Scan Disk

Topic

New Reply

I could run scan disk from >programmes>accessories>scandisk…when i had Windows 98. I now have XP, and it hasn’t got scandisk…well it HAS, i think…somewhere, but i cant find it. Anyone??
Ta

Reply | Quote

Replies

Hi Diane–
ScanDisk no longer exists in XP. It has been replaced with Chkdsk. Chkdsk scans the disc surface, checks file and folder integrity, looks for misplaced clusters, corrects problems, and sometimes frees disk space. It can be used to check your drives, including media drives.
Win XP can recover automatically, particular NTFS systems, better than other flavors. Two versions of this utility are available to you, one through the GUI, and one through the command line, chkdsk.exe. The command line is considerably more extensive. It could also be run if there were emergency problems booting up as a command from the MRC, the Microsoft Recovery console a powerful command line tool to repair components of XP in an emergency when you have crashed and can’t get up to Windows.
As you remember, in Win 9X when the PC was shut down due to a crash, a power out, or with programs open or somehow gets turned off suddenly–some type of improper or “dirty shutdown,” then restarting would automatically run ScanDisc to pick up on drive damage and when possible to repair it. When I had ME, with all its crashes and memory leaks, ScanDisk became my constant companion. Essentially the Chkdsk utility now handles those functions.

To get there with the GUI: Right click the icon of the drive you want to check>Click Properties>Click Tools>Click the Check Now Button in the top column above the Defragment Now button. Then you’ll get the “Check Disc Local Disc” dialogue box. You have two options you can check. If you check the top one, “Automatically fix file system for errors” you’ll get another dialogue box that says it’s going to wait until you restart because it needs exclusive access to some of the Windows folders. You want to check this. When you reboot, you will go through 5 phases of light blue (Robin’s egg?) screens–the first three will be fairly rapid, and the last two can take as long as thirty minutes, sometimes shorter.
The bottom box you can check says “Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors” and if you check it and turn it on, whenever the scan finds a damaged section of the drive, it will move any files located there elsewhere on the drive. Then it cordons off this area, and Windows won’t use the damaged area for storing files in the future unless and until it is repaired. Hopefully you will take care of this when you check the top box.

Make sure you quit all running programs before you run this, or Windows will tell you it couldn’t finish the scan. To begin the scan, click the “Start” button on the left of the dialogue box that has the two places described above you can check.

Diane, if you have picked an NTFS file system, Check Disc is going to have a lot less work to do because of the self-repairing capability of NTFS drives. One more reason in my book to go NTFS besides the security features. If you have a FAT32 file system, then run it more frequently, at least every three months maybe a little more. I have run it a few times with both of the XP Pro systems I have used, and plan on it taking around 20-35 minutes, if you check the top box. If you check the bottom box, it will run from the GUI, be much faster, and much less thorough and do less fixing, so I would always check both boxes and run it when you boot up. You can run it from the GUI though to see what it does and it will only take a few minutes with the bottom box only check as it goes through five quick phases showing you quick progress bars.
Chkdsk and its Commands from the XP Website
Q315265: How to Peform Disk Error Checking in Windows XP

Note: When your computer reboots, it will give you 10 seconds to decide if you want to run Check Disc, and if something comes up and you don’t want to run it right then, you can always tell it “No” and then have it run when you want on some future restart. So you’re not even locked in to doing it once you set it.

After it runs it will report its results to you. If there are no errors, you get “Checkdisk Complete.” If there are errrors, it will write them to your Event log, showing you a dialogue box of the repairs made that you can print if you like or keep. Once it does start, it’s not stopping unless you turn the power off. I know that some of the XP books say it can take hours or days–the old ScanDisk complete took 16 hours for me in ME–but on my 80GB drive which is divided into 4 it takes around 35 minutes on one actively used drive.

If you liked the fact that in Win 9X ScanDisk would automatically run after a “dirty shutdown”, you could do a Registry setting to make that happen in XP. I don’t feel the need to, but you could. I like to tell it when to run.

