Dirty Hard Drive (chkdsk runs when system started)

[Guest]

On my C drive that is running WinXP Pro, I was moving files between
directories. During the process my system burped causing the dirty bit to get
set. Now chkdsk wants to run each time I start the system. The two files that
are corrupt are JPG files in MY RECEIVED FILES directory and not system
files. I can not delete them, rename them, copy over top of them, or move
them. When I try anything with the files, an error message comes up that the
files or folders are corrupt. I have read all kinds of information in
different forums and nothing has worked to get rid of these files. Chkdsk /f
does not fix the files. I have read that chkntfs /d will clear the dirty bit,
but will that fix the corrupt files. It seems like the only fix is to do a
backup of the C drive, reformat the C Drive, and copy all the files back to
the hard drive except the corrupt files. If someone has some other ideas, I
sure am listening. Thanks for your help.

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: "Larry" <[email protected]>

| On my C drive that is running WinXP Pro, I was moving files between
| directories. During the process my system burped causing the dirty bit to get
| set. Now chkdsk wants to run each time I start the system. The two files that
| are corrupt are JPG files in MY RECEIVED FILES directory and not system
| files. I can not delete them, rename them, copy over top of them, or move
| them. When I try anything with the files, an error message comes up that the
| files or folders are corrupt. I have read all kinds of information in
| different forums and nothing has worked to get rid of these files. Chkdsk /f
| does not fix the files. I have read that chkntfs /d will clear the dirty bit,
| but will that fix the corrupt files. It seems like the only fix is to do a
| backup of the C drive, reformat the C Drive, and copy all the files back to
| the hard drive except the corrupt files. If someone has some other ideas, I
| sure am listening. Thanks for your help.

Go to the hard disk manufacturer's web site and download their diagnostic software
respective to your hard disk. After the test, you will know if the hard disk is bad or
not..

Quantum/Maxtor - PowerMax
http://www.maxtor.com/en/support/downloads/powermax.htm

Western Digital - Data LifeGuard Tools (DLGDiag)
http://support.wdc.com/download/

Hitachi/IBM - Drive Fitness Test (DFT)
http://www.hgst.com/hdd/support/download.htm

Seagate - SeaTools
http://www.seagate.com/support/seatools/

Fujitsu - Diagnostic Tool
http://www.fcpa.com/download/hard-drives/

Samsung - Disk manager
http://www.samsung.com/Products/HardDiskDrive/utilities/shdiag.htm

 

[Rock]

On my C drive that is running WinXP Pro, I was moving files between
directories. During the process my system burped causing the dirty bit to get
set. Now chkdsk wants to run each time I start the system. The two files that
are corrupt are JPG files in MY RECEIVED FILES directory and not system
files. I can not delete them, rename them, copy over top of them, or move
them. When I try anything with the files, an error message comes up that the
files or folders are corrupt. I have read all kinds of information in
different forums and nothing has worked to get rid of these files. Chkdsk /f
does not fix the files. I have read that chkntfs /d will clear the dirty bit,
but will that fix the corrupt files. It seems like the only fix is to do a
backup of the C drive, reformat the C Drive, and copy all the files back to
the hard drive except the corrupt files. If someone has some other ideas, I
sure am listening. Thanks for your help.

One option for deleting the files is to create a Bart's PE bootable CD.
Boot from that and try deleting them.

http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/

 

[Steve N.]

On my C drive that is running WinXP Pro, I was moving files between
directories. During the process my system burped causing the dirty bit to get
set. Now chkdsk wants to run each time I start the system. The two files that
are corrupt are JPG files in MY RECEIVED FILES directory and not system
files. I can not delete them, rename them, copy over top of them, or move
them. When I try anything with the files, an error message comes up that the
files or folders are corrupt. I have read all kinds of information in
different forums and nothing has worked to get rid of these files. Chkdsk /f
does not fix the files. I have read that chkntfs /d will clear the dirty bit,
but will that fix the corrupt files. It seems like the only fix is to do a
backup of the C drive, reformat the C Drive, and copy all the files back to
the hard drive except the corrupt files. If someone has some other ideas, I
sure am listening. Thanks for your help.

There is no /d switch for chkdsk.

