Chkdsk problem

[M Seddon]

I recently performed a Windows XP repair install on my system and,
fortunately, the install went well. The only problem I have found is that I
am now unable to run Chkdsk.. When I go to perform a scan via Tools on C:
properties, I am given the message "Windows was unable to complete the disk
check."

I have tried to run Chkdsk through the command prompt but receive a message
telling me that Chkdsk does not work on NTFS volumes - although I never had
this problem before the repair install.

Can anyone guide me in the right direction? The Microsoft website hasn't
been very helpful.

Thank you.



Michael Seddon

 

[HeeroYuy]

I recently performed a Windows XP repair install on my system and,
fortunately, the install went well. The only problem I have found is that
I am now unable to run Chkdsk.. When I go to perform a scan via Tools on C:
properties, I am given the message "Windows was unable to complete the disk
check."

I have tried to run Chkdsk through the command prompt but receive a
message telling me that Chkdsk does not work on NTFS volumes - although I
never had this problem before the repair install.

Can anyone guide me in the right direction? The Microsoft website hasn't
been very helpful.

Thank you.



Michael Seddon

At the command prompt type: chkdsk /f

Say yes when asked if you want to schedule chkdsk to run on reboot.

Reboot the computer.

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Look in Event Viewer for Error and warning messages appearing the system
log about the time the problem arose and copy the details here.

You can access Event Viewer by selecting Start, Administrative Tools,
Event Viewer. When researching the
meaning of the error, information regarding Event ID, Source and
Description are important.

HOW TO: View and Manage Event Logs in Event Viewer in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;enus;308427&Product=winxp

A tip for posting copies of Error Reports! Run Event Viewer and double
click on the error you want to copy. In the window, which appears is a
button resembling two pages. Double click the button and close Event
Viewer. Now start your message(email) and do a paste into the body of
the message. This will paste the info from the Event Viewer Error Report
complete with links into the message. Make sure this is the first paste
after exiting from Event Viewer.

HD Tune.(freeware). Download and run it and see what it turns up.
http://www.hdtune.com/

Select the Info tabs and place the cursor on C:\ under Drive letter and
then double click the two page icon ( copy to Clipboard ) and copy into
a further message.

Select the Health tab and then double click the two page icon ( copy to
Clipboard ) and copy into a further message.

Run Error Scan.

--


Hope this helps.

Gerry
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Hope this helps.

Gerry
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[M Seddon]

I looked at Event Viewer and it showed instances of Event ID: 7 (The device,
\Device\Harddisk0\D, has a bad block.)
According to the Microsoft 'Help' which appears the advice I am given is "If
this event is logged regularly, replace the hard disk drive."

But the hard drive is otherwise working fine except for these errors in
Event Viewer and the failure of Chkdsk to run. Would running Chkdsk (if it
were possible) correct the error I am seeing?

I downloaded HD Tune. When running the Error Scan my hard drive's
temperature rose to 60 degrees so I was unable to complete it, although it
had already discovered some damaged areas.

HD Tune: Maxtor 6Y160M0 Information

Firmware version : YAR51HW0
Serial number : Y48K4RFE
Capacity : 149.0 GB (~160.0 GB)
Buffer size : 7936 KB
Standard : ATA/ATAPI-7
Supported mode : UDMA Mode 6 (Ultra ATA/133)
Current mode : UDMA Mode 5 (Ultra ATA/100)

S.M.A.R.T : yes
48-bit Address : yes
Read Look-Ahead : yes
Write Cache : yes
Host Protected Area : yes
Device Configuration Overlay : yes
Automatic Acoustic Management: yes
Power Management : yes
Advanced Power Management : yes
Power-up in Standby : no
Security Mode : yes
Firmware Upgradable : yes

Partition : 1
Drive letter :
Label :
Capacity : 62 MB
Usage : 0.00%
Type : unknown (DEh)
Bootable : No

Partition : 2
Drive letter : C:\
Label : disk1
Capacity : 149699 MB
Usage : 19.73%
Type : NTFS
Bootable : Yes

Partition : 3
Drive letter :
Label :
Capacity : 2816 MB
Usage : 0.00%
Type : unknown (DBh)
Bootable : No


Michael Seddon

 

[HeeroYuy]

Try the chkdsk /f trick I suggested. If Microsoft recommends replacing the
drive though, you should take it under consideration.

 

[Gerry Cornell]

You did not give the information from the Health tab. Double click the
two page icon ( copy to Clipboard ) and copy into a further message.

If I were you I would immediately copy your important data files to CD
and prepare for the worse. How old is the hard drive? Some hard drives
come with 3 year warranty? Does yours? Do you have documentation
covering the purchase?

What make and model is your computer? When was it purchased? What disks
were provided with the computer?

Keep your use of the use of the computer to absolute essentials. You
need to keep the hard drive alive long enough to retrieve all data.
Think about the most practical way for you to replace the hard drive
bearing in mind that if the drive is under warranty you want the minimum
hassle from the supplier of the computer. So don't jump up and down
until you have their reaction to your problem. Don't run any more tests
on the hard drive as this may bring the disk failure earlier rather than
later.

--


Hope this helps.

Gerry
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Gerry Cornell]

This hard drive is not expensive to replace. Please see this link:
http://www.dealtime.co.uk/xGS-maxtor_160gb

In a March 2003 Review a remark was made that the disk runs Hot. If you
replace like with like ask whether an extra fan might help and at what
cost.

