Resolved chkdsk disaster

Recently I ran chkdsk on my computer. The OS is Windows XP Home, sp3 with all updates. It entered into a corrupt attribute record, invalid security ID and return security ID to the default state mode. This went on for over an hour and involved well over 100,000 files. When it rebooted, Windows was a shambles! System Restore wouldn’t work. Recovering the registry didn’t help. Booting with the last known good system didn’t help. Restoring a backup was the only hope.

What happened? What can be done to "fix" it? The system has been restored to its previous state, so I presume if I ran chkdsk again the same thing would happen.

 

Run chkdsk without any switches and you'll find out if it detects any errors. It will not "Fix" them this time. If it gives you a clean bill of health, just chalk it up to experience and be glad you had a current backup image. Your experience is not all that unusual with CheckDisk, it does have its risks so it's good to be prepared.

I'd also recommend running the manufacturers diagnostics software to test that hard drive, regardless of what chkdsk says.

 

Thanks for the response.-

I normally wouldn't run chkdsk, but was trying to solve a problem with Acronis and it was recommended I do so. I could only watch in horror as it gobbled up my OS.

I Googled the chkdsk problem and found I wasn't the only one having a similar problem. I can't understand why Microsoft would allow something like this to continue without attempts to fix it.

If I ran chkdsk without the modifier and it said I had the problems that it tried to fix before, I wouldn't know what to do about it. If everything is running OK, best to avoid chkdsk in the future, I guess. Don't keep fixing it til its broke, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I didn't realize the disk vendors had diagnostic programs, but found a good one from Western Digital per your suggestion. I ran both the long and short check and everything is OK.

Stu

 

It's not so much that chkdsk has a problem but more like it has a problem with certain drive problems or system corruption situations. It normally works quite well but I would never run it without a current backup image..

Proceed with caution and keep your data backed up frequently. Perhaps use a second method other than Acronis since you indicate it has a problem as well.

There is always the chance that your HD is failing or some system files are corrupt beyond repair by chkdsk. Don't let that snowball and take your personal data with it without putting up a fight.