chkdsk wont run ...

Hi


I try to run chkdsk the next time the pc reboots but when it does, nothing happends. chkdsk never starts. And when Ity to run diskeeper it says chkdsk i set to run next reboot. But as I said it never starts....


What should I do?


Regards

M

Things to check (Kelly Theriot):

Go to Start/Run/CMD and type in: fsutil dirty query c:
(Modify the drive letter accordingly)

If it comes back as dirty, the dirtybit hasn't cleared. For more information go to Start/Run/CMD and type in: CHKNTFS /?

Optional: From a command prompt type chkntfs /D and then reboot, a chkdsk should then run if shceduled, but not on the next boot.

Go to Start/Run/Regedit and navigate to this key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

Highlight the Winlogon file.

In the list look for "SFCScan", this should be set to (0) if it is set to (1) the scan will happen at every boot.

Go to Start/Run/Regedit and navigate to this key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager

Look for the REG_MULTI_SZ value with the following name: BootExecute. This value contains commands that will be executed at startup. The default value is: autocheck autochk *

After scheduling one or more chkdsks, the entry will contain one or more autochk lines. Delete each of these lines and put the default one in place.

If you always want a check to be performed at startup, change the value to: autocheck autochk /f *

If you don't want any checks to be performed, delete all autocheck entries.

Modify as needed.  The path to the chkdsk utility may be wrong:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MyComputer\cleanuppath
Registry entry should read: %SystemRoot%\system32\cleanmgr.exe /D %c

chkntfs /D
Will reset autocheck = on for all drives.

You can always load the Recovery Console and try running Chkdsk from there.

HOW TO: Install and Use the Recovery Console for Windows XP (Q307654)
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q307/6...

Hi

I ran fsutil dirty query c: and it came back dirty, but chkdsk didn't start even if I ran chkntfs /D. And the path to chkdsk was right...

I will try to install recovery console and run chkdsk from it...

I'll let you know how it went.

/M

If the dirty bit is set, the issue should be that this registry line is not correct:

Go to Start/Run/Regedit and navigate to this key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager

Look for the REG_MULTI_SZ value with the following name: BootExecute. This value contains commands that will be executed at startup. The default value is: autocheck autochk *

Hi


I installed recovery console and then ran chkdsk c:
It found errors, so I ran chkdsk c: /r


But what does it all mean, what does it mean that drive c: is dirty?


Regards

M

Hmm

Can you guys tell me if this behaiviour is correct..

I ran chkdsk c: /r in recover console mode, it found errors and repaired them. When I then try to run chkdsk c: /f in windows it tell me that a chkdsk has been scheduled but when I reboot, chkdsk doesn't start. Does it anly start if it find errors or what?

Regards

M

Normally, chkdsk should start on boot:

. if the dirty bit is set by the OS in its prior use;
. or, if you scheduled a chkdsk

If you schedule a chkdsk then the following key should appear as modified:

Go to Start/Run/Regedit and navigate to this key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager

Look for the REG_MULTI_SZ value with the following name: BootExecute. This value contains commands that will be executed at startup. The default value is: autocheck autochk *

After scheduling one or more chkdsks, the entry will contain one or more autochk lines.

What does yours show after scheduling a chkdsk?

Before I schedule anything it looks like this..

autocheck autochk /p \??\C:
autocheck autochk *

And after I have scheduled a chkdsk it still looks the same??!!


/M

By the way, I have no entry in the registry called "SFCScan" under..

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

Could that be the problem?


Regards

M

I found this registry line on http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm



Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]
"SFCScan"=dword:0000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager]
"AutoChkTimeOut"=dword:0000000a



Is this what I should add, have anyone tryed it?


Regards

M

Those values specify a autocheck at every boot, with a timer to hit any key to abort of 10.

I would do the registry merge because you should have some value in that registry key.

See if the latter part of this is worth a read.

218461 - Description of Enhanced Chkdsk, Autochk, and Chkntfs Tools in Windows 2000
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us...

Hi


Does anyone why this have occured, should the [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]
"SFCScan"=dword:0000001

be there by default on a new win xp pr installation, and if so why am I missing it?



Regards


M

Open a cmd prompt
type in
SFC /REVERT

Return SCF /SCANNOW to default settings.
( System File Checker )

Restart computer and check the presence of the key after.
It should be gone .