By the way, if you are relatively new to XP, and even if you aren’t, Microsoft has done a stellar job of putting literally scores of tutorials and tips on their site that a lot of people don’t take advantage of and they keep adding to them–so be sure to check them out at

Finding Help On line For New Users and Microsoft Center for XP Tutorial Guide Links

Windows XP Pro
Windows XP Home
The “Expert Zone”–full of Tips and Tricks and Tutorials

Sorry to be so lengthy–but the two check boxes and what they meant confused me for a good while until I read up and ran it a few times–then I understood it was pretty simple. Also run Defrag which is just under the section on right clicking the drive for Check Disk. XP’s defragmenter is a watered down one from Diskeeper.

I strongly recommend Diskeeper, because it will run in the background keeping you “real-time defragged”–i.e. it will run continually in the background backing off and deferring to other programs you have running, and it will defrag your Master File Table and Page File. I got it, it improved things significantly, and it is described at Diskeeper Home Edition and there is a thread at Post 173863 Task Scheduler Home XP.

defrag

Reply | Quote

Defrag,

I use Norton System Works 2002 and run the Disk Doctor which in turn runs

Reply | Quote

Hey Mr. Hlewton–
I’ve read and pasted since some of the hyprlinked windows on Norton Sys Works 2002
can’t be printed the Help on Norton Disc Doctor. Later I’ll go to their site and do some search engine -looking trying to find more out about it’s Chkdsk/F function and hit some of the board search engines. I know now[/i] that it does a check disk(f) and I haven’t run Win Doctor and Disk Doctor regularly. I have a little more respect for them having read all the “help.”
Ed Bott in Windows XP Inside Out[/i] points out that if the top option only is checked (Automatically Fix File System Errors) then this option “is equivalent of running the Chkdsk command with the /F switch…Scan For and Recovery of Bad Sectors: Select this
option to perform an exhaustive check of the entire disc, locate bad sectors, and recover readable information stored in defective information stored in the defective locations. Note that selecting this option automatically repairs file systems as well, even if the previous option is cleared. This option is equivalant of running the Chkdsk command with the R switch.” p. 772[/b][/i]

So /F fixes the sectors, and /R recovers the information from bad sectors. I have to do some further looking, and will but for argument’s sake if you assumed that the six minute rounds that the Disk Doctor from Symantec makes are equal to 35min.to2 hours-mine has never taken more than 45-50 minutes–I have 80 GB/4 so it’s going after my “C” drive when I run it but you can run it for any drive then, then even if[/i] Norton Disk Doctor Chkdsk /F = Windows Chkdsk /F and I think we both believe it couldn’t, but even if it did–nowhere does Norton make a claim in every spec of its indexed help that Disk Doctor does Chkdsk /R and recovery of information on damaged files has to be critical. I’m sure if I look around on the web, there is a good discussion of this by people who are knowledgable–possibly some of the moderators here.

Also, I don’t know if a 3rd party makes the Chkdsk Utility for Windows. In the case of the CD Burner, it’s Roxio; the Backup Utility it’s Veritas; the Defrag is Diskeeper now–it used to be Symantec through 2000. The pattern there of course is that the company who makes it for Microsoft is not going to give the full utility to Windows when they are making it for a living so maybe there are even better Check Disk’s out there, but my instinct is that it does a good job.

Every discussion I have read says that if you run Chkdsk using the /f or /r parameter, and the /r parameter when run on restart includes the /f by definition (from My Computer); you have the option to specify from the Command line and that running it on a large hard drive or on a drive with files in the millions can take considerably longer. If you run Disk Doctor on either of these situations, ain’t no way he is doing the same job as thoroughly as the Windows utility might take 3 hours to do. But I would like to give you the why. Next time you are in the bookstore, or if you have it, take a look at the Windows XP Resourse Kit pp. 1168-1181. It gives a thorough description of the five phases that Check Disk goes through.
From the KB:
Description of Enhanced Chkdsk, Autochk, and Chknfts Tools in Windows 2000
CHKNTFS.EXE:What You Can Use It For

Later I will look on the Web and Norton’s KB to see if I can find some comparisons.

defrag

Reply | Quote

Did you intend for both links to be the same or is it just one link?

