When I right click my C drive and go to properties then to tools and do an error check, it tells me it has to be in control of the files so it schedules it on the next reboot. When the reboot occurs, I get the scandisk\chkdsk screen but it then says it has been cancelled. Rebooting to a command prompt in safe mode then runing chkdsk /f will not run and it tells me some process has the drive. After much searching, I have uninstalled Acronis True Image, Zone Alarm Pro, and AVG7 anti virus. Still I cannot check for errors. How do I determine what has control of my hard drive that prevents the error checking to proceed?
Tek-Tips is the largest IT community on the Internet today!
Members share and learn making Tek-Tips Forums the best source of peer-reviewed technical information on the Internet!
-
Congratulations strongm on being selected by the Tek-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!
Cannot chkdsk
- Thread starter WayneMan
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #4
Yes, I can run chkdsk from the command prompt and it will run and report some errors. When I add the /f switch, it says the drive is in use and would you like to schedule and chkdsk to run on the next restart and I say yes and when I restart, I get the chkdsk cancelled message.
- Thread starter
- #5
Okay, I can now run chkdsk /f and when I reboot windows, it runs fine.
Although when I tried to solve this problem yesterday and uninstalled Zone Alarm, I still had a gut feeling it was somehow linked to my present problem. I reinstalled all my original programs such as Zone Alarm, True Image, Anti virus, and Spy Sweeper and the problem still was present.
In my windows temp folder I had one file and it would not allow me to delete it. The file name was something like ~DF****.tmp. With a piece of software called "Unlocker" I found out it was linked to C:\Program Files\Zone Labs\ZoneAlarm\Zlclient.exe. I had not tried nor deleted this file when I had uninstalled Zone Alarm yesterday.
I unlocked this file from that process with the unlocker utility and rebooted and chkdsk /f ran normally and made repairs.
Upon reboot to windows I went to the windows temp folder and found another file had been created with the same link to C:\Program Files\Zone Labs\ZoneAlarm\Zlclient.exe but I left it in place and set C partition to chkdsk /f and rebooted and again it ran normally.
To all that sent in suggestions, THANK YOU
Zone Alarm Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Go figure!
Wayne Tremblay
Although when I tried to solve this problem yesterday and uninstalled Zone Alarm, I still had a gut feeling it was somehow linked to my present problem. I reinstalled all my original programs such as Zone Alarm, True Image, Anti virus, and Spy Sweeper and the problem still was present.
In my windows temp folder I had one file and it would not allow me to delete it. The file name was something like ~DF****.tmp. With a piece of software called "Unlocker" I found out it was linked to C:\Program Files\Zone Labs\ZoneAlarm\Zlclient.exe. I had not tried nor deleted this file when I had uninstalled Zone Alarm yesterday.
I unlocked this file from that process with the unlocker utility and rebooted and chkdsk /f ran normally and made repairs.
Upon reboot to windows I went to the windows temp folder and found another file had been created with the same link to C:\Program Files\Zone Labs\ZoneAlarm\Zlclient.exe but I left it in place and set C partition to chkdsk /f and rebooted and again it ran normally.
To all that sent in suggestions, THANK YOU
Zone Alarm Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Go figure!
Wayne Tremblay
- Thread starter
- #6
The message before this one indicates that all was well on my system and the problem was gone and it was. Today chkdsk will schedule but indicates it is cancelled when the light blue screen appears for checking the C Partition.
I uninstalled Zone Alarm emptied the temp folder and dumped the recycle bin. I then removed all traces of Zone Alarm and Zone Labs from the hard drive and the registry. Still will not run. I am back to square one on this.
I uninstalled Zone Alarm emptied the temp folder and dumped the recycle bin. I then removed all traces of Zone Alarm and Zone Labs from the hard drive and the registry. Still will not run. I am back to square one on this.
You could try System Restore but on the other hand that may cause ZoneAlarm to come back.
Will ChkDsk /r run from the Recovery Console? If it does it may provide a workaround albeit not a solution.
