Can't use C: drive error checking tools

[Joe Mantiko]

I've been having some bad lock ups on my Toshiba P4,
2GHz, 20 GigHD laptop requiring me to remove the battery
to freeup the computer. I know its bad but complete
unresponsiveness for 4 hours isnt great either.
I defragged,virus checked,adaware checked, did disk
cleanup and wanted to run scandisk to check for .
So I go My Computer, right-click on C: drive, and try to
run the error-checking tool with auto fix files and look
for bad sectors checked (which was scandisk, right) and
I'm told files are in use, do you want to run at next
restart.
I restart and I get the expected light blue screen BUT it
says...file system NTFS, CANNOT OPEN FILE FOR DIRECT
ACCESS, checking done and then it boots normally.

1. How do I can this to work right?
2. Any thoughts on what else I can do to fix my
system....the only recent change was AOL 9 updated
itself, so I think that's the problem, but I want to make
sure.
Thanks

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Joe

You are appreciating that you should set up chkdsk to run on the next boot. You can then select Start, Turn Off Computer, Restart. After that the system takes over, runs chkdsk during the boot operation and then hands over the Desk Top with the job done. You make no further input after clicking on restart.

There have a number of reports concerning running chkdsk recently. Do you have Zone Alarm installed? A recent version is interfering and preventing chkdsk from running.

If you are not using Zone Alarm what Firewall are you using? Otherwise are you running your anti-virus and Adaware with the latest definitions remembering these are being revised daily?

Is your version of Windows XP Home Edition or Professional?

--

~~~~~~


Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FCA

Stourport, Worcs, England
Enquire, plan and execute.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please tell the newsgroup how any
suggested solution worked for you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Joe Mantiko]

Thanks for the help.

Its XPHome. I update Norton anti-virus and ad-aware
daily. I do have zone alarm's newest free version
running. I tried to prevent it from loading on startup
by unclicking ZLclient on msconfig's startup and services
tabs...but no improvement and I get the same CANNOT OPEN
FILE FOR DIRECT ACCESS on the screen after restart.
If I do not check for bad sectors or have autofix
checked, it seems that chkdsk runs fine without
restarting windows. Is that good enough? BTW, my WinXP
hasn't locked up in 24 hours...but I don't think I found
any error or corrected anything.
Again thanks.

-----Original Message-----
Joe

You are appreciating that you should set up chkdsk to

run on the next boot. You can then select Start, Turn Off
Computer, Restart. After that the system takes over, runs
chkdsk during the boot operation and then hands over the
Desk Top with the job done. You make no further input
after clicking on restart.

There have a number of reports concerning running chkdsk

recently. Do you have Zone Alarm installed? A recent
version is interfering and preventing chkdsk from running.

If you are not using Zone Alarm what Firewall are you

using? Otherwise are you running your anti-virus and
Adaware with the latest definitions remembering these are
being revised daily?

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Joe

I have seen a number of reports that users of Zone Alarm are reverting to
earlier versions. The providers of Zone Alarm are working on a fix!

The obvious answer is to uninstall Zone Alarm and reinstall after running
Chkdsk. You only need to run chkdsk occasionally. More information here:

http://forum.zonelabs.org/zonelabs/board/message?board.id=inst&message.id=11594

--

~~~~~~


Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FCA

Stourport, Worcs, England
Enquire, plan and execute.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please tell the newsgroup how any
suggested solution worked for you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Carrie Garth]

|| ----- Original Message -----
|| From: "Joe Mantiko" <[email protected]>
|| Sent: Saturday, June 26, 2004 11:06 AM
|| Message || <SNIP> try to run the error-checking tool <SNIP>I restart
|| and I get the expected light blue screen BUT it says...file
|| system NTFS, CANNOT OPEN FILE FOR DIRECT
|| ACCESS, checking done and then it boots normally.
|| 1. How do I can this to work right? <SNIP>

| "Joe Mantiko" <[email protected]>
| wrote in message | <SNIP> Its XPHome. <SNIP> I do have zone alarm's
| newest free version running. I tried to prevent it from
| loading on startup by unclicking ZLclient on msconfig's
| startup and services tabs...but no improvement and I get
| the same CANNOT OPEN FILE FOR DIRECT ACCESS
|on the screen after restart. <SNIP>

