"Cannot open volume for direct access"

[Gerard Sanchez]

When I restart I see this message

Checking the file system on C..
The type of the file system is NTFS
Cannot open volume for direct access
Windows has finished checking the disk

I googled the message and saw that this problem crops up mainly with
ZoneAlarm users on Windows XP. I don't, however, have ZoneAlarm nor Win
XP--I have Windows 2000 Pro and Internet Security Suite 6.
Am I the only one getting this message?

Obviosly something is locking my hardrive before Windows loads
One note is that other than this message the operating system works right.
No error message in my event log.

Apart from this, however, Safety Mode is inaccessible.

Here's my approach:
Device Manager--> Non Plug and Play devices-->looked at each sytem file that
starts at BOOT.

The suspects:

Pciide
Partmgr
Ndis
Mountmgr
Ksecdd
Dmload
DiskPerf

I plan to disable and enable each one of them alternatingly and see the
result, but am hesitant that it might altogether prevent me from rebooting
my computer!
If you have insights, additional suggestions, approach to diagnose the
problem, information to consider, please help.


Thank you very much!

Gerard
Windows 2000 Pro SP4 with all Critical Updates
Powerquest Image Drive 7
McAfee Internet Security 6

 

[Dave Patrick]

If you get an error something to the effect "cannot open volume for direct
access" There is some system/boot start device that is reading/writing to
the drive before chkdsk can get a lock on the drive. Some anti-virus
applications do this.

You can also run
chkdsk /r
from the recovery console command line. (/r implies /f and /p)

To start the Recovery Console, start the computer from the Windows 2000
Setup CD or the Windows 2000 Setup floppy disks. If you do not have Setup
floppy disks and your computer cannot start from the Windows 2000 Setup CD,
use another Windows 2000-based computer to create the Setup floppy disks.
Press ENTER at the "Setup Notification" screen. Press R to repair a Windows
2000 installation, and then press C to use the Recovery Console. The
Recovery Console then prompts you for the administrator password. If you do
not have the correct password, Recovery Console does not allow access to the
computer. If an incorrect password is entered three times, the Recovery
Console quits and restarts the computer. Once the password has been
validated, you have full access to the Recovery Console, but limited access
to the hard disk. You can only access the following folders on your
computer: %systemroot% and %windir%


--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect


:
|
| When I restart I see this message
|
| Checking the file system on C..
| The type of the file system is NTFS
| Cannot open volume for direct access
| Windows has finished checking the disk
|
| I googled the message and saw that this problem crops up mainly with
| ZoneAlarm users on Windows XP. I don't, however, have ZoneAlarm nor Win
| XP--I have Windows 2000 Pro and Internet Security Suite 6.
| Am I the only one getting this message?
|
| Obviosly something is locking my hardrive before Windows loads
| One note is that other than this message the operating system works right.
| No error message in my event log.
|
| Apart from this, however, Safety Mode is inaccessible.
|
| Here's my approach:
| Device Manager--> Non Plug and Play devices-->looked at each sytem file
that
| starts at BOOT.
|
| The suspects:
|
| Pciide
| Partmgr
| Ndis
| Mountmgr
| Ksecdd
| Dmload
| DiskPerf
|
| I plan to disable and enable each one of them alternatingly and see the
| result, but am hesitant that it might altogether prevent me from rebooting
| my computer!
| If you have insights, additional suggestions, approach to diagnose the
| problem, information to consider, please help.
|
|
| Thank you very much!
|
| Gerard
| Windows 2000 Pro SP4 with all Critical Updates
| Powerquest Image Drive 7
| McAfee Internet Security 6
|
|
|

 

[Gerard Sanchez]

I should have mentioned that this message, "Cannot open volume for direct
access" comes up actually after
Chkdsk had finish doing the check--which take up about an hour.

File Structure
Index
Security
File Data
Free Space

After this a Windows "Splash Screen" comes up with progress bar at the
bottom, after that for about 5 seconds this message!