Reply | Quote

Sorry Bruce–
Late at night–accidentally copied first KB link twice. Fixed now.

Thanks,

defrag

Reply | Quote

Defrag,

Thanks for the information. I was under the assumption that NDD did a better job of fixing disk errors than CHKDSK. I do believe I stand corrected.

I ran

Reply | Quote

This may be of interest:

Q314835 : An Explanation of the New /C and /I Switches That Are Available to Use with Chkdsk.exe

Reply | Quote

Thanks Leif–
Good KB–I missed it–first one should link to it but didn’t and didn’t see it when I searched.

defrag

Reply | Quote

HLewton–
I never take anything anyone says as argumentative. I am much less in years experienced than many of the people on this board with hardware, software, and office applications not to mention just getting them installed sometimes as I found out with SP2 for Office last week (their is a problem with the Hotfix Installer if people have in Publisher–and many do–it can[/i] get corrupted). See Post 173960 in General Office Solutions.
This lounge has become an invaluable source of information, context, vocabulary, and downloads for me. There seems to be a high level of committment to solving problems and a lot of these people have a wealth of links and experience at their finger tips. It has also had the effect of making me look harder at solving a problem that I have wrestled with for months just because someone tried to help. I was not checking one simple counterintuitive box in order to get the old Tweak UI in–I had Tweak XP Powertoys from Microsoft but I wanted to play with the old one because Tech TV does it all the time with XP and it has features that the new Power Toys don’t have
Post 174710 Trouble Downloading TweakUI 1.33 (the old Tweak UI for Win 9X thruough 2000)
If you don’t uncheck a box called ” Protect my computer and data from unauthorized
Program Activity” (this option might protect your computer from viruses and unauthorized activity)” you’ll never get it in. And this is after finding the download not in the file it tells you to make especially for it or the downloads file, but in the temporary file by hitting %temp% in the command line. And you have to right click the control panel extension and select “Run As…” because Open won’t work. And after all these months it took this really counterintuitive mood just to install a download–talk about Byzantine paths at Redmond–I felt like a victim in Grand Theft Auto III).[/i]. But Al’s offering to help made me run through all the steps I had for so many months (you get different icons depending on whether you run Win Zip as the Wizard or Classic in this one and they hide in your temporary file) just so I could be able to tell Al the problem correctly. Most downloads for me take a minute–download>hit the executable in my download file/ or run the Winzip wizard and>it’s in. I have used Download Accelerator permuations and variations–Tech TV has had all of them and they rarely miss any–their 30million viewers send them in–but I’m on a cable connectin and rarely does anything take but a minute. Some from Microsoft take longer, but I believe that they are drawing from such a huge base (the planet) that that factors in–and even Apple users and Linux users still need Windows update to get certain downloads to run certain programs Windows applications made for Apple, ect.

The other day Norton Internet Security locked me out from using Norton because of some rare glitch Windows Explorer caused saying I was not the “Supervisor”–had nothing to do with how you configured Windows Administrative Priviliges–it was a Norton thing. I couldn’t get into Norton, and I no longer had permission to uninstall it. Maybe a little mellodramatic but I was beginning to feel like Sandra Bullock in “The Net.” I had to get a special file off the disc also available on their site just to uninstall my own Norton. And there was no trace that Windows Explorer had done this–no error message or anything on the Event Log to give me a clue what was going on.
So what I’m saying is I have the ability to get into a tough problem for me[/i] a day and as soon as one’s over—another is just hours away.
I try not to post wrong information, and I always appreciate whatever anyone says never take it as argumentative. And in software, there is going to be a difference of opinion. In Peter Norton’s new book on the inside of a computer (his second edition 2002) he has a discusssion of the pros and cons of making a small partitioned hard drive volume–a small “C” drive for the OS versus not and he has points and downsides for both views.
——————————————————————————————————————
Back to the Disk Doctor from System Works and Check Disk:
1) It is probably true that Norton causes Check Disc F to run. But of course you need R. Norton is meant to be quick and after you caused me to read the help on Disc Doctor–I had read the general help on System Works but I didn’t go through every item of the index on Disk Doctor and Win Doctor until you prompted me to do it). But Norton does some pretty helpful things in a short time.
There is one key thing that Ed Bott says on p. 772 of his book that I mentioned that caught my eye and I didn’t know before you asked about the comparison. That is:

Automatically Fix File System Errors: Select this option if you want Windows to automatically repair any system errors. If this option is not selected, the Check Disk Utility reports any errors it finds but does not change them. This option is the equivalent of running the Chkdsk command with the /F switch, as described later in this section.

