W2K Chkdsk Error Corrections - Critical or Not?

[TMitchell]

When using Diskeeper 8.0 on my W2K system, I started getting an error
pop up message during defragmentation stating that the file
DfragNTFS.exe was unreadable or corrupt and to run Windows chkdsk
program. Running chkdsk revealed the following (using the Event Viewer
log):

The USA check value, 0x0, at block 0x3 is incorrect.
The expected value is 0x17.
The USA check value, 0x0, at block 0x3 is incorrect.
The expected value is 0x17.
The USA check value, 0x0, at block 0x3 is incorrect.
The expected value is 0x17.
The USA check value, 0x0, at block 0x3 is incorrect.
The expected value is 0x2.
The USA check value, 0x0, at block 0x3 is incorrect.
The expected value is 0x2.
The USA check value, 0x0, at block 0x3 is incorrect.
The expected value is 0x2.
The USA check value, 0x0, at block 0x3 is incorrect.
The expected value is 0x2.
The USA check value, 0x0, at block 0x3 is incorrect.
The expected value is 0x17.
The USA check value, 0x0, at block 0x3 is incorrect.
The expected value is 0x17.
The USA check value, 0x0, at block 0x3 is incorrect.
The expected value is 0x17.
The USA check value, 0x0, at block 0x3 is incorrect.
The expected value is 0x2.
The USA check value, 0x0, at block 0x3 is incorrect.
The expected value is 0x2.
The USA check value, 0x0, at block 0x3 is incorrect.
The expected value is 0x2.
The USA check value, 0x0, at block 0x3 is incorrect.
The expected value is 0x2.
Cleaning up minor inconsistencies on the drive.
The USA check value, 0x0, at block 0x3 is incorrect.
The expected value is 0x17.
The USA check value, 0x0, at block 0x3 is incorrect.
The expected value is 0x17.
The USA check value, 0x0, at block 0x3 is incorrect.
The expected value is 0x17.
The USA check value, 0x0, at block 0x3 is incorrect.
The expected value is 0x2.
The USA check value, 0x0, at block 0x3 is incorrect.
The expected value is 0x2.
The USA check value, 0x0, at block 0x3 is incorrect.
The expected value is 0x2.
The USA check value, 0x0, at block 0x3 is incorrect.
The expected value is 0x2.
Cleaning up 15 unused index entries from index $SII of file 0x9.
Cleaning up 15 unused index entries from index $SDH of file 0x9.
Cleaning up 15 unused security descriptors.

Is any of the foregoing critical? Does it relate to do the Diskeeper
program perhaps being faulty?

 

[Dave Patrick]

No, I'd say the other way around. The drive may have failed. I'd download
and run a disk diagnostic utility from the drive manufacturer's web site.

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
<snip>
Does it relate to do the Diskeeper
| program perhaps being faulty?

 

[TMitchell]

No, I'd say the other way around. The drive may have failed. I'd download
and run a disk diagnostic utility from the drive manufacturer's web site.

OK. Thank you kindly. I did what you suggested - i.e., ran the Seagate
Tools diagnostics program (as the problematic boot drive is a four-month
old Seagate SCSI internal hard drive).

The diagnostics showed no physical surface problems and no errors on
overall disk tests. It did, however, show during the File Structure test:

The file system contains minor inconsistencies, these are not errors and
should not cause problems.

This is the same kind of results that appear with chkdsk /f.

Subsequent runs of Diskeeper still report multiple errors in pop ups
during defragmentation, and subsequent runs of chkdsk /f report the same
things as I included in the last message (i.e., the "minor
inconsistencies are fixed" stuff).

So I guess I'm back to my original question: Could this problem, which
just started happening today, be critical (i.e., warranting that I shell
out $$$ for a new hard drive or go through the hassle of trying to get
the reseller of the Seagate product to fix or replace the drive), or
might I be able to operate safely with the problem (including the error
pop ups during defragmentation)?

 

[Dave Patrick]

You can also run
chkdsk /r
from the recovery console command line. (/r implies /f and /p)

To start the Recovery Console, start the computer from the Windows 2000
Setup CD or the Windows 2000 Setup floppy disks. If you do not have Setup
floppy disks and your computer cannot start from the Windows 2000 Setup CD,
use another Windows 2000-based computer to create the Setup floppy disks. At
the "Welcome to Setup" screen. Press F10 or R to repair a Windows 2000
installation, and then press C to use the Recovery Console. The Recovery
Console then prompts you for the administrator password. If you do not have
the correct password, Recovery Console does not allow access to the
computer. If an incorrect password is entered three times, the Recovery
Console quits and restarts the computer. Note If the registry is corrupted
or missing or no valid installations are found, the Recovery Console starts
in the root of the startup volume without requiring a password. You cannot
access any folders, but you can carry out commands such as chkdsk, fixboot,
and fixmbr for limited disk repairs. Once the password has been validated,
you have full access to the Recovery Console, but limited access to the hard
disk. You can only access the following folders on your computer: drive
root, %systemroot% or %windir%

If this fails to fix the problem then a clean install may be your only
option.

