Windows 8 using 100% of HDD with high average response times and low read/write speed

Hi There,

Since I upgraded to Windows 8 (in January), I have intermittently experienced freezes, and general performance dips. Upon investigating I found that when this occurred, my Hard Drive was showing as 100% Active Time, with a low Read and Write Speed (could be as low as 10 KB/s or as high as 40MB/s) and an Average Response time well into the 1000's (ms).

This is an example https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/23428568/100%25%20HDD.png.

The same thing happens on all the Hard Drives when they're in use. Since it originally started happening, it has only become worse and more frequent. I had thought it may have been a heat problem, but it never gets above 40-50c on the HDD.

All in all.. i'm very confused and really looking for any help you can provide because it's really affecting my daily usage...

Computer Model - Alienware M15X Laptop

OS - Windows 8 Pro 64Bit

Thanks in advance :)

Oliver

It just seems odd that this should be a hardware issue since there are many reports of it happening in brand new computers. 

It's not really that surprising; as computer makers try harder to make cheaper computers, more and more of the computer parts are going to be cheaper and less reliable.

Very; the saddest thing is that Microsoft is mute about it. I won't go back to Mac and can't go to Linux so I am kind of stuck with Windows: it has been the less frustrating user experience in spite of all this trouble...

It just seems odd that this should be a hardware issue since there are many reports of it happening in brand new computers.

After more than 6 months of suffering, cursing, downgrading, upgrading, formatting, reinstalling and all sort of pagan rituals, I decided to give a try and get a new hard drive. 

I installed Windows 8.1 from scratch and it seemed to do the trick (two weeks and counting...)