Solved USB key slows my system

[dheian]

Just started using a USB key to carry some files around between home and my laptop.

When I plug the key into my laptop, Vista 64 slows down noticeably. The light on the key keeps flashing and no matter what window I'm in, the spinning busy disc by the mouse pointer keeps going like the Ever Ready bunny. Task Manager shows the CPU hustling towards 100%.

At first I thought it was the indexing, but after disabling windows search and rebooting, he problem is still there?

Any ideas?

 

[Brink]

Hello Dheian, and welcome to Vista Forums.

You can use Resource Monitor to look under the CPU bar to see what is using up the CPU to help determine what it may be. Some antivirus programs have an option to scan any external device (ex: your USB key) when plugged in. It could be it scanning the USB key in the background.

Hope this helps some,
Shawn

 

[MilesAhead]

Either that or there's a nasty on the USB key. You should check into disabling autorun and autoplay on USB key drives. I think there's a trick to it like making a file autorun.inf with a bunch of periods at the end or whatever. There's some do it yourself method if you google.

 

[tek101]

Try this ..;

Download Autorun Eater 2.4 - Scan and Remove Suspicious 'autorun.inf' Files Automatically! - Softpedia

 

[CyberZeus]

I think about ReadyBoost, maybe your system is measuring USB key speed to decide to use or not ReadyBoost. Check it in properties of USB drive in "My computer"

 

[dheian]

It appears to have been windows defender running each time I plugged it in. I do regular checks anyway, so stopping the auto scan stopped the issue.

 

[Brink]

Dheian,

I'm happy to hear that you got it sorted. Thank you for posting back with what you found to be the problem.