Running CHKDSK on external drive? Where is the log?

[J Tinsby]

Hello all,

I ran CHKDSK on my 1TB external drive and went to look for a WINLOGON
log file for that program but there wasn't one for the day I ran the
test.

Although it took forever, it appeared everything was running in
CHKDSK. I was surprised to see it run from Windows and not the blue
DOS screen I usually get on the C:/ drive..

Why don't I get a log for this test of the external drive?

Thank you,

J Tinsby

 

[Peter]

I was surprised to see it run from Windows and not the blue
DOS screen I usually get on the C:/ drive..

Think of trying to saw off a tree's branch while you're sitting on it.

 

[J Tinsby]

Think of trying to saw off a tree's branch while you're sitting on it.

Peter,

Thank you so much for the wealth of information you provided, it's
nice to know there are smart asses in every group no matter what the
topic.

I hope someday I can repay your kindness by letting you sit under the
falling branch.

 

[Peter]

Peter,

Thank you so much for the wealth of information you provided, it's
nice to know there are smart asses in every group no matter what the
topic.

I hope someday I can repay your kindness by letting you sit under the
falling branch.

Sigh, C: the branch you're sitting on. D: another branch. Get it now?

 

[Mike S]

Hello all,

I ran CHKDSK on my 1TB external drive and went to look for a WINLOGON
log file for that program but there wasn't one for the day I ran the
test.

Although it took forever, it appeared everything was running in
CHKDSK. I was surprised to see it run from Windows and not the blue
DOS screen I usually get on the C:/ drive..

Why don't I get a log for this test of the external drive?

Thank you,

J Tinsby

http://www.technologyquestions.com/technology/windows-xp/176163-chkdsk-output-logs.html

If you run chkdsk without any of the switches that require the volume to
be locked or unmounted, you can just pipe the output to a text file:

chkdsk > C:\checkdisklog.txt

Because you won't see any output, you'll need to wait (in a Command
Prompt window) until you see the command prompt reappear.

If you run chkdsk with the /f or /r switches, the volume must be locked.
Because the system is using the volume (assuming that you're checking
the partition on which Windows is installed), it can't be locked, so
chkdsk offers to run at the next reboot. If you OK this, what happens
is that a module named autochk.exe is scheduled to run at the next
restart. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314835/en-us which
includes the following:

<quote>
However, if CHKDSK is scheduled to run when the computer restarts, the
binary module that contains the verification code is Autochk.exe, a
native Windows program. Because Autochk.exe runs early in the computer's
startup sequence, Autochk.exe does not have the benefit of virtual
memory or of other Win32 services.

Autochk.exe generates the same kind of text output that the Chkdsk.exe
utility DLLs generate. Autochk.exe displays this text output during the
startup process and also logs an event in the application event log. The
logged event information includes as much of the text output as can fit
into the event log's data buffer.
</quote>

So, look in Event Viewer Application log for the first event after the
reboot. The "source" will be "Winlogon" and have Event No. 1001.

This KB article, although written for Win2K, may also be of interest:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/218461

 

[J Tinsby]

Hello Lem,

Thanks for the reply to my question. I didn't run chkdsk from a
command prompt with any of the switches you recommend. That explains
why I didn't get a log file from it.

Thank you,

J Tinsby

 

[Jose]

Hello Lem,

Thanks for the reply to my question. I didn't run chkdsk from a
command prompt with any of the switches you recommend. That explains
why I didn't get a log file from it.

Thank you,

J Tinsby

When chkdsk runs automatically on a reboot because XP thinks it needs
to or you told it to do so, the results are shown in the Event Viewer
Application log. You need to look there for problems after running
chkdsk /r.

To see the Event Viewer logs, click Start, Settings, Control Panel,
Administrative Tools, Event Viewer.

A shortcut to Event Viewer is to click Start, Run and in the box
enter:

%SystemRoot%\system32\eventvwr.msc

Click OK to launch the Event Viewer.

Look in the Application log for an event sourced by Winlogon,
something like:

Event Type: Information

Event Source: Winlogon

Event Category: None

Event ID: 1001

Description:

Checking file system on C:

The type of the file system is NTFS.
A disk check has been scheduled.
Windows will now check the disk.
39070048 KB total disk space.
25151976 KB in 78653 files.
48256 KB in 10264 indexes.
0 KB in bad sectors.
237080 KB in use by the system.
65536 KB occupied by the log file.
13632736 KB available on disk.
Windows has finished checking your disk.

 

[N J]

Within this plethora of knowledge given with good intent, and some given by a smartass, the question still remains answered. Let me restate it clearly:
If you run an error check within Windows XP (CHKDSK) on an external drive (D:, E:, F:, etc), where is the log file stored, as it is not found normally in the Event Viewer where it normally appears when you run an error check on the C: drive. (And yes the scan will only run on a reboot and then the event is created).
(This restatement isn't perfect, but it's close)
Now...what's the answer?? (No riddles, parables, puzzles, etc. please)

 

[Tim Meddick]

The log for CHKDSK.EXE does not exist in the sense that the old Win4
(scandisk.exe & scandskw.exe) logfile (scandisk.log) existed in the root of
the scanned drive used to.

Instead, the results (the console output of chkdsk.exe) is written to
appear in the NT Event Viewer but appears no-where else.

The "logsize" parameter that's referred to in the CHKDSK options ("chkdsk
/?") does not equate to a log of CHKDSK.EXE's activity, but instead is an
option to alter the maximum file size of the "NT Recovery Log" which is a
"super-hidden" file located in the root of the system drive and named
"c:\$LogFile"...

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

 

[glee]

What question has not already been answered? Looking at the replies you
already received, it appears Lem has explained it to you. The results
of chkdsk are in the Event Viewer, under the name of Winlogon. Are you
saying there are no entries in your Event Viewer> Application Log for
Event ID 1001 with the source "Winlogon"?

 

[FACE]

On Thu, 18 Nov 2010 12:55:17 -0000, in

The log for CHKDSK.EXE does not exist in the sense that the old Win4
(scandisk.exe & scandskw.exe) logfile (scandisk.log) existed in the root of
the scanned drive used to.

Instead, the results (the console output of chkdsk.exe) is written to
appear in the NT Event Viewer but appears no-where else.

The "logsize" parameter that's referred to in the CHKDSK options ("chkdsk
/?") does not equate to a log of CHKDSK.EXE's activity, but instead is an
option to alter the maximum file size of the "NT Recovery Log" which is a
"super-hidden" file located in the root of the system drive and named
"c:\$LogFile"...

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

Could you further describe "super-hidden"?

FACE

 

[Tim Meddick]

My "off-the-cuff" description "Super-hidden" when referring to a file that
resides in the root of the system drive called: "$Logfile" meant that the
file is not visible to the Windows API.

It is just one of a number of system files that are stored in the root of
the system drive and are equally invisible under normal Windows operation.

There are a number of ways to get to see the presence of these files.....

Sysinternal's RootKit Revealer is one application that will disclose such
files and also hidden registry entries (most of which are normal but
viruses and malware CAN use the same method to hide themselves).

*NB Be sure to "uncheck" the option : "Hide standard NTFS Metadata files"
from the top "Options" menu.

Download .......

RootKit Revealer : http://live.sysinternals.com/RootkitRevealer.exe

....and the Help file : http://live.sysinternals.com/RootkitRevealer.chm

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.