Scan For And Attempt Recovery of Bad Sectors: Select this option to perform an exhaustive check of the entire eisc, locate bad sectors, and recover readable information stored in defective locations. Note that selecting this option automatically repairs file system errors as well, even if the previous option is cleared. This option is the equivalant of running the Chkdsk command with the /R Switch.

So….You run only the top check mark at the UI from My Computer, which ever drive you choose and you have the equivalant of taking your car into the shop and they write you up an estimate of what you need to fix but they don’t fix until you give the OK. When you run the /R or check the bottom box from the UI in My Computer you get the /F or the car estimate in the package, they inventory the problems and they fix your car or your hard drive if they can.[/i]

____________________________________________________________________________On your point as to whether Norton runs Chkdsk /F–It probably does. I’m not completely sure.
But I don’t see much reason to run just Check Disk/ F unless you are just interested in seeing the information quickly as to how much fixin’ as they say in the South you have to do. The amount of time it’s been taking you, and maybe prompt defragging speeds Check Disk time, it makes sense to run /R and then you get both functions and you fix and recover the information from sectors so bad they can’t be repaired if any are unrepairable.

Take a look at Unable to Replace Scan Disc with Norton Disc Doctor in Norton Utilities 2002. But to distinguish this talks about a default; it does not answer the question if Norton pushes the “button” to run Windows Chkdsk /F. But again, not trying to be a broken record–I don’t see why anyone wants to run just /F unless they want a quick indication of whether they should run R and take the time. If I think about it, which isn’t going to be more than I want to repair, I’m going to have it repair. Maybe every 2-3 months at the most–unless of course you have clinical signs/symptoms or error messages that you have some sick sectors that you need the “Windows Disk Doctor” to repair.

Your last question about multiple disk checks from the same command is a good interesting question. I am through 50 of 500 articles on a search in the Norton KB. I’ll keep looking. But some of the moderators, Mark, Dave, Leif, Mark D. may be able to knock that one out of the park.

Thanks,

defrag

Reply | Quote

Defrag,

Scan For And Attempt Recovery of Bad Sectors: Select this option to perform an exhaustive check of the entire eisc, locate bad sectors, and recover readable information stored in defective locations. Note that selecting this option automatically repairs file system errors as well, even if the previous option is cleared. This option is the equivalant of running the Chkdsk command with the /R Switch.

Are you referring to Norton

Reply | Quote

Defrag,

It appears that CHKDSK will not accept multiple drives on the same command line. It does accept and schedule multiple drives using

Reply | Quote

Thanks Hlewton. But in practice, Check Disk F/R is redundant if you read the discussions from Ed Bott’s big XP book on p. 772 I quoted. i]R includes F–F being the inventory of problems; R being the fix[/i][/u]. You will get the option to print out what was fixed, so you will get the option to see the results of F or to store them as a document or on Event Viewer log, I forget which.
I just ran accross this Norton KB, and unfortunately the usual markup language doesn’t seem to allow me to hide Norton’s endless URL–I’ve tried to insert several different places. Maybe some automatic tag click will do it–I’ll have to ask in Lounge Matters. Their are a number of fans of Roxio Go Back, and I think you were one and are you disabling Roxio Go Back when you run Disk Doctor? This KB from Symantec says you should. Knowing a lot of people are going to browse nearly 480 articles on this subject, I think it would be nice for them to put it in a conspicuous place in their System Works book and on loading Roxio Go Back with System Works–I don’t know what Roxio does in their boxed delux 3.11 version. I didn’t see it prominently displayed on their site:

Using Go Back with Utilities

Two considerations apply when using GoBack with bootable disks and repair programs:

1. GoBack must be in memory before booting with a floppy disk. In this sense, it is similar to drive translator programs such as EZ Drive or Boot Manager. To boot the computer with a floppy disk, such as the Emergency disk or the bootable disk from the Rescue Disk set, start the computer without the disk in the drive. When you see the GoBack Boot Screen, press the spacebar to access the GoBack boot options. Place the disk in the floppy drive and then click “Boot from floppy.”
2. GoBack must be disabled before repairing the drive. To disable GoBack, see the GoBack User’s Guide regarding the GoBack Boot Screen.

