This problem STARTED for me with 7600.
7100 never did this. On same machine with same hardware and
drivers /except/ moving to an SSD (X-25M) for the root drive.
It happens half the time before the login screen and the other half the time sometime after. And as other have reported; Frequently when idle but not always!
Symptoms are, the app you are using seems to freeze, but not the mouse, and other things are still running ok Clock gadget etc. Apps then freeze one by one slowly over several seconds, then finally the mouse, then the mouse cursor (if it was on the animated wait cursor), then the HD light finally comes on and stays on unblinking. THe entire thing can take like 20 seconds or more to get to that point.
I've only once seen it clear itself but I'm not a fan of waiting 5-10-30 minutes for it to do so so I ususaly have to give it the one finger salute.
May be motherboard related (I did install the motherboard
drivers for network and "storage"), may be related to the SSD, the MUCH higher throughput. (Photoshop launches in 1.5 esconds if you can believe that) May be stressing MB
drivers or there may be an actual problem in the RTM that affects a certain number of people "randomly".
I have had indexing off since the begining so that's not it.
I tried the upping of the voltage on the "SPP" in the BIOS as some have suggested, that didn't do it. Actually seemed to get worse.
I recently turned off ALL power management settings in the advanced power management config page. Have yet to see if that has any effect.
It's too bad, the 7100 worked perfectly for me for months, this and another issue for another thread are turning testing of the RTM into a bit of a dissapointment
But if I find the cause eventually I'll post back.