Odd behavior of CHKDSK

A

Aloke Prasad

When I run a check on my C: drive (the drive that I boot off and has WinXP
Pro installed) the following ways, I get no errors:

1. Properties->Tools->CheckNow with boxes not checked (read only mode)
2. Properties->Tools->CheckNow with both boxes checked. This ends up
scheduling the check on reboot. That does not find any errors
3. CHKDSK C: /F in a DOS box. This too schedules the check at boot time.
That does not find any errors.

However, if I run the following in a DOS box, I get an error "Correcting
errors in the Volume Bitmap":
CHKDSK C:
I get
========
D:\>chkdsk c:
The type of the file system is NTFS.
Volume label is OSApps.

WARNING! F parameter not specified.
Running CHKDSK in read-only mode.

CHKDSK is verifying files (stage 1 of 3)...
File verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying indexes (stage 2 of 3)...
Index verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying security descriptors (stage 3 of 3)...
Security descriptor verification completed.
Correcting errors in the Volume Bitmap.
Windows found problems with the file system.
Run CHKDSK with the /F (fix) option to correct these.

30716248 KB total disk space.
8575528 KB in 32663 files.
10128 KB in 2551 indexes.
0 KB in bad sectors.
122676 KB in use by the system.
65536 KB occupied by the log file.
22007916 KB available on disk.

4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
7679062 total allocation units on disk.
5501979 allocation units available on disk.
==========
What is this "Correcting errors in the Volume Bitmap"? How do I fix it?
Why doesn't running CHKDSK in GUI mode find this error?
Thanks.
 
A

Aloke Prasad

S.Sengupta said:
Hi!Aloke!
The error is absolutely normal. while in Windows, the drive is locked.

So, schedule chkdsk on next windows boot.
Please go through this article:-
NTFS File System Glitch
http://webspiffy.com/archives/2002/08/ntfs_file_system_glitch/
Click to expand...

This is EXACTLY my symptom. When I do a boot-time CHKDSK /F, it does not
find any errors. But plain CKHDSK C: in a DOS box does (just like the link
above describes and asks me to run CHKDSK C: /F This becomes an endless
process !!

Aside: Is there any way to pause the screen after boot-time CHKDSK? Or to
log it's results?
Also:-
How to Locate and Correct Disk Space Problems on NTFS Volumes in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q315688
Click to expand...

I read this. It seems like a lot of work, especially if the error msg I get
is a known and harmless thing. This should be included in the Q315688
article, IMO.
 
B

Bill James

What happens in this case is that ChkDsk does not report minor errors that it finds and corrects at boot run. You can look in the Event Viewer. Start, Run, type eventvwr.msc click OK. Click on Application, scroll down and find Source "WinLogon". It's easier to do this right after a chkdsk reboot, so the event will be close to the top of the list. Double click to view the details, which might look something like this:

Event Type: Information
Event Source: Winlogon
Event Category: None
Event ID: 1001
Date: 10/16/2003
Time: 20:11:02
User: N/A
Computer: BILL-DELL
Description:
Checking file system on C:
The type of the file system is NTFS.

Cleaning up minor inconsistencies on the drive.
Cleaning up 58 unused index entries from index $SII of file 0x9.
Cleaning up 58 unused index entries from index $SDH of file 0x9.
Cleaning up 58 unused security descriptors.
CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal...
Usn Journal verification completed.

<snip techie details>

Windows has finished checking your disk.
Please wait while your computer restarts.

None of those details are shown during the boot chkdsk because they are so minor and not an indication of a problem that needs to be dealt with. Showing them would likely cause many users to panic when there is absolutely nothing to worry about. Just a little minor housekeeping, cleaning the dust bunnies out from under the bed.

--

Bill James
Microsoft MVP - Shell/User

Win9x VBScript Utilities » www.billsway.com/vbspage/
Windows Tweaks & Tips » www.billsway.com/notes_public/
 
A

Aloke Prasad

I agree in with MS's approach on this. I wish the "DOS box" version of
CHKDSK would have done the same thing instead of saying

Correcting errors in the Volume Bitmap.
Windows found problems with the file system.
Run CHKDSK with the /F (fix) option to correct these.

It certainly caused some anxieties in me :)

Thanks to this newsgroup, I feel much better now.
--
Aloke
----
to reply by e-mail remove 123 and change invalid to com
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
What happens in this case is that ChkDsk does not report minor errors that
it finds and corrects at boot run. You can look in the Event Viewer.
.......
None of those details are shown during the boot chkdsk because they are so
minor and not an indication of a problem that needs to be dealt with.
Showing them would likely cause many users to panic when there is absolutely
nothing to worry about. Just a little minor housekeeping, cleaning the dust
bunnies out from under the bed.
 
W

Walter W.

Aloke Prasad said:
When I run a check on my C: drive (the drive that I boot off and has WinXP
Pro installed) the following ways, I get no errors:

1. Properties->Tools->CheckNow with boxes not checked (read only mode)
2. Properties->Tools->CheckNow with both boxes checked. This ends up
scheduling the check on reboot. That does not find any errors
3. CHKDSK C: /F in a DOS box. This too schedules the check at boot time.
That does not find any errors.

However, if I run the following in a DOS box, I get an error "Correcting
errors in the Volume Bitmap":
CHKDSK C:
I get
========
D:\>chkdsk c:
The type of the file system is NTFS.
Volume label is OSApps.

WARNING! F parameter not specified.
Running CHKDSK in read-only mode.

CHKDSK is verifying files (stage 1 of 3)...
File verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying indexes (stage 2 of 3)...
Index verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying security descriptors (stage 3 of 3)...
Security descriptor verification completed.
Correcting errors in the Volume Bitmap.
Windows found problems with the file system.
Run CHKDSK with the /F (fix) option to correct these.

30716248 KB total disk space.
8575528 KB in 32663 files.
10128 KB in 2551 indexes.
0 KB in bad sectors.
122676 KB in use by the system.
65536 KB occupied by the log file.
22007916 KB available on disk.

4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
7679062 total allocation units on disk.
5501979 allocation units available on disk.
==========
What is this "Correcting errors in the Volume Bitmap"? How do I fix it?
Why doesn't running CHKDSK in GUI mode find this error?
Thanks.
Click to expand...



I had the same problem with reoccuring chkdsk errors (Volume bitmap
errors), which were not fixed.
Now I did a defrag of the partition and the error vanished!
Maybe this helps you!
Walter
 

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