How to install and use the Recovery Console in Windows XP
Otherwise you will have to see what is using Drive C: at Startup.
310353 - How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows XP
316434 - HOW TO: Perform Advanced Clean-Boot Troubleshooting in Windows XP
310560 - How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP
Will ChkDsk /r run from the Recovery Console? If it does it may provide a workaround albeit not a solution.
How to install and use the Recovery Console in Windows XP
Otherwise you will have to see what is using Drive C: at Startup.
310353 - How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows XP
316434 - HOW TO: Perform Advanced Clean-Boot Troubleshooting in Windows XP
310560 - How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP
- Thread starter
- #8
I have True Image software and so I made an imgage this morning then proceeded to try and find out what had a lock on my C partition that prevents me from being able to /chkdsk /f
I uninstalled most applications and the lock on C partition stayed on. I put the save image back on and am now back at the start. Don't ya just love windows!
I uninstalled most applications and the lock on C partition stayed on. I put the save image back on and am now back at the start. Don't ya just love windows!
Any distant memory of using something like TweakUI, or any other tweaking the registry programs? Do you run any other recovery software such as "GoBack" or similar? Have you recently upgraded from another operating system?
Run a program like this to see every process, service and driver that is loading at Startup.
Auto Start Viewer.
Run a program like this to see every process, service and driver that is loading at Startup.
Auto Start Viewer.
- Thread starter
- #10
- Thread starter
- #11
Some information I have derived from some trouble shooting.
I presently can schedule a chkdsk /f and it will run properly.
I have one hard drive and have partitions C, D, E, F, & G. I scheduled chkdsk /f for all the partitions. All except D gave me the option to schedule for the next reboot and I answered yes.
On the next reboot, NONE checked and all said cancelled.
The other day I remember when I was running a True Image boot disk, that some weird looking symbols were showing on the screen something like ^12 or something similar.
Then it dawned on me I could have a key on the keyboard faulty and pressed down because of the fault and I found on the keypad that the 0/Ins key did not work and I took it apart and fixed it. Ever since fixing that, it has worked but it will have to stay this way for me to ever believe I have actually repaired this.
Anyone know of a keyboard utility that tests keys and would show a key that was faulty and pressed down?
I presently can schedule a chkdsk /f and it will run properly.
I have one hard drive and have partitions C, D, E, F, & G. I scheduled chkdsk /f for all the partitions. All except D gave me the option to schedule for the next reboot and I answered yes.
On the next reboot, NONE checked and all said cancelled.
The other day I remember when I was running a True Image boot disk, that some weird looking symbols were showing on the screen something like ^12 or something similar.
Then it dawned on me I could have a key on the keyboard faulty and pressed down because of the fault and I found on the keypad that the 0/Ins key did not work and I took it apart and fixed it. Ever since fixing that, it has worked but it will have to stay this way for me to ever believe I have actually repaired this.
Anyone know of a keyboard utility that tests keys and would show a key that was faulty and pressed down?
- Thread starter
- #13
I couldn't find a new copy on the net so I've uploaded a very old and tiny little DOS keyboard checker (CKKBD.EXE - 79kb) to EasyShare (download from
Save it to a folder, open a command prompt, navigate to the downloaded file and run it. Press all the keys and see if any don't show as dimmed by the keyboard checker.
You can press the 'PAUSE' key several times to interrupt/exit the program.
Note: The program DIDN'T show my 'PrintScrn' key as working when I know it is actually working but, apart from this, recognised all the rest of the keys being pressed. A 'stuck' key is shown in red.
Hope this helps...
Save it to a folder, open a command prompt, navigate to the downloaded file and run it. Press all the keys and see if any don't show as dimmed by the keyboard checker.
You can press the 'PAUSE' key several times to interrupt/exit the program.
Note: The program DIDN'T show my 'PrintScrn' key as working when I know it is actually working but, apart from this, recognised all the rest of the keys being pressed. A 'stuck' key is shown in red.
Hope this helps...
- Thread starter
- #16
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
- Question