Defrag and Scandisk not working

[nicksims]

So neither Scandisk nor Disk Defrag are working. I try to start scandisk first. It just pretends to continue but the line at t bottom of the screen goes back and forth between File allocation and Checking File folders- the progress bar does not move past 2 little bars.

Scandisk is set to Thorough (standard doesn't work either) and no automatic fixing of errors.

I've left it alone for hours and no progress. I tried to be patient and just "walk away."

Now for disk defrag. No progression past 0%. Nothing. Nada. Zip.

I tried to reboot and try both in a different order. I tried to control/alt/delete all programs except for Explorer and systray.

Win 98 SE- current with updates and patches
Norton 2004 is up to date.

Any advice on how to get these two to work again?

Thanks. Nick

 

[nicksims]

I do plan on trying both processes in safe mode tomorrow. Haven't done that yet. If that works, well, is that normal for Win 98 to convert to a safe mode only for these two?

Nick

 

[MiggyD]

Sounds like a background process is running.

Suggestions:

1) disconnect from network/Internet/IM's etc. (as applicable)

2) shut off any "auto startup" programs (these leave processes running but do not necessarily have applications running that you can "End Task" with -- unlike W2Ks & XPs -- this includes your AV)

3) check the Reg's /RUN and block out everything you can.

4) check your Task Scheduler too.

5) check your win.ini's load/run sections too.


This is all I can think of at the moment. Maybe someone else has more to offer? Also, no, this is not the norm for w98 to run these progs in safe mode only.

Let us know if you find the rouge program.
--MiggyD

--> It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's an OS update patch! Ahh!! <--

 

[cdogg]

All of Miggy's suggestions are fine, but here's what I would do:

1) Hit CTRL-ALT-DEL for the Task Manager

2) End the process for every item listed except Explorer and Systray (some are like zombies and have to be zapped a few times)

3) Disable the screen saver

4) Scandisk and defrag should run as long as there aren't any background services hitting the hard drive


The reason why Safe Mode is an attractive option is because it saves you the hassle of having to follow most of these steps. Plus, even if you do follow them (like Miggy's 3rd and 5th step), you'll find yourself rebooting several times anyway for the changes to take effect. This is why most will just say to use Safe Mode (same number of reboots, but less steps).

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[G0AOZ]

How big is your hard disk, and how full? Running the "Thorough" option on a big disk could well take a long time particularly with a slower CPU. And if the disk is nearly full and badly fragmented, Defrag has a harder job to do...

ROGER - G0AOZ.

 

[cdogg]

Roger,
Notice that "standard" doesn't work for him either.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[lgebhart]

If you have the small icons showing on the bottom taskbar, left hand side beside the START button you need to turn those off because they are running too. ON an empty space on the task bar Right Click/Toolbars/Quick Launch.....if there is a checkmark beside quick launch it is ON, clicking on it again will take the checkmark away and it will be OFF.



lgebhart

A+, Network+, IC3
MAI for MS Office 2000
OSHA Outreach Trainer

 

[cdogg]

lgebhart,
Just an FYI that the Quick Launch toolbar is just that - a toolbar that contains shortcuts. I could have one shortcut, or a hundred in there and it wouldn't make a difference. There isn't a process running for each item.

Also, I'm pretty sure that there isn't a process running for the toolbar either. It launches as part of explorer.exe.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[MiggyD]

nicksims:
Have you tried uninstalling & reinstalling them? (using the Control Panel?)

--MiggyD

--> It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's an OS update patch! Ahh!! <--

 

[nicksims]

MiggyD- I have not tried to uninstall and reinstall the two. I'll try that.

I did get scandisk to run successfully in safemode. Prior to its completion, I still got the window letting me know that something was hitting the hard drive and wanted to know if I still wanted to continue. I can't remember the exact words, but it is the common message I get when I run scandisk. Cdogg mentioned "background services hitting the hard drive."

I'm going to keep searching to figure out the culprit and get back here.

Thanks.
Nick

 

[cdogg]

I believe in Win98 there is a registry key called RunServices. Check in there.

Don't forget that you do have a lot of control using msconfig. Most items will not load in Safe Mode, but some still do. Check using this utility. If you have to, uncheck everything and restart in Safe Mode. It should not get interrupted again. If this works, then you can use the process of elimination if you want to invest the time, to see which item is causing the problem.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[nicksims]

So how long should one expect scandisk to take to complete its work? I have now been able to run it in safe mode.

The hard drive is 80gb (Maxtor was kind enough to replace my 40gb drive that died with this one).

I did expect it to take a while, but after a couple of hours I get a message- Scandisk has had to restart 10 times. Would you like to continue receiving this message? Of course I say no, walk away, and by the next morning it has finished. It is set to Thorough and the Automatically fix errors box is NOT checked.

Should it take so many hours? Is this normal? Should I bother with the Thorough setting? Seems like a good idea- or is it just overkill?

Nick

 

[cdogg]

The option for "surface scan" which is turned on with thorough, takes a very long time to complete (even longer the larger a hard drive is). A surface scan checks each individual sector of a hard drive by reading, writing, and erasing data to each one. Back when hard drives were only 20GB or less, it was not uncommon for this to take all night.

You should just run scandisk in normal mode on a monthly basis, and perhaps only use "thorough" every 6 months or so (some never use it).

_______________________________________________


Like we've talked about in this thread, scandisk restarting is an indication that something is writing to the hard drive or locking a file that scandisk is trying to check. The steps mentioned above should work enough to get it to run in Windows "normal" mode without any issues....

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[MiggyD]

cdogg is correct. I remember getting my first 100mb hd back in '86 or so (althought at that time I was using PCTools [snickering] pre-MS Windows Supremacy, if there was ever such a time [/snickering] ) I'd sit and watched the "progress" move along and it took hours to complete. After a while, I'd let it run all night then shut it off in the morning before heading out.

Now-a-days, with disk chaching and all (AVs, Screensavers, etc.) it takes almost just as long to Scandisk/defrag (depending on the intervals) to be completed on these larger drives. But definately not all night!

On top of using MSCONFIG (as mentioned by cdogg ) I'd suggest that you also use SCANREG /RESTORE or SCANREG /FIX from the dos prompt, if you have it.

Good luck
--MiggyD

--> It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's an OS update patch! Ahh!! <--

 

[nicksims]

Thanks. I've been using the Thorough setting and wondering if I was going crazy waiting all night for this to finish. Normal it is.

Nick

 

[duffer2]

nicksims

I have had the same problems with scandisk & defrag. Now what I will do is bootup in safe mode, click on start, programs, accessories, system tools, maintenance wizard and go to bed. The next morning all is done.

Good luck,
duffer2

 

[nicksims]

Thanks for your reply. Well I've finally stopped pulling my hair on this nightmare. About 2 wks ago, we tried a little "rebuilding" of the computer. Increased the memory and upgraded to Win xp. End result and after quite a bit of time and effort trying to figure out why the memory wouldn't quite read correctly- the motherboard was just on its way out. Which would eventually explain so much of my related memory problems, software freezes, system freezes... I would guess to lump this problem in there with it.

I thought that since I couldn't successfully "clean up", this caused my other problems. Nope. It was just a symptom of bigger problems.

Thanks again for everybody's help on this.
Nick