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
| OK. Thank you kindly. I did what you suggested - i.e., ran the Seagate
| Tools diagnostics program (as the problematic boot drive is a four-month
| old Seagate SCSI internal hard drive).
|
| The diagnostics showed no physical surface problems and no errors on
| overall disk tests. It did, however, show during the File Structure test:
|
| The file system contains minor inconsistencies, these are not errors and
| should not cause problems.
|
| This is the same kind of results that appear with chkdsk /f.
|
| Subsequent runs of Diskeeper still report multiple errors in pop ups
| during defragmentation, and subsequent runs of chkdsk /f report the same
| things as I included in the last message (i.e., the "minor
| inconsistencies are fixed" stuff).
|
| So I guess I'm back to my original question: Could this problem, which
| just started happening today, be critical (i.e., warranting that I shell
| out $$$ for a new hard drive or go through the hassle of trying to get
| the reseller of the Seagate product to fix or replace the drive), or
| might I be able to operate safely with the problem (including the error
| pop ups during defragmentation)?

 

[TMitchell]

You can also run
chkdsk /r
from the recovery console command line. (/r implies /f and /p)

To start the Recovery Console, start the computer from the Windows 2000
Setup CD or the Windows 2000 Setup floppy disks. If you do not have Setup
floppy disks and your computer cannot start from the Windows 2000 Setup CD,
use another Windows 2000-based computer to create the Setup floppy disks. At
the "Welcome to Setup" screen. Press F10 or R to repair a Windows 2000
installation, and then press C to use the Recovery Console. The Recovery
Console then prompts you for the administrator password. If you do not have
the correct password, Recovery Console does not allow access to the
computer. If an incorrect password is entered three times, the Recovery
Console quits and restarts the computer. Note If the registry is corrupted
or missing or no valid installations are found, the Recovery Console starts
in the root of the startup volume without requiring a password. You cannot
access any folders, but you can carry out commands such as chkdsk, fixboot,
and fixmbr for limited disk repairs. Once the password has been validated,
you have full access to the Recovery Console, but limited access to the hard
disk. You can only access the following folders on your computer: drive
root, %systemroot% or %windir%

If this fails to fix the problem then a clean install may be your only
option.

Just an FYI, Seagate told me that if their drive-diagnostics tools did
not report any errors other than the "minor disk inconsistencies" that
this was not a problem with the disk but the data on it and, in any
event, that I shouldn't be worried about the disk failing. Seagate
suggested running my system back up, the last version of which was made
the day before the problem started showing up, in the belief that it is
a data error and not a disk error. I don't know that I should trust them
on this or not, as it sounds like they may be making a pre-emptive
strike against the possibility of my asking them for a refund, repair or
replacement of the hard drive given that I just got it last November (as
a replacement to another of their hard drives that failed). What is you
opinion (which, by the way, I have learned from your expertise
demonstrated in this forum to trust quite a bit).

Do you think that running chkdsk /r from the recovery console will make
a difference? The disk seems to be functioning fine except for the
continued errors during derfagmentation runs and the subsequent errors
("USA check values", which no one at Seagate claims to have ever
encountered before) from running chkdsk /f that I reported in a pervious
post here. Could it really be a benign problem, or a problem with
Diskeeper?

 

[Dave Patrick]

Yes. You ruled out a disk problem by running the diagnostic utility from the
drive manufacturer. This leaves file system corruption. So your next step is
to run chkdsk /r from the RC. Don't forget to always have on hand backups
for anything you cannot afford to lose.

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
| Just an FYI, Seagate told me that if their drive-diagnostics tools did
| not report any errors other than the "minor disk inconsistencies" that
| this was not a problem with the disk but the data on it and, in any
| event, that I shouldn't be worried about the disk failing. Seagate
| suggested running my system back up, the last version of which was made
| the day before the problem started showing up, in the belief that it is
| a data error and not a disk error. I don't know that I should trust them
| on this or not, as it sounds like they may be making a pre-emptive
| strike against the possibility of my asking them for a refund, repair or
| replacement of the hard drive given that I just got it last November (as
| a replacement to another of their hard drives that failed). What is you
| opinion (which, by the way, I have learned from your expertise
| demonstrated in this forum to trust quite a bit).
|
| Do you think that running chkdsk /r from the recovery console will make
| a difference? The disk seems to be functioning fine except for the
| continued errors during derfagmentation runs and the subsequent errors
| ("USA check values", which no one at Seagate claims to have ever
| encountered before) from running chkdsk /f that I reported in a pervious
| post here. Could it really be a benign problem, or a problem with
| Diskeeper?

 

[paulmd]

Just an FYI, Seagate told me that if their drive-diagnostics tools did
not report any errors other than the "minor disk inconsistencies" that
this was not a problem with the disk but the data on it and, in any
event, that I shouldn't be worried about the disk failing. Seagate
suggested running my system back up, the last version of which was made
the day before the problem started showing up, in the belief that it is
a data error and not a disk error. I don't know that I should trust them
on this or not, as it sounds like they may be making a pre-emptive
strike against the possibility of my asking them for a refund, repair or
replacement of the hard drive given that I just got it last November (as
a replacement to another of their hard drives that failed). What is you
opinion (which, by the way, I have learned from your expertise
demonstrated in this forum to trust quite a bit).

Do you think that running chkdsk /r from the recovery console will make
a difference? The disk seems to be functioning fine except for the
continued errors during derfagmentation runs and the subsequent errors
("USA check values", which no one at Seagate claims to have ever
encountered before) from running chkdsk /f that I reported in a pervious
post here. Could it really be a benign problem, or a problem with
Diskeeper?

Another thought: If there is no physical problem with the drive, then
that does not mean there is no physical problem with your hardware. The
one thing that springs to mind is that bad RAM could be causing the
issue to crop up. Try memtest86.