Frustrating defrag/scandisk problem

I am at my wits end over this problem and have made no headway at all. When I try to run scan disk, I keep getting an error saying it has restarted 10 times and is unable to complete because someting keeps writing to the HD. I do not believe this is entirely correct since even in safe mode the problem occurs. However, if I boot the ME recovery disk and run the "DOS" version of scandisk, it completes fine. Unfortunately there is no equivalent for defrag. The windows defrag command simply goes into a loop, restarting after the folders check but before the actual defraging starts.

As an aside, and this may be a related/same problem. On occasion, the HD will spontaneously start running continously. I have no idea what it is doing or what application is doing it. However, it will run for many minutes then finally settle down and behave normally until next time.

Does anyone have any idea what the problem might be or at least how to go about trouble shooting it? I have already tried ending active processes, one at a time, to isolate which one it is until windows dies. Although processes do not end very quickly since the CPU is consumed by the HD activity but no process shows high CPU usage.

 

Your answer is rite here is rose city.
http://www.windows-help.net/windowsMe/tip-0102.htm

 

Look here for tips on troubleshooting scandisk and defrag problems:

http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/defrag.html

http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/scandisk.html

 

Thanks for the reply but as I said, the problem even occurs in safe mode. None of the other solutions seem to help either.

 

Have you gone through these articles?

Err Msg: ScanDisk Has Restarted 10 Times Because Windows...
http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...soft.com:80/support/kb/articles/q222/4/69.asp

Drive's Contents Have ChangedRestarting..." Message When You Use the Disk Defragmenter Tool
http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...soft.com:80/support/kb/articles/q186/9/78.asp

 

And here's something I just found with a groups.google search:

From: Derek Nicholson (bg@hotmail.com)
Subject: Bingo!!!

Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windowsme.software
Date: 2001-10-21 09:36:04 PST

Hi Ron,

You were right on the button.

In early August I converted my connection to the Internet from ISDN Twin
Channel to an ASDL connection over the ISDN Twin circuits.

Disconnecting the connection between the Etherlink PCI Card and the ADSL
Network Termination enabled me to carry out DiskScan and Defragmentation
operations with the computer booted-up in the normal mode. I am not always
connected to my ISP so I didn't consider that the ADSL circuit would be
connected to my computer when off-line.

It's a pity that MicroSoft don't amend their Article ID: Q222469 to include
this information, it would have saved me a lot of sweat, tears and swearing.

Thank you very much for your assistance.

Derek Nicholson
*********************************

"Ron Martell" <ron@onlinehelp.bc.ca> wrote in message
news:vsb3tt4c5k9rm7od01sr0274u8bl32s7b4@4ax.com...
> "Derek Nicholson" <bg@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> >Since February 2001 until recently I have been able to perform the 'Defragmenter' and 'ScanDisk' operations within Windows ME.
> >
> >Recently I tried to run 'Defragmenter' and was informed that Windows or
other programme was writing to Disk and that I should run 'ScanDisk'.
ScanDisk repeats a similar error message.
> >
> >I have removed recently installed programs and checked that all relevant entries in Windows Registry have been removed.
> >
> >I have followed MS instructions given in Article ID: Q222469. Booting
from a 'Start-Up Disk' results in "no problems" being reported. Starting in
the 'Safe Mode' results with a 'Standard Scan' reporting "no problems" but
'Thorough Scan' giving the same error msg.. "Windows or other program
writing to disk ".
> >
> >Booting the computer normally and then, via Ctrl+Alt+Del, removing all
running programmes except 'Explorer and Systray'. The result of 'ScanDisk,
Thorough' results in the same error message.
> >
> >Can anyone suggest a possible cause of my problem?
>
> This type of problem, even in Safe Mode, has been noted under some
> circumstances where there is a full time Interent connection (cable or
> ADSL) using an network card. If you have this type of connection, try
> turning off the cable/ADSL modem or unplugging the network cable from
> the PC and see if it still happens in Safe Mode.
>
> Other than that the #1 suspect would be a virus. Make sure your
> antivirus software is fully up to date with virus definition files not
> more than a week old and do a full virus scan of the hard drive.
> Sometimes a "second opinion" is helpful with virus problems and AVG is
> free for personal use from www.grisoft.com
>
> Good luck
>
>
> Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
> --
> Microsoft MVP

 

Hmmmmm. I certainly have DSL via a NIC but I don't understand the comment "Disconnecting the connection between the Etherlink PCI Card and the ADSL Network Termination. "

I'd like to give it a try but what is he saying here and how did he accomplish it?

 

Well, I verified that indeed if one unplugs the patch cable it works and running in safe mode is not even necessary.

Now that I know the cause of the problem the question becomes how to accomplish it without plugging cables. Is there a command that disables the NIC like the UNIX command to shut down interfaces? And if so will that work?

 

I haven't a clue

So. unless someone else can answer you might be better off posting a new question in the Networking forum.

 

Thanks and done. If I get a solution, I'll report it here to close the loop on this thread.

 

I guess I typed too soon. I'm back to square one. Although unplugging the patch cable worked one time I cannot repeat it. Even in safe mode with the cable unplugged, I am getting the same looping problem. Any other sugestions? Does anyone know if Microsoft is aware of this problem and if they are working on a fix?

 

somehing has to be running. try this tool to further analyze the problem/ running processes :

http://www.freewareweb.com/cgi-bin/archive.cgi?ID=611

good luck

 

Hi all

Hope You dont mind if I but in..

Do you have Realon player installed ?
Having it installed on our win me wouldnt let scandisk nor defrag run,even in safe mode, anyway there is a way to disable it and keep the program to.
pacs portal has directions,, need any help..
Lonny

 

stylin19:

Thanks for the suggestion. Even if it doesn't help me find the offending process the software is handy to have in any case. That it doesn't run in safe mode is bothersome.

Lonny Jones:

I don't have 'Realon' (I use WinAmp) but thanks for the suggestion.

 

Use prcview to see what is running.
The intermittent hard drive activity is probably system restore. I guess you could try to temporarily disable it and see if that helps.

HTH, Sue

 

...hey...sw1500se...when i ran ME for an OS i had similar problems...now obviously ram is not the issue so try this progggie it is free for trial for 30 days did the job for me...in fact use it still for both my comps runnin xp pro...heres the link... http://www.goldenbow.com/VoptXP.htm ...also has loads of extra features...for HDD maintainance...good luck...

 

...o...gw1500se...forgot to mention if comp is runnin any proggies when you do scan disk check which is in the tools tab...under error checking...it will prompt you to reboot your comp or if there are major probs on the HDD or partition you are scan diskin...on reboot it'll perform the scan before any proggies open...show you the stats...then boot & yer ready to defrag...enjoy its the real thing...

 

Thanks, I'll give it a try. Seems a bit pricey for what I want it for however.

 

VoptXP seems to work just fine as long as I set the preference to disable writes during defrag. Unfortunately, it doesn't tell me what file or waht process is doing the write. I was hoping for at least an error message from some process but I guess it just queued the write and waited until defrag was done. I wonder why Microsoft doesn't have a similar feature?

P.S. I can't seem to find a way to set the time (only how often) on the schedule for VoptXP. How does it know what day and/or time to run?

 

Hi

Strange I used scandisk last night----in safe mode , get the infamous messages, scandisk has restarted ten times da da d da
do you want to restart,, say yes and it worked the second time.
Im not into solving it at this time,..

But you've installed another utility ?

Lonny