Cursor flashing?

botheredbothered Manchester UK
edited November 2004 in Science & Tech
I've seen this before a couple of times over the years. I think it just went away as I don't remember doing anything about it.
I have a 'normal' windows cursor, the little white arrow. Approx every two minutes it changes to the one with the egg timer for just a second. Any ideas?

Comments

  • PirateNinjaPirateNinja Icrontian
    edited November 2004
    websites can be scripted to cause this, is it completely random when it happens? when any certain program is open?

    this is oging to be kind of hard to diagnose i think.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited November 2004
    That usually means something is writing to your hard drive in fixed intervals.
  • GarabedGarabed Toronto, Canada
    edited November 2004
    would it be possible that a spyware could be loading up or activating itself or something every now and then.. i remember for myself i had one that would reactivate every hour or so and the egg timer would be there for a while
  • botheredbothered Manchester UK
    edited November 2004
    OK, I've got no spyware or virus. I can't see anything in event logger or msconfig. I've timed it, it happens exactly every minute whether I'm online or looking at the desktop. Has anybody got any ideas how to track this down?
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited November 2004
    HiJackThis! :D
  • GarabedGarabed Toronto, Canada
    edited November 2004
    yup.. hijack this

    http://www.majorgeeks.com/download3155.html
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited November 2004
    That can happen if you have a lot going on in the computer and the computer is using the HD for virtual memory a lot (cursor might change as things are swapped in and out of virtual memory), ESPECIALLY if your swap file is fragmented. Speedisk works on 98, 98 SE, Me, and 2000 and CAN defragment the swap file also. Normal disk defragmenter does NOT defrag the swap file on those OS versions. On XP, the disk defragementer works better than speedisk.

    At a guess, clean any junk out of machine, including uneeded temp files, empty recycle bin and if running norton system works the protected recycle bin also, then defrag HD. That might help, and junk like viruses can cause the hourglass also, as that is saying the system is busy doing SOMETHING and if you are not doing things when this happens it might be time again to also do a malware and viral cleanup and checkup. A dusty computer can also slow down, and where before a fast box might not have time to even change the icon for minor swaps, a box with dust in can get overwarm and less effective.

    This can be a good clue for basic maintainance needed, this "busy" signal every couple to few minutes. A combo of some dust and a busy computer will cause this, and a fragmented HD ditto, and all together can get exactly what you have as result showing up to computer user -- an intermittent "machine is busy" signal.
  • botheredbothered Manchester UK
    edited November 2004
    It was defragged last week. Already done virus and spyware scans. It does it even when just looking at the desktop, and with 1Gb RAM and no progs running I don't think I even use virtual memory. I timed it, it happens exactly every 60 seconds.
    Thanks guys, I'll do a hijack this and post the log tomorrow.
  • botheredbothered Manchester UK
    edited November 2004
    Well I guess I'll blame the kids. Lots of 'unknowns' in here, What do I bin guys?
    Thanks.
Sign In or Register to comment.