Does the Hard drive spin when no apps are running?

[layhoma]

There is a definite life span for a hard drive that's why I ask. Most of the time I just let the computer on without sleep, but there are really no apps running but just sitting there. Would the HD be at a standstill or still spin at a lower rate?

If it does stop when I'm not using it per se, would downloading files via internet causes it to spin. I admit I'm a computer idiot so please shed some light. Thanks

 

[BikerEcho]

It always spins.
Don't know how much it slows down on idle, but it definitely still spins.
If you have an extra harddrive as D:\ windows will put it to sleep when it has not been used for a time. You can change the settings for that in advance power options.
But C never stops spinning.
If you are not using the PC. Just put it in sleep mode.

 

[strollin]

Often there are options in the power settings to allow the hdd to power down when idle. Typically, this option is used by laptops running on battery to try to lessen the load on the battery.

Here's an example from the Advanced Power Options in Windows 7:



I doubt spinning the hdd down will increase it's lifespan, in fact, I'd be more inclined to believe powering it down and up more times will decrease it's life.

It really isn't something to be concerned with other than to save energy. Hdds are designed to spin. If you are that worried about mechanical wear then get an ssd which has no moving parts.

 

[Celery]

Depending on how you have your PC set up it may be doing some housekeeping while idle. That's updating your files, running virus scans, defrag the drive and so on.

 

[BikerEcho]

Celery.
Yeah that's what i was thinking. It's always doing something.
I can't recall my C drive ever turning itself off.