Six active components, gastrodin, hydroxybenzyl alcohol, parishin E, parishin B, parishin C and parishin A, have been collected by use of the combination NKA-9 macroporous resin with preparative liquid chromatography from the water extract of Gastrodia elata Blume. With HPLC, there were no significant differences in steaming and boiling samples on the six active components and total amounts, but the both processing method were significant different from the method of non fixing sample for the six components. The compound of hydroxy benzyl alcohol was significantly lower in steaming and boiling samples, the other components were reverse; there was no significant difference in the 6 active components and total amounts between the two methods of steaming and boiling, the total amounts of active components treated by boiling, steaming and not fixing was successively reduced; there was no statistically significant difference between the active components and the total amounts of the drying with slice and drying with whole, but the total amounts of the active components in the drying with slice was higher than that in the drying with whole；there is no significant difference between the different drying temperatures, the total amounts of active components dried by 70, 60 and 50 ℃ was successively reduced. Fresh Gastrodia elata Blume has the highest content of active components in boiling, slicing and drying at 70 ℃, which is the better primary processing method.