespan?

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    power config settings should have a "never turn off hdd" option
    – Yorik
    Commented Jul 28, 2023 at 16:43
  • Is the HDD internal or external?
    – Señor CMasMas
    Commented Jul 28, 2023 at 17:53
  • Thanks, I posted a detailed answer with the procedure. Will hate to let see how it goes for a few days. Will that have a significant impact on the HDD health though?
    – Lauloque
    Commented Jul 28, 2023 at 17:54
  • @SeñorCMasMas internal, will add the precision in my question
    – Lauloque
    Commented Jul 28, 2023 at 17:54
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    Not running win-11 so I wasn't sure if they moved the setting etc. Not sure about heat but one could just bump the number higher than default so that you are more likely to reset the timer during normal work time and only have to live through the spin-up on first use.
    – Yorik
    Commented Jul 28, 2023 at 17:56

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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As Yorik commented, there is an option to handle the HDD's turn off in the power configuration.

Open your startmenu and search for "Edit Power Plan".

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Next, click "change advanced power settings":

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From there, you can set the "Turn off hard disk after" setting to 0 minutes:

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You might want to use the drop-down menu above and change that option for different power plans too. Though, maybe leave it at the default 20min in the "Power Saver" plan, especially for laptops.

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