Scan Disk freezes up

Helpplease · 08-24-2004, 01:04 PM

Hi I need help. I want to run scan disk but everytime I do so, it freezes within the first minute of running. I am not sure what to do. How can i fix this and have scan disk run a successful check?

greyknight17 · 08-24-2004, 01:42 PM

Try doing this in Safe Mode. Restart and hit the F8 key repeatedly until a menu shows up. Choose Safe Mode and run it in there.

Helpplease · 08-24-2004, 02:59 PM

Thanks alot i will give it a try

navz · 08-25-2004, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Helpplease

Hi I need help. I want to run scan disk but everytime I do so, it freezes within the first minute of running. I am not sure what to do. How can i fix this and have scan disk run a successful check?

can you tell me what os are you using..?
try to start the machine in safe mode by hitting f8 repeatedly till you see the boot menu.select safe mode and then try to run scandisk.
if that doesn't work out,clear out the start up programs using msconfig(http://netsquirrel.com/msconfig/)
if the scandisk freezes again,try and see if its freezing up at the same point.
if you are using 98/98se/me try to restart in the dos mode and then try to run scandisk.

raffnixpert · 03-07-2006, 04:56 AM

I had the same problem. My OS is WinME. The cure in my case was deactivating Spybot's Teatimer. I am thinking of reverting to WinPatrol plus Spywareblaster instead. Maybe you have also Teatimer running? Then this post was worth trying.
By the way, I am intending to ask in this or if necessary in other forums whether just my Spybot settings need to be changed to cure the scandisk problem.

**koala** · 03-07-2006, 08:43 AM

raffnixpert, whenever any programs (including Spybot, antivirus and screensavers) are running in the background, they can cause Scandisk to halt and start over again. That's why it's best to run it in safe mode.

See this article for more details.

raffnixpert · 03-07-2006, 06:57 PM

Koala, you are right. Thank you for reminding me. That is what I generally do: close any virus scanner and screensavers prior to scandisk. Sometimes it happens that I forget it. But WinPatrol and SpywareBlaster had never slowed down scandisk, so I mostly left them running.

But is using scandisk in the safe mode only not a bit overcautious? I use the scandisk equivalent "DiskFixer" from the old Ontrack SystemSuite (which is now the VCOM SystemSuite) and the PC utilities contained in that suite are not described in terms as if they were considered to be safe mode utilities. In fact their RegistryDefrag Utility explicitly requires that all other programs have to be closed before starting it, which certainly implies that it is run from within Windows.

If scandisk is not a pure safe mode tool a regular user would want it back in the full Windows mode. The safe mode would only be a temporary solution.

**koala** · 03-07-2006, 07:26 PM

Whenever a program writes to disk while Scandisk is running it causes Scandisk to restart a maximum of 10 times before you get an error message. WinPatrol and SpywareBlaster aren't writing so they don't affect it. I usually close down all non-essential processes (including teatimer) using Ctrl-Alt-Del before scanning. Running it in safe mode is not essential but it's more effective and sometimes quicker than normal mode, and is good for troubleshooting.

raffnixpert · 03-08-2006, 03:02 AM

Thank you very much, Koala, for this elucidating explanantion. It helped me a lot. I hope that Helpplease will also get the information he needs and that I did not distract too much from his intentions.

**oshwyn5** · 03-08-2006, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by koala

Whenever a program writes to disk while Scandisk is running it causes Scandisk to restart a maximum of 10 times before you get an error message. WinPatrol and SpywareBlaster aren't writing so they don't affect it. I usually close down all non-essential processes (including teatimer) using Ctrl-Alt-Del before scanning. Running it in safe mode is not essential but it's more effective and sometimes quicker than normal mode, and is good for troubleshooting.

Also, when you have a registry protection program such as teatimer it will stop things if it detects "unusual" access to the registry which it percieves to be something trying to write to the registry. So when scandisk tests the area where the