--


Hope this helps.

Gerry
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[Gerry Cornell]

Do you think poking around before retrieving key data files is a good
idea? This hard drive could easily be under warranty and if so my
reaction would be to let the supplier do any further disk testing so
that they become responsible for any consequences that arise.

--


Regards.

Gerry

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Stourport, Worcs, England
Enquire, plan and execute.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[HeeroYuy]

Do you think poking around before retrieving key data files is a good
idea? This hard drive could easily be under warranty and if so my reaction
would be to let the supplier do any further disk testing so that they
become responsible for any consequences that arise.

--

No need to get snappy. I was just making a suggestion.

 

[Gerry Cornell]

I was not intending to be snappy! However, whenever there is hint of
failing hard disk or total system failure the 100% priority must be to
immediately back up all important data files.


Hope this helps.

Gerry
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[M Seddon]

Thanks for all your assistance. I have already backed up all my data. This
problem is very odd. The drive seems, generally, sound. I will look into
all the points you have suggested.


Michael Seddon

 

[M Seddon]

From the Health tab:
HD Tune: Maxtor 6Y160M0 Health

ID Current Worst ThresholdData Status
(03) Spin Up Time 205 205 63 14046 Ok
(04) Start/Stop Count 253 253 0 121 Ok
(05) Reallocated Sector Count 249 249 63 44 Ok
(06) Read Channel Margin 253 253 100 0 Ok
(07) Seek Error Rate 253 252 0 0 Ok
(08) Seek Time Performance 249 240 187 52052 Ok
(09) Power On Hours Count 240 240 0 10075 Ok
(0A) Spin Retry Count 253 252 157 0 Ok
(0B) Calibration Retry Count 253 252 223 0 Ok
(0C) Power Cycle Count 253 253 0 123 Ok
(C0) Power Off Retract Count 253 253 0 0 Ok
(C1) Load Cycle Count 253 253 0 0 Ok
(C2) Temperature 253 253 0 36 Ok
(C3) Hardware ECC Recovered 253 252 0 4518 Ok
(C4) Reallocated Event Count 252 252 0 1 Ok
(C5) Current Pending Sector 249 249 0 44 Ok
(C6) Offline Uncorrectable 252 252 0 1 Ok
(C7) Ultra DMA CRC Error Count 199 199 0 0 Ok
(C8) Write Error Rate 253 252 0 0 Ok
(C9) (unknown attribute) 253 245 0 353 Ok
(CA) (unknown attribute) 253 250 0 0 Ok
(CB) (unknown attribute) 253 252 180 30 Ok
(CC) (unknown attribute) 253 252 0 0 Ok
(CD) (unknown attribute) 253 252 0 0 Ok
(CF) (unknown attribute) 253 252 0 0 Ok
(D0) (unknown attribute) 253 252 0 0 Ok
(D1) (unknown attribute) 253 253 0 0 Ok
(63) (unknown attribute) 253 253 0 0 Ok
(64) (unknown attribute) 253 253 0 0 Ok
(65) (unknown attribute) 253 253 0 0 Ok

Power On Time : 10075
Health Status : Ok

 

[Gerry Cornell]

The Health Report is so far as I can see suggesting no immediate
problems However, a drive having bad sectors is not sound. In the past
when using Windows 95 / 98 I had a drive with bad sectors, which was
discovered using Scandisk. Scandisk mapped off the bad sectors so that
Windows ceased to use that part of the disk. On two or three occasions
further bad sectors were found and treated the same way. Then no more
bad sectors were found and I used that hard disk for a numbers of years
until it became too small for my requirements. I had another hard disk
bought new which failed within days and which was replaced immediately
with another.

Looking around the Maxtor site I have a found a diagnostic utility to
test your drive:
http://snipurl.com/kdk4

Run the utility to see what it finds. This utility is intended to test
drives where a warranty claim is contemplated but can be used even if
one is not contemplated.

If the drive was made as part of the computer any claim under the
manufacturer's warranty must be made through computer supplier e.g
buying a computer containing the drive from PC World means you have to
go to PC World to pursue any claim under the warranty. This is even if
any warranty given on the computer by PC World has expired. Most
warranties are for 12 months unless you pay extra for an extended
warranty but some components suppliers are selling on the basis of 3
year warranties. See here:
http://snipurl.com/kdiy

It is clear that the warranty arrangements for Maxtor disks were changed
with effect from12 September 2004 and not all purchase even now have
warranty periods longer than one year . See here:
http://snipurl.com/kdjk

You may there need to clarify what the arrangements were before12
September 2004.

--


Hope this helps.

Gerry
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[HeeroYuy]

I was not intending to be snappy! However, whenever there is hint of
failing hard disk or total system failure the 100% priority must be to
immediately back up all important data files.


Hope this helps.

Indeed, it does. I shall be aware to give that advice in the future. And
I do apologize for my comment, as emotional intent of some comments are lost
in text.

 

[HeeroYuy]

It has been my experience that once a drive gets bad sectors, more will
follow. A reformat will relieve the problem, but it will return.

 

[M Seddon]

Just to be get back to my original problem, is there any way I could get
Chkdsk running to fix, or at least isloate, these bad sectors?

Its quite infuriating that Chkdsk just refuses to work for reasons which
never affected it before!



Michael Seddon