A google search for the following:

driver vsdatant chkdsk
http://www.google.com/search?&q=driver+vsdatant+OR+vsmon+chkdsk

(vsdatant is the kernel-mode driver used by Zone Alarm),
leads to some articles that you may be interested in.
For instance the following one which outlines how to
temporarily disable the driver so chkdsk will run:

Re Zone Alarm 5 upgrade stopping Win XP Check Disk
Windows and ZoneAlarm® Messages and Alerts
Zone Labs User Forum
http://forum.zonelabs.org/zonelabs/board/message?board.id=win_za_msgs&message.id=5933

Instead of disabling the driver you may want to try
the following:

To quote Jerold Schulman - Windows: General MVP:

"NOTE: You may have success if you schedule Chkdsk
to run at startup and use the /X switch, which will force
a dismount."

JSI Tip 7079_ You receive 'Cannot open volume for direct
access' when Chkdsk runs during Windows XP startup
http://www.jsiinc.com/SUBO/tip7000/rh7079.htm

And if forcing a dismount does not work, and you do not
want to disable the kernel-mode driver, you may want
to try the resolution given by the following Web Site:

Computer Technical Support Forums
All Forums | SOFTWARE SUPPORT |
Operating Systems: Microsoft
MyTechSupport_ca - Cannot open volume for direct access
http://www.mytechsupport.ca/support/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3503

In my words the above site says to:

Run msconfig. Select a Diagnostic Startup of Basic
Devices and Services Only. Use the method of
your choice to schedule autochk (the version of chkdsk that
runs when you restart your computer). And then reboot.

Note that the Computer Technical Support Forums Web
Site implicates 3rd party services and drivers.
And while I have not read any official documentation to
that affect, it certainly sounds plausible that kernel-mode
drivers could interfere. Additionally, many on the
Microsoft Public Newsgroup Forums have implicated a
Zone Alarm kernel-mode driver as being the culprit.

For more information about disabling drivers
see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

KB816071 - How to Temporarily Deactivate the
Kernel Mode Filter Driver
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?Product=winxp&scid=kb;en-us;816071

For more information about the GUI error-checking tool
search Windows XP Professional Help and Support Center
Full-text Search Matches titled: "Detecting and repairing
disk errors".

For more information about the command-prompt method
"chkdsk" (and the /x parameter) search the Windows XP
Professional Help and Support Center for the word in
double-quotes and read the Full-text Search by that title.

For more information about msconfig and the option:
Diagnostic Startup - load basic devices and services only,
see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base Article:

KB310560 - How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig
Utility in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?Product=winxp&scid=kb;en-us;310560

BTW, to quote the following Microsoft Knowledge Base Article:

"Microsoft is researching this problem and will post more
information in this article when the information becomes
available."

KB823439 - "Cannot Open Volume for Direct Access"
Error Message When Chkdsk Runs at Startup
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?Product=winxp&scid=kb;en-us;823439

 

[Joe Mantiko]

Thank you a lot.
I unistalled ZoneAlarm 5, went back to ZoneAlarm 4.5, and
chkdsk is back to normal.
Again, thanks

 

[Tracy]

You are absolutely correct! It was zone alarm causing
this chkdsk error on start up. After I read your article
I uninstalled it and now it works fine the chkdsk. Thank
you so much! It was an annoying error.

Best Regards
Tracy

 

[Rocket J. Squirrel]

Don't go without firewall protection -- version 4.5 of Zone Alarm (or
earlier) will not cause the problem you experienced.

Rocky