System has been running fine. Just recently, the system started to take a little longer to boot at the Windows XP screen. Now it wants to check the C drive for consistency after the Windows XP screen every time. I let it, but nothing was found. I bypassed the screen and ran Scan Disk and Norton Disk Scan (full for both, including free space), but nothing was found. Any ideas?
Windows XP Pro Wants to Check Disk Each Startup
- Thread starter jjm
- Start date
Thanks for the reference, but I would prefer not to have to subscribe to a site to get an answer. If it is a corrupt registry, what would be the recommended fix?
Would a re-install of Win XP be the answer? Not a clean install. Would SP2 have to be re-installed too?
I would just switch to NTFS and see what happens. And install SP2; everyone should be running it.
Thanks. I have SP2 installed already. I was wondering if the solution to my problem would be to re-install XP and, if I did that, would I have to re-install SP2 as well?
Why would converting to NTFS be a likely solution?
Why would converting to NTFS be a likely solution?
Thanks, NYHoustonian. I did multiple searches at Microsoft, but not one on chkdsk or autochk. I will see if this is the problem when I get home.
DClive, I am fine converting to NTFS, but can I do so without reformatting or losing data? Alternatively, I do have Partition Magic.
DClive, I am fine converting to NTFS, but can I do so without reformatting or losing data? Alternatively, I do have Partition Magic.
VirtualLarry
No Lifer
- Aug 25, 2001
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Before converting the filesystem to NTFS, I would download the bootable-floppy-based HD diagnostics tool from the mfg of your HD, and run it. You may have some sectors going bad. If that happens, Windows' will flag the filesystem, and it will want to run a full surface check the next time that you boot. If that's true, then you need to take care of that first, otherwise converting the filesystem could cause further data-loss. Also, converting your filesystem from FAT32 will lead to much lower performance than either a freshly-formatted FAT32 or NTFS partition would. You might want to re-think that.
(Also, a sector on the HD that was marginal or failing could also lead to registry corruption too. Making a full system backup wouldn't be a bad idea at this point either.)
(Also, a sector on the HD that was marginal or failing could also lead to registry corruption too. Making a full system backup wouldn't be a bad idea at this point either.)
Perhaps Check disk is setup to run @ startup? If so maybe you can disable it by going into the system configuration utility [Start > Run > type "msconfig"] and unclicking it under the startup tab?
Thanks for some of the other suggestions. I did check to see if check disk was set to start at boot up, but it was not. I checked the registry values too. I also let both XP and then Norton do a full surface scan, and neither found any problems. I have done a full Ghost backup. I have not converted to NTFS yet. I still have the same problem. I will download the disk checking software from Maxtor. After that, I guess I can try converting to NTFS.
NTFS is vastly more reliable. This is a case of - even if Maxtor gives the drive a clean bill of health, you should still convert everything to NTFS.
Long ago and far away, I came across a similar posted problem. No matter if they let the drive do a full scan or not, it would still run chkdsk every boot. It came down to something described as the "dirty bit" function. Windows has a bit that it turns on, and I think it stored it in an odd spot in the boot sector, saying that it thinks the hard drive is making or has made bad sectors, run chkdsk (or scandisk in 98/me). In win2k/XP (more so XP) this can get "stuck" and does not go away no matter how many scans you do. The answer eventually leads to formatting the drive to reset this, irregardless of fat32 or ntfs. I believe this person cloned the drive to another, so he had a working drive with his windows install on it, then wrote zero's to his original drive with the manufacturers diagnostics tools, and then cloned it back.
Very interesting solution, redbeard1. I have another drive that I can fit a Ghost image of all three of my main drive's partitions. See if you think my plan will work. I Ghost the three partitions from my main drive to the other drive, reformat and re-partition the regular drive, and then restore the Ghost images. I think this should work if it's a boot sector problem, but it won't help if it's a registry problem.
I'd say do a "drive to drive" Ghost with the other drive, and then boot with it and see if the error goes away, or if it will run a scan and fix it.
I think you should Ghost it for a recovery backup and try converting to NTFS first. It sounds like your shutdown didn't finish properly. If you are going the reformat route, I would reinstall Windows and restore your data only from the ghost images.
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