Norton Disk Doctor
Norton Disk Doctor is capable of making repairs to the partition table. Since GoBack must be disabled before writing to the partition table, you should disable it before running Norton Disk Doctor.

Speed Disk
Note: If you intend to use GoBack on a Windows NT-based platform (such as Windows NT, Windows 2000, or Windows XP), GoBack should be disabled prior to running Speed Disk. When you disable GoBack, you will lose all previous save points. For more information regarding this, please refer to the document The GoBack history is cleared and logging is suspended after using a defragmentation program.

GoBack has hidden files, marked as system files, that enable it to work. If one or more of these files is moved, GoBack may not function correctly. Before running any defragmenter, set the defragmenter’s options to not move hidden files and system files. Follow these steps to set Speed Disk to work with GoBack.
Note: If you are using Norton Utilities 2002 and have installed GoBack 3.0 Personal Edition from the Norton SystemWorks 2002 CD, the following steps are not necessary. The gobackio.bin file is set as unmovable by default in this version.

defrag

Reply | Quote

Defrag,

This is getting way too confusing for me. Yes I am a fan of GoBack. I don

Reply | Quote

Edited by WyllyWylly to correct unending underline.[/size]

Hlewton–
Not meaning to be confusing. On the way to looking for an answer to the comparison between Disk Doctor (which to be honest I never help specific to each Utility component,
just the general help even though I have NSW2002P) and Check Disk your question, I decided before I hit some of the search engines or some of the board search engines I know, to search the Symantec KB which I had never done to see what it was like.

They have about 482 articles. I ran into some 2 articles saying to disable Go Back when you run Disk Doctor. As I said, I never had a problem running Go Back with Disk Doctor on board. I had the good doctor when he was a SW2001 Doctor, and I have him now. Just letting you know–no discussion intended–I bumped into the articles and since we have in the past discussed using it and now were on disc doctor I put the two together. Thought you’d want to know. Main value of the Go Back articles to me was that they were from the #1 commercial distributor of Go Back in volume (watered down or not) Symantec and they told about the way Go Back works in detail and they may have more. Confusion was not the intent but frankly, when I had the Go Back without the new and poorly advertised patch problem that destroyed my MBR and partitions beyond repair 3 companies didn’t want to talk much about how Go Back worked and I spoke with them more than once and emailed with them and MS worked on it with me. They were:
1) Microsoft 2) Symantec (largest deliverer of Go Back on the planet 3) Roxio who uh makes Roxio[/i][/b] Go Back. If there is a documented problem, I think these three humongous companies, one who has by far the most used OS’s that were involved in the problem should be willing to talk about it and they weren’t.
I did work with a lead guy from MS Research who called Roxio, and partner or not, Roxio didn’t call back. Roxio does make the burner that ships in the code for Win XP.
The KB on it is ludicrous:
Q316503 Roxio Go Back Causes a Stop Error C000021A

It does–a big blue screen and when you see it, you won’t be able to do what the KB says to do because doing what the KB says requires that you be in Windows on your machine in order to uninstall RGB and to replace it with the patched Deluxe 3.11 or patched version of your Norton System Works RGB. I spent 2 weeks in the MRC with Microsoft Redmond trying to fix it. We couldn’t. I learned a lot. They didn’t change the ludicrous KB. The KB should warn you to get the patch before you get the blue screen and they had a lot of cases of this
MBR, partition destroying problem–and I mean a lot.

If I can find a good comparison of Win Doctor and Scan Disc, I’ll put it up. Will keep looking.

Thanks,

defrag

Reply | Quote

Defrag,

I posted a reply in the other thread,

Reply | Quote