Question for CHKDSK experts...

[Tol]

If CHKDSK finds a problem with the file system, and I then correct it using /F, is it possible that CHKDSK would only "cure the symptoms, but not the disease"?

Specifically, I ran CHKDSK /F to fix some corrupted files. Running CHKDSK again showed no errors. After a while, another CHKDSK showed errors again. What I want to know is, if there was something wrong with something like the MBR, is it possible that CHKDSK /F fixed the corrupt files on my disc, but not the MBR, and now, even if I repair the original problem, files will be corrupted because something that CHKDSK /F didn't repair will continue to cause them.

Well, I hope that was clear enough. I know the sentence got a little long there...I basically would like to know if CHKDSK will repair the file system on a disc down to the root level.

I'm gonna go see what I can dig up at microsoft.com...

 

[Goosemaster]

Perhaps your harddrive may be corrupting the files as it dies...


OR perhaps just regular use of your machine causes errors...probably fragments of long gone programs, and chkdsk eventually finds them

 

[Nothinman]

s it possible that CHKDSK would only "cure the symptoms, but not the disease"?

chkdsk can't cure the disease because the disease could be anything from faulty memory to a bug in the NTFS driver. All it does is fix problems in the filesystem, it has no idea why they're there. If you get filesystem problems continually I'd suggest you start making sure you're hardware is all functioning properly.

 

[Tol]

Thanks. I guess I need to clear something up...

I know that I have a hardware problem in my box. I'm fairly certain that the problem is my mothboard not liking 512MB sticks of ram. I want to know, if I eliminate the hardware problem, will CHKDSK repair all filesystem problems so that they won't reoccur.

Hopefully, I'll be able to borrow someone's 256MB stick, soon. I used my K7S5A with 2x256MB Crucial DDR for months with no problems, but when I upgraded to a XP1700+, Radeon8500, Barracuda 80GB, and 512MB of Mushkin basic, my temp internet files started getting corrupted. I switched every component in the system(2 harddrives, 2 R8500s, tried MSI KT3Ultra, and PC133 ram in K7S5A). Since my problem never went away, I'm thinking that maybe CHKDSK and WinXP's partitioning program both left some problem behind when I used them. The only time I haven't had a problem is after I fooled around with linux(partitioning and formatting) and then used FAT32 on my primary windows partition.

Anyways, a guy down the street is the only one I know that *might* have a 256MB stick for me to try. BTW, Mushkin's site does say that more than 256MB of ram in an SIS 735 system can cause stability problems...that's why, after 4 months, I'm blaming the ram...And I'm blaming all my friends because they're too cheap to upgrade their P3 machines so I can use their parts as a testbed. =)

 

[Nothinman]

I know that I have a hardware problem in my box. I'm fairly certain that the problem is my mothboard not liking 512MB sticks of ram. I want to know, if I eliminate the hardware problem, will CHKDSK repair all filesystem problems so that they won't reoccur.

chkdsk can't prevent new problems, but it can fix the current ones. If you get the memory replaced and chkdsk fixed the filesystem you'll be fine. You should also realize that funky memory problems can cause very strange and bad problems, a little memory corruption in the wronge place and the whole filesystem could be gone beyond repair so you should get that fixed ASAP.

 

[Tol]

a little memory corruption in the wronge place and the whole filesystem could be gone beyond repair

That's sorta why I asked the question. I'm gonna go get a 256MB stick tonight and hope that will fix my hardware problem. If I install the new stick, and I still have problems, I wasn't sure if it was safe to assume the ram isn't the hardware problem. Like I said, I did try PC133 in my motherboard, and also a different motherboard. If this ram doesn't fix my problem tonight, I'm stuck with buying everything new. Luckily, unlike four months ago, I should be able to afford to buy new parts first and then add my old parts one by one until something breaks.