Whenever XP reads a file, it stamps the file with the date and time of the access. This feature has its place but is not required for normal use unless you rely on the date of last access for backup purposes, which is a rare requirement for most backups. Putting a timestamp a file that has just been read means that a write access has to be made to disk, so every time a read is executed, a corresponding write is also executed.
At the command prompt, enter the following then reboot;
FSUTIL behavior set disablelastaccess 1
Those of us who read and write English need to take note of the American spelling of the BEHAVIOR parameter.
To turn timestamps back on, repeat the command but replace the 1 with 0.