 

This is just weird...

The key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager

BootExecute

says autocheck autochk /p \??\C:
autocheck autochk *

And if I understand it correct it mean that the chkdsk has been scheduled the next reboot. But it never does...


/M

Try disabling the SFC first .(SFC /REVERT )
Maybe they work against each other .

autocheck autochk /p \??\C:
implies a chkdsk /f c: is ordered at next boot.

I now ran the SFC /REVERT and rebooted. After that I checked the registry. And there where only one entry (autocheck autochk *). Then I scheduled a chkdsk and once more checked the registry. It now had two entries

autocheck autochk /p \??\C:
autocheck autochk *


And then I rebooted, but no chkdsk ran, and when I checked the registry, the two entries where still there!!??


This drives me nuts.

Do a
CHKDSK C: /V
in a cmd window and see what it says.
Maybe another go with the  /I /C  switches after that.

Is your program "Disk Keeper" conflicting with Chkdsk?  If not that program is there anything else that is not allowing Chkdsk sole access to the drive at boot?

Will Chkdsk run if you try Safe Mode?

If I run chkdsk /v I get this...

The type of the file system is NTFS.
Volume label is DISK1_VOL1.

WARNING!  F parameter not specified.
Running CHKDSK in read-only mode.

CHKDSK is verifying files (stage 1 of 3)...
File verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying indexes (stage 2 of 3)...
Index verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying security descriptors (stage 3 of 3)...
Cleaning up 6 unused index entries from index $SII of file 9.
Cleaning up 6 unused index entries from index $SDH of file 9.
Cleaning up 6 unused security descriptors.
Security descriptor verification completed.

   7164958 KB total disk space.
   3979604 KB in 22463 files.
      5820 KB in 1481 indexes.
         0 KB in bad sectors.
     62834 KB in use by the system.
     37888 KB occupied by the log file.
   3116700 KB available on disk.

      4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
   1791239 total allocation units on disk.
    779175 allocation units available on disk.


I will try to run chkdsk /f in safe mode and see if it works. By the way, When I ran the "SCF /SCANNOW" It seemed that it did replace some files, it did anyway ask for the xp cd. Do I need to be concerned considering I now have win xp sp 1 and all hotfixes applied. Have Windows in that case replaced new files with older from the cd?


Regards

M

It will not replace newer with older files.
It keeps a store of all needed versions, and a database of all versions.

When I schedule a chkdsk and run safe mode it do something (my hd is working) but I don't get any message on the screen. And then it reboot. When I then check the registry, the scheduled chkdsk is gone. So maybe it have made a chkdsk, ho knows...

283340 - Chkdsk in Read-Only Mode Does Not Detect Corruption on NTFS Volume
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us...

If you start Chkdsk using the method of right-clicking your Drive icon/ Properties/ Tools/ Error Checking, you can select check boxes to automatically check for, and fix any found errors.



Some other process maybe trying to access the drive.   The process of writing this file places a lock that prevents Chkdsk.exe from gaining exclusive access to the disk. Because Chkdsk.exe does not have exclusive access to the disk, Chkdsk.exe cannot run.  To Isolate what is running at Start up use the Msconfig option.  This might help you too.

Windows XP Professional starts  logon scripts, startup programs, and services referenced in these registry subkeys and folder locations:
 
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Runonce
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\Explorer\Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
%systemdrive%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
%systemdrive%\Documents and Settings\username\Start Menu\Programs\Startup



 
Description of the Windows System File Checker Tool (Q310747)
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q310/7...

I have seen some anecdotal references to a problem of running SFC and replacing newer files with older versions of files but nothing definite.

If you look in your Event Viewer (Application and System) you should find mention of running SFC and mention of any files replaced.  The fact that SFC asked for your XP CD could be that it was just checking and comparing files.

Hi btcastner


I wasn't bale to install that patch, since I allready have service pack 1 installed.

/M

Sorry, you are right that the patch is included in SP1.

I find it difficult to accept that a startup program, or any program in the Run keys of the registry can affect this process.

As was commented to a Raxio engineer in the newsgroups who suggested the possibility of service interference with autochk:  "Windows NT does not run any of the files Autoexec.bat, Config.sys, Msdos.sys, Io.sys or Command.Com at startup.  Since it is a genuine 32bit system, this can´t be done. What NT does is running certain programs it finds in the registry branch HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Session Manager\Boot Execute Those are special programs which use the native API (neither console, nor POSIX, nor win32) of NT."