Definitely backup the files first. Then as David suggested run the
maunfacturer's dsik diagnostics on it. If chkdsk /f (or /p from recovery
console) and/or /r even after repeated runs cannot reset the dirty bit
there isn't much else you can do but test the disk with the
manufacturers utility, if it comes up clean then you will have to
reformat and start over. There is no other reliable way that I know of
to clear a stubborn dirty bit and I've researched it faily well. In fact
if it were me, I wouldn't merely delete the partition and reformat if
the manufacturer test passes, I zero-fill the drive first, then
partition and format.

Steve N.

 

[Guest]

Thank you for all the suggestions. C Drive is a Maxtor 120 GB SATA drive.
Went to their web site and it states that their diag does not work on SATA
drives. Will continue to research this.
On the /d switch, it is for chkntfs and not chkdsk.
Will also try Bart's PE load
I am tring all possible methods to clear this but I think reformating will
be the final method.

 

[Steve N.]

Thank you for all the suggestions. C Drive is a Maxtor 120 GB SATA drive.
Went to their web site and it states that their diag does not work on SATA
drives. Will continue to research this.
On the /d switch, it is for chkntfs and not chkdsk.

Sorry I misread that. My mistake. Chkntfs will not reset a dirty bit.
IIRC it can only display status or exclude a drive from being
autochecked, which doesn't fix anything anyway.

Will also try Bart's PE load

That probably won't be of much help. But what the hey. Couldn't hurt.

I am tring all possible methods to clear this but I think reformating will
be the final method.

You may well be right. I'd still get a zero-fill utility and make that
drive as close to clean as whistle before partitioning and formating.

There are some "generic" HDD tests such as Drive Fitness Test that may
be helpful:

http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/support/download.htm

And possibly:

http://www.dvhardware.net/software/1390

I think they will work on any brand drive. Not sure, so use at your own
risk and procede with caution.

Steve N.

 

[Guest]

Just for public/my edification.......
If he deletes with Bart's, uses /x to avoid chkdsk/ntfsdsk, then defrags in
Safe Mode to hopefully overwrite the filespace with existing files.......
Could that work?

 

[Mungo Bulge]

Steve, you have to read a little more carefully, the /D was for
chkntfs, not chkdsk.

Larry, the /D option restores checking for dirty disks, /X will
exclude checking (not recommended)


Displays or modifies the checking of disk at boot time.

CHKNTFS volume [...]
CHKNTFS /D
CHKNTFS /T[:time]
CHKNTFS /X volume [...]
CHKNTFS /C volume [...]

volume Specifies the drive letter (followed by a colon),
mount point, or volume name.
/D Restores the machine to the default behaviour; all
drives are
checked at boot time and chkdsk is run on those that
are
dirty.
/T:time Changes the AUTOCHK initiation countdown time to the
specified amount of time in seconds. If time is not
specified, displays the current setting.
/X Excludes a drive from the default boot-time check.
Excluded
drives are not accumulated between command
invocations.
/C Schedules a drive to be checked at boot time; chkdsk
will run
if the drive is dirty.

If no switches are specified, CHKNTFS will display if the specified
drive is
dirty or scheduled to be checked on next reboot.



| Larry wrote:
| > On my C drive that is running WinXP Pro, I was moving files
between
| > directories. During the process my system burped causing the dirty
bit to get
| > set. Now chkdsk wants to run each time I start the system. The two
files that
| > are corrupt are JPG files in MY RECEIVED FILES directory and not
system
| > files. I can not delete them, rename them, copy over top of them,
or move
| > them. When I try anything with the files, an error message comes
up that the
| > files or folders are corrupt. I have read all kinds of information
in
| > different forums and nothing has worked to get rid of these files.
Chkdsk /f
| > does not fix the files. I have read that chkntfs /d will clear the
dirty bit,
| > but will that fix the corrupt files. It seems like the only fix is
to do a
| > backup of the C drive, reformat the C Drive, and copy all the
files back to
| > the hard drive except the corrupt files. If someone has some other
ideas, I
| > sure am listening. Thanks for your help.
|
| There is no /d switch for chkdsk.
|
| Definitely backup the files first. Then as David suggested run the
| maunfacturer's dsik diagnostics on it. If chkdsk /f (or /p from
recovery
| console) and/or /r even after repeated runs cannot reset the dirty
bit
| there isn't much else you can do but test the disk with the
| manufacturers utility, if it comes up clean then you will have to
| reformat and start over. There is no other reliable way that I know
of
| to clear a stubborn dirty bit and I've researched it faily well. In
fact
| if it were me, I wouldn't merely delete the partition and reformat
if
| the manufacturer test passes, I zero-fill the drive first, then
| partition and format.
|
| Steve N.
|

 

[Steve N.]

