Scandisk Log File Location

  • Thread starter Thread starter JDC
  • Start date Start date
J

JDC

Using Windows XP Pro; When I run a Scandisk or what is
now called Error Checking there is no log file created
that I can find. Does anyone know the location of the
error checking (scandisk) log file in WXP Pro? It used
to be called scandisk.log in the root of c:\
Thanks.
Alabama, USA
 
To find the results of a previous chkdisk, go into "Start-
Control
Click to expand...
Panel" and double-click on "Administrative Tools". Then
double-click on
"Event Viewer", then select "Application".

Now you will see a list of Application events. Look for
the "Winlogon"
event the day we ran the Scandisk. You can tell the date
and time of the
Winlogon event to see if that corresponds with the
particular chkdisk
you are interested in seeing the results for. Double-
click on it, and
you will see the results of your chkdisk.

By the way, don't worry if you see something like:

Cleaning up 3 unused index entries from index $SII of
file 0x9.
Cleaning up 3 unused index entries from index $SDH of
file 0x9.
Cleaning up 3 unused security descriptors.

Unused index entries and security descriptors supposedly
accumulate
whenever you delete a folder or file that had any custom
settings on
it and is not a sign of hard disk trouble and is to be
expected. See
the following excellent reference for details:

http://www.jsiinc.com/SUBE/tip2200/rh2217.htm
 
| | Using Windows XP Pro; When I run a Scandisk or what is
| now called Error Checking there is no log file created
| that I can find. Does anyone know the location of the
| error checking (scandisk) log file in WXP Pro? It used
| to be called scandisk.log in the root of c:\

There are two tools you can use to detect and repair disk errors.
The GUI error-checking tool as described in the Windows XP
Professional Help and Support Center Full-text Search Matches
titled: "Detecting and repairing disk errors". And the
command-prompt method as described in the Windows XP
Professional Help and Support Center Full-text Search Matches
titled: "Chkdsk".

When you select to detect and repair disk errors using either
method and the tool cannot gain exclusive use of a volume it asks
you to schedule the volume to be checked at next system restarts.
If you answer Yes the tool schedules the version of chkdsk known
as autochk to run at next boot. While this autochk tool is in
progress it displays a report on the screen. It also generates a
detailed status report and logs it in the Application Log of
Event Viewer (eventvwr.msc):

Type: Information
Source: Winlogon
Event: 1001

When you select to detect and repair disk errors using the GUI
error-checking tool and the tool can gain exclusive use (because
there are no open handles or because you select to force a
dismount), the tool runs and no report is displayed or logged.

When you select to detect and repair disk errors using the
command-prompt method and the tool can gain exclusive use
(because there are no open handles or because you select to force
a dismount), the tool displays a report while it is in progress.
It also displays a status report on the screen when it is
finished.

If you want to save the output of the report generated by the
command-prompt method to at *.txt file you can copy it from the
console window and paste it into a text editor. And if you enable
Quick Edit Mode for the command prompt you can easily select the
text in the Command Prompt window with your left mouse button,
and then right-click. Then paste it into a text file by
right-clicking in the file and choosing Paste. For more
information search the Windows XP Professional Help and Support
Center for the Full-text Search Matches titled: "To configure
the command prompt"

Another method to save a *.txt report is to use the redirection
operator to redirect the output to a text file. For example, if
you click Start, click Run, type the following command and click
OK, chkdsk runs in read-only mode without console output but
after it completes you will find the report in the file
C:\DiskReport.txt.

chkdsk C: > C:\DiskReport.txt

For more information search the Windows XP Professional Help and
Support Center for the Full-text Search Matches titled: "Using
command redirection operators"

For either tool, you can force it to generate a detailed report
and log it in the Application Log of Event Viewer by forcing it
to schedule autochk to run at next boot. To do that make certain
that the volume you are checking has an open handle. An easy way
to create an open handle is to open any document (such as one
created by Notepad or Word) and leave it open, use either tool to
detect and repair disk errors, then (obviously) answer Yes to
have autochk run the next time the system restarts. After
restart you will find the status report log in the Application
Log of Event Viewer as noted above.
 
Back
Top