I remain a little baffled by this.  Is the Event Log completely silent about what happens?

I don't see a thing in the event viewr about this. I did find this page at executive software
http://www.executive.com/diskeeper/faqs/faqs.asp#eff12

And it pretty much fit in to my problem. But I dont have any of the services mentioned there so according to that page I'm faced with have to reinstall xp...

I'm not that fund of doing that again. It seems that it should be easy to solve.

One question though, is chkdsk c: /f the same as chkdsk /r ?


Regards

M

hi again
no ,
 /r  checks for bad sectors and tries to resolve them
on a large disk the  /r option takes as long as a complete
format command will do .
 

look at this summary:
http://www.buildorbuy.net/dirtybit.html

So since the only way right now for me to run chkdsk is toghether with the recovery console, I wont be able to run chkdsk c: /f

The only option I have in recovery console is the /r switch and that one wont help me....

In Recovery Console:

CHKDSK
chkdsk drive /p /r

The chkdsk command checks the specified drive and, if necessary, repairs or recovers the drive. The command also marks bad sectors and recovers readable information.

You can use these options:
/p : Does an exhaustive check of the drive and corrects any errors.
/r : Locates bad sectors and recovers readable information.

Note that if you specify the /r option, the /p option is implied. Specifying the chkdsk command without arguments checks the current drive, with no options in effect.

Running the chkdsk command requires use of the Autochk.exe file. CHKDSK automatically locates this file in the startup folder. If the Command Console was preinstalled, the startup folder is typically the Cmdcons folder. If CHKDSK cannot find Autochk.exe in the startup folder, CHKDSK tries to locate the Windows CD-ROM installation media. If it cannot find the installation media, CHKDSK prompts you for the location of the Autochk.exe file.

So, /p = /f in command mode essentially.

Not sure what this mean, but I have Tweak XP pro 3 installed on my system. And when I checked the disk within that program, it scheduled a chkdsk and ran it when I rebooted....

/M

Hi

I ran chkdsk /p /r in recovery console mode and it found and corrected one or more errors


/M

One of the reasons I wanted to run chkdsk was beacuse my newly installed system sometimes completly freeze. The mouse and keyboard stop responding, and I'm left with the reset button.

I guess I should post this problem as a new post, but I'll take my chances.


even though chkdsk found and corrected errors on the disk, this freeze problem still occurs. And the event viewer is completly clean, no errors reported at all.

Regards

M

I really think Diskeeper is ultimately to blame for the chkdsk issue.

From the 7.0 Documentation:  "For Windows NT, 2000 and XP systems, Diskeeper requires exclusive access to the MFT (master file table), paging file and directories, so clean-up tasks can only be safely run during the boot sequence. Boot-Time Defragmentation runs three activities to defragment the MFT and paging file and consolidate directories into a single location."

So if the boot-time defragmentation is selected as an option, no chkdsk.

On to other issues... a new thread is a better idea than continuing here.  But "freeze" issues without an Event Log entry to me mean:

. RAM issues, and/or
. Video Driver issues, and/or
. USB issues, particularly scanners.

Do a memory test:  http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp
Update your video drivers.
Hotfix the USB ports:  http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en;82...
And see if any of the following hardware items apply:  http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us...

It do sound like diskeeper is to blame here, I guess you don't use it yourself? Do you use any other that you can recommend?

Hi!
I use perfectdisk-6 from Raxco , never had any probs with it .

When I installed my system I also installed the video driver from nvidia ver 52.16. I have now uninstalled it and replaced it with the one from windows update. Let's see how it works. None of the other things that you mentioned applied on my system so I guess it was the video driver.


I have never heard of perfect disk before, maybe I should try that one instead...

Actually I do use Diskeeper Workstation, Version 7.427, and it seems to do a competent job.  I must admit that it is very rare I have had or wanted to do a chkdsk, and my instinct is to always do this inside the Recovery Console.

As to the freeze issue, an extended RAM test (let it run overnight) is a very good idea.

All,

This issue made me re-examine exactly how the NT boot process worked; for example, at what point is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager

called, and what drivers and services do and could exist prior to this call (where autochk is called).

I will not bore the uninterested, but I did find the answer I think (not to the original posters question, per se, but as to what drivers and services are initiliazed prior to the call).

