Category: Windows
by Dennis Faas, infopackets editor
http://www.infopackets.com
My friend Abba from California called me on the phone this morning after he
received
yesterday's issue of the Gazette which talked about Disk Imaging and
Partitioning.
Abba asked me why Windows XP didn't come with Scandisk
and wondered why something so important such as Scandisk isn't easily
accessible on the Desktop.
I told Abba Windows XP doesn't use Scandisk
anymore and now uses a program called CHKDSK. By the way, CHKDSK
actually means "check disk."
To use CHKDSK on Windows XP and scan your hard
drive for errors usually caused by an improper shutdown:
- Double-click MY COMPUTER
- Right-click a hard drive (C drive, for example)
- Select Properties from the Pop Up Menu
- Go to the Tools Tab
- Click on the Check Now button
- Choose Automatically Fix File System Errors
Windows will more than likely ask you to reboot the computer.
Why does the computer need to reboot to allow CHKDSK to complete?
CHKDSK requires that you reboot your computer so that the hard drive can be dismounted from the operating system. "Dismounting a volume", as it is referred to, essentially
closes all files that are in use by the operating system (or other running
programs) so that it can be checked and cleaned properly.
But... Windows 9x let's me run Scandisk while Windows is still running!
Of course it does.
And have you ever noticed that Scandisk sometimes has to stop and then
restart multiple times, as does Defrag?
The reason: there are open files
on your hard drive as it is being checked
for errors, and that causes Scandisk or Defrag to restart repeatedly. That's why Windows XP tells you to reboot the machine,
so that the volume can be checked properly by first dismounting it.
Now
you can sleep at night.
Isn't Windows XP running when CHKDSK is
running?
No. CHKDSK runs at a preliminary boot stage before
Windows XP is actually loaded into memory.
My hard drive lets me run
a File System Check in Windows XP, and I don't need to reboot. Why?
This is because you have no open files on the drive letter (C, D, E?)
during the time you decided to scan for errors. Typically, this is a
scenario where a drive letter does not have Windows XP installed / running
on it.
OK -- why does CHKDSK allow me to Attempt to scan and fix the
Recovery of Bad Sectors while Windows XP is loaded, Mr. Smarty Pants?
Scanning for bad sectors is something completely different than scanning a
drive for file system errors. Bad sectors are a physical defect in the hard
drive, which may or may not be related to an open file, and which is also
why Windows XP will allow you to perform such a task.
Clear as mud?
Since we're on the topic of Scandisk and Defrag for Win9x and how it
constantly restarts:
I know that the best way to overcome this problem is to use a third-party
application that doesn't hiccup like the Microsoft counterparts do.
I also know that running Scandisk or Defrag even under Safe Mode won't
always do the trick.
Do me a favor, and bombard my Inbox.
Do you know of a good, free, non-expiring substitute for Scandisk and
Defrag for Windows 9x? Send me your suggestion, and I'll consider
including your proposal in the next newsletter (email below).