Just for public/my edification.......
If he deletes with Bart's, uses /x to avoid chkdsk/ntfsdsk, then defrags in
Safe Mode to hopefully overwrite the filespace with existing files.......
Could that work?

Defrag will check the drive for error status, find the dirty bit set and
halt.

SteveN.

 

[Steve N.]

Steve, you have to read a little more carefully, the /D was for
chkntfs, not chkdsk.

Thanks for the correction. Yes, I misread it.

Steve N.

Larry, the /D option restores checking for dirty disks, /X will
exclude checking (not recommended)


Displays or modifies the checking of disk at boot time.

CHKNTFS volume [...]
CHKNTFS /D
CHKNTFS /T[:time]
CHKNTFS /X volume [...]
CHKNTFS /C volume [...]

volume Specifies the drive letter (followed by a colon),
mount point, or volume name.
/D Restores the machine to the default behaviour; all
drives are
checked at boot time and chkdsk is run on those that
are
dirty.
/T:time Changes the AUTOCHK initiation countdown time to the
specified amount of time in seconds. If time is not
specified, displays the current setting.
/X Excludes a drive from the default boot-time check.
Excluded
drives are not accumulated between command
invocations.
/C Schedules a drive to be checked at boot time; chkdsk
will run
if the drive is dirty.

If no switches are specified, CHKNTFS will display if the specified
drive is
dirty or scheduled to be checked on next reboot.



| Larry wrote:
| > On my C drive that is running WinXP Pro, I was moving files
between
| > directories. During the process my system burped causing the dirty
bit to get
| > set. Now chkdsk wants to run each time I start the system. The two
files that
| > are corrupt are JPG files in MY RECEIVED FILES directory and not
system
| > files. I can not delete them, rename them, copy over top of them,
or move
| > them. When I try anything with the files, an error message comes
up that the
| > files or folders are corrupt. I have read all kinds of information
in
| > different forums and nothing has worked to get rid of these files.
Chkdsk /f
| > does not fix the files. I have read that chkntfs /d will clear the
dirty bit,
| > but will that fix the corrupt files. It seems like the only fix is
to do a
| > backup of the C drive, reformat the C Drive, and copy all the
files back to
| > the hard drive except the corrupt files. If someone has some other
ideas, I
| > sure am listening. Thanks for your help.
|
| There is no /d switch for chkdsk.
|
| Definitely backup the files first. Then as David suggested run the
| maunfacturer's dsik diagnostics on it. If chkdsk /f (or /p from
recovery
| console) and/or /r even after repeated runs cannot reset the dirty
bit
| there isn't much else you can do but test the disk with the
| manufacturers utility, if it comes up clean then you will have to
| reformat and start over. There is no other reliable way that I know
of
| to clear a stubborn dirty bit and I've researched it faily well. In
fact
| if it were me, I wouldn't merely delete the partition and reformat
if
| the manufacturer test passes, I zero-fill the drive first, then
| partition and format.
|
| Steve N.
|

 

[Guest]

Ahhh..! Thanks! Always learning!

Defrag will check the drive for error status, find the dirty bit set and
halt.

SteveN.

 

[Guest]

Final solution:
Backed up the C drive
Ran Maxtor's diag on the drive and set all bits to zero
Reformatted the drive with NTFS
Reloaded o/s and programs
No more dirty drive.
Their has to be a better way but I never found it. Thanks for all the
suggestions.
Larry

 

[Rock]

Final solution:
Backed up the C drive
Ran Maxtor's diag on the drive and set all bits to zero
Reformatted the drive with NTFS
Reloaded o/s and programs
No more dirty drive.
Their has to be a better way but I never found it. Thanks for all the
suggestions.
Larry

:

Yep that was the last resort and it worked. Thanks for posting back.