Recommended for the interested:

For this particular question, see the SMSS intialization protion of boot described by Mark Russinovich (Winternals & Sysinternals fame):
http://www.winntmag.com/Articles/ArticleID/4711/pg/2/2....

Do not miss clicking on the link to Part 1 of the whole series.

It was after linney's suggetion of possible service or Run key issues that I explored this.  After reading this article my finger pointing at Diskeeper should be clearer as a guess.

Bill

Hi


I have now reinstalled the whole system, and I tryed to schedule a chkdsk. But it did not start during reboot. So I guess the diskeeper was not to blame here.


/M

If you did a R(epair) installation, or what is also called an "In-Place Upgrade" this result is not surprising.

A thought came across me, maybe it's the Norton Antivirus 2004 Pro that is to blame here. Beacuse when I tryed to run boot time defragmentation, diskeeper couldnt' get eclusive access to the disk. So somethings else stop chkdsk from running.....

Aaaaaauggghhhh.... as bcastner runs from the room pulling his hair out.

I know from the newsgroups that many are less than happy with NAV 2004.  The only sane way to test this is to uninstall, or use MSCONFIG to disable, the NAC stuff from starting.

I will warn you that a regular Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs, does not always cleanly remove Diskeeper.

I believe there are some manual uninstall instructions on the Executive Software site for Diskeeper.

No I did not do a repair. I made a clean installation. I'm getting pretty fed up with this right now. But when I did this installation I also made a ghost copy that I can use, so I don't have to reinstall it all again. Its getting kinda late here now so maybe I'll do that tomorrow.


Maybe we'll talk again then...

Cheers


/M

Hi


I now have the system up and running again, this time without any Norton Antivirus 2004 Pro. And I can with relief say that I succesfully scheduled and ran a chkdsk /f on c:

So the conlusion will have to be, don't install NAV 2004 if you want to run scheduled chkdsk.


Regards


M

Good job.
I will remember this thread.

Merry Christmas,
Bill

Hi Bob!!

Thanks for your extensive reserach on the chkdsk vs. NAV issue...

The exact same thing is happening to me and alerady kept me awake one night...

Have you found a way to solve this besides avoiding installing NAV 2004 Pro? or is there a way of preventing temporarily NAV 04 to run the next time I boot ? (i.e. msconfig)

What happens is that I don't want to install XP again, but I do want to run chkdsk at least once.

Thanks

You could try running Chkdsk from Safe Mode and see if that works or perhaps a better option would be to load the Recovery Console and run it from there.

Hi


I'm sorry to sayt, the only way to run it when I had NAV 04 installed was to run it from the recovery console. But I ended up uninstalling NAV 2004 and now use F-Secure instead.


Best Regards

M

Thank you Bob and Linney !!

After several intents I decided tu uninstall NAV 2004 and load NAV 2003... I will research this a bit further to see if Symantec addresses the issue.

Thank you!!!

I had the same problem and found that I could just change the options in NAV to not run at login and chkdsk would then run when it was supposed to.  But the output to the screen flies by so fast at the end that I can't tell if it found a problem or fixed it.

Is there some way to get a file created that logs what is going on, that I can look at after xp has come up?

The reason I'm interested is that when I run chkdsk in the normal console window after xp comes up it still says "Windows found problems with the file system" (this after several rounds of having chkdsk /F (I assume it is running as /F) run at boot time).

Is there a way to get it to tell me what the problems are?

What file system fixing utilities do you recommend?

And by the way I cannot seem to run the recovery console because it will not recognize as valid the administrator password that I put in when I installed xp the first time.

any ideas?

thanks so much for all the generous time put in by the folks who answer these questions

. a log file is created for a chkdsk operation.

c:\documents and settings\[username]\local settings\temp\Scanresults.txt

. for Recovery Console, you can enable Autologon by the Administrator:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows N\CurrentVersion\Setup\
RecoveryConsole]
Value Name: SecurityLevel
Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Value Data: (0 = require password, 1 = no password)
 
. pre-install Recovery Console, and use the Group Policy Editor to ahead of time increase its flexibility:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=http://s...

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=310497

I too had the problem of chkdsk not running at restart. I am also running Norton 2004. I finally found an option under advanced in the anti virus options that enables auto protect at boot time. I disabled this and all is well!!