checkdisk Problem?

[Guest]

Hi I wonder if anyone can help? Everytime I start my computer it runs
checkdisk, when it gets to 35% it hangs and stays there? I've run checkdisk
from the command line and the same story. The only way round this is to skip
disk checking on start up. I'm seriously worried about my hard disk as it
seems its on its way out. This is the second western digital hard drive thats
given me problems, the other was on my laptop. Can anyone recommend a
solution to this problem? Maybe some freeware disk checking and fixing
software? Should I buy a new drive incase this one goes completely? Thanks in
advance Dave

 

[Malke]

Hi I wonder if anyone can help? Everytime I start my computer it runs
checkdisk, when it gets to 35% it hangs and stays there? I've run checkdisk
from the command line and the same story. The only way round this is to skip
disk checking on start up. I'm seriously worried about my hard disk as it
seems its on its way out. This is the second western digital hard drive thats
given me problems, the other was on my laptop. Can anyone recommend a
solution to this problem? Maybe some freeware disk checking and fixing
software? Should I buy a new drive incase this one goes completely? Thanks in
advance Dave

Go to Western Digital's website and download their hard drive diagnostic
utility. You will make a bootable CD or floppy with the file you
download. Then boot with the media you created and do a thorough test.
If the test fails any physical tests (or won't finish), replace the hard
drive. Certainly you should back up your data now and be prepared to
replace the drive. If you do the diagnostic now, you'll know whether you
need to buy a new drive or not.


Malke

 

[Plato]

Hi I wonder if anyone can help? Everytime I start my computer it runs
checkdisk, when it gets to 35% it hangs and stays there? I've run checkdisk
from the command line and the same story. The only way round this is to skip
disk checking on start up. I'm seriously worried about my hard disk as it
seems its on its way out. This is the second western digital hard drive thats
given me problems, the other was on my laptop. Can anyone recommend a
solution to this problem? Maybe some freeware disk checking and fixing
software? Should I buy a new drive incase this one goes completely? Thanks in
advance Dave

Your hard drive may be failing, or has some bad sectors that have not
been marked bad yet. See:

http://www.bootdisk.com/dostools.htm
HARDDRIVES
Western Digital

 

[Guest]

Hi I ran the WD diagnostics and it found nothing wrong with the drive? I
can't defrag until chkdsk completes and chkdsk wont complete. I've tried all
manor of switchs /r/f/c/i? I think theres a corruption in the registry
probably caused by a virus. Can anyone recommend a good registry cleaner that
fixes errors, removes bad entries? Would it be wise after a backup to use a
router in future giving me NAT which would hide my ip address? Is anyone out
there using a router with this and having less virus/trojan detection? Im
using one care which was recommended by a reliable source but it seems my pc
is getting hit just as much as without any protection. I'm contempleting a
router with NAT and maybe even AVG/ Zone alarm next time around? Any thought?

"

 

[Malke]

Hi I ran the WD diagnostics and it found nothing wrong with the drive? I
can't defrag until chkdsk completes and chkdsk wont complete. I've tried all
manor of switchs /r/f/c/i? I think theres a corruption in the registry
probably caused by a virus. Can anyone recommend a good registry cleaner that
fixes errors, removes bad entries? Would it be wise after a backup to use a
router in future giving me NAT which would hide my ip address? Is anyone out
there using a router with this and having less virus/trojan detection? Im
using one care which was recommended by a reliable source but it seems my pc
is getting hit just as much as without any protection. I'm contempleting a
router with NAT and maybe even AVG/ Zone alarm next time around? Any thought?

"

If the WD diagnostic shows nothing physically wrong with the drive, then
your file system has been damaged. Now that you've mentioned that you
had a virus (but of course we don't know which one), that could be the
reason. Many viruses and malware will damage the operating system.

1. Back up your data and do a Repair Install. Before you do the Repair
Install, make very sure that your computer is in fact completely
virus/malware-free:

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware

Once you know the computer is clean:

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

2. If the Repair Install doesn't work, do a Clean Install:

http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html - Clean Install How-To
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Reinstalling_Windows -
What you will need on-hand

As for your other questions, it is a good idea to use a router with a
broadband connection even if you only have one computer. It will not,
however, protect you from viruses or malware. The OneCare antivirus is
one of the worst in the industry. Recommended antivirus programs are
NOD32, Kaspersky, and Avast if you want free. The built-in Windows
Firewall is adequate for most people but Zone Alarm is often used.

The most important part of staying safe is practicing "Safe Hex". This
is entirely up to you because if you don't adhere to safe practices, no
antivirus/firewall will protect you.

Safe Hex:
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=27971 - So How Did I Get
Infected Anyway?
http://www.getsafeonline.org/
http://wiki.castlecops.com/Malware_Removal_and_Prevention:_Introduction
http://www.claymania.com/safe-hex.html
http://www.aumha.org/a/parasite.htm - The Parasite Fight
http://msmvps.com/blogs/harrywaldron/archive/2006/02/05/82584.aspx - MVP
Harry Waldron - The Family PC - How to stay safe on the Internet
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm - Eric Howes on
Rogue Antispyware Programs


Malke

 

[cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)]

On Mon, 23 Jul 2007 18:38:02 -0700, Dave Candi

Hi I ran the WD diagnostics and it found nothing wrong with the drive?

Folks usually recommend HD vendor diagnostics, but they tend to wait
until the HD is dead, cold, and half buried before saying "hey, maybe
this HD isn't OK after all".

I've seen SMART showing multiple sectors that have already failed to
be "corrected", yet each attribute line was still "OK" and the summary
was also "OK". Folks often just do the "quick tes", which simply
gives the feel-good SMART summary and does no surface test at all.

I can't defrag

Defrag involves reading and writing potentially every part of every
file on the HD. Does that sound like a good idea if the file system
and/or hard drive integrity is in doubt?

until chkdsk completes and chkdsk wont complete. I've tried all
manor of switchs /r/f/c/i?

ChkDsk is not a safe tool, and is certainly not a data recovery tool.
It's an OK tool after you've backed up everything and have nothing to
lose, and want to see how well it can "fix" things for giggles.

I think theres a corruption in the registry probably caused by a virus.

What virus? Have you detected one, or are you speculating that
malware may be a factor here (as it well may)?

Can anyone recommend a good registry cleaner that
fixes errors, removes bad entries?

Folks will wave such things around, but really, you should rather know
what you're doing (or hire someone who does) than trusting these
auto-fixers. Else you just make it impossible to really fix things,
because all the sharp corners that could have pointed to the problem
have been rounded off.

Would it be wise after a backup to use a router in future giving me
NAT which would hide my ip address?

Yes. An always-on direct connection to the Internet is a Bad Idea.
Unlike most of what you've suggested so far, dropping in a NAT router
should NOT wait until you've done a backup ;-)

Is anyone out there using a router with this and having less virus/trojan detection? Im
using one care which was recommended by a reliable source but it seems my pc
is getting hit just as much as without any protection. I'm contempleting a
router with NAT and maybe even AVG/ Zone alarm next time around?

NOTHING will make you so bullet-proof (or even bullet-resistant) that
you can forget about learning how to avoid risk.

-------------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -

Running Windows-based av to kill active malware is like striking
a match to see if what you are standing in is water or petrol.