Checking the file system on C..
The type of the file system is NTFS
Cannot open volume for direct access
Windows has finished checking the disk

Then Windows load.
So far everything works just fine except when I try to go to Safe Mode.

Windows doesn't load the Chkdsk every restart but this message: "cannot open
volume for direct access" shows up each time though.

A quick clariffication. "There is some system/boot start device that is
reading/writing to the drive before chkdsk can get a lock on the drive."
So apart from enabling and disabling each start device at BOOT, I should
also include devices that start at SYSTEM?

If you get an error something to the effect "cannot open volume for direct
access" There is some system/boot start device that is reading/writing to
the drive before chkdsk can get a lock on the drive. Some anti-virus
applications do this.

You can also run
chkdsk /r
from the recovery console command line. (/r implies /f and /p)

To start the Recovery Console, start the computer from the Windows 2000
Setup CD or the Windows 2000 Setup floppy disks. If you do not have Setup
floppy disks and your computer cannot start from the Windows 2000 Setup CD,
use another Windows 2000-based computer to create the Setup floppy disks.
Press ENTER at the "Setup Notification" screen. Press R to repair a Windows
2000 installation, and then press C to use the Recovery Console. The
Recovery Console then prompts you for the administrator password. If you do
not have the correct password, Recovery Console does not allow access to the
computer. If an incorrect password is entered three times, the Recovery
Console quits and restarts the computer. Once the password has been
validated, you have full access to the Recovery Console, but limited access
to the hard disk. You can only access the following folders on your
computer: %systemroot% and %windir%


--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect


:
|
| When I restart I see this message
|
| Checking the file system on C..
| The type of the file system is NTFS
| Cannot open volume for direct access
| Windows has finished checking the disk
|
| I googled the message and saw that this problem crops up mainly with
| ZoneAlarm users on Windows XP. I don't, however, have ZoneAlarm nor Win
| XP--I have Windows 2000 Pro and Internet Security Suite 6.
| Am I the only one getting this message?
|
| Obviosly something is locking my hardrive before Windows loads
| One note is that other than this message the operating system works right.
| No error message in my event log.
|
| Apart from this, however, Safety Mode is inaccessible.
|
| Here's my approach:
| Device Manager--> Non Plug and Play devices-->looked at each sytem file
that
| starts at BOOT.
|
| The suspects:
|
| Pciide
| Partmgr
| Ndis
| Mountmgr
| Ksecdd
| Dmload
| DiskPerf
|
| I plan to disable and enable each one of them alternatingly and see the
| result, but am hesitant that it might altogether prevent me from rebooting
| my computer!
| If you have insights, additional suggestions, approach to diagnose the
| problem, information to consider, please help.
|
|
| Thank you very much!
|
| Gerard
| Windows 2000 Pro SP4 with all Critical Updates
| Powerquest Image Drive 7
| McAfee Internet Security 6
|
|
|

 

[Dave Patrick]

This article may help if you can't get chkdsk to stop trying to run.

CHKNTFS.EXE: What You Can Use It For
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q160963

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect


:
|
| I should have mentioned that this message, "Cannot open volume for direct
| access" comes up actually after
| Chkdsk had finish doing the check--which take up about an hour.
|
| File Structure
| Index
| Security
| File Data
| Free Space
|
| After this a Windows "Splash Screen" comes up with progress bar at the
| bottom, after that for about 5 seconds this message!
|
| Checking the file system on C..
| The type of the file system is NTFS
| Cannot open volume for direct access
| Windows has finished checking the disk
|
| Then Windows load.
| So far everything works just fine except when I try to go to Safe Mode.
|
| Windows doesn't load the Chkdsk every restart but this message: "cannot
open
| volume for direct access" shows up each time though.
|
| A quick clariffication. "There is some system/boot start device that is
| reading/writing to the drive before chkdsk can get a lock on the drive."
| So apart from enabling and disabling each start device at BOOT, I should
| also include devices that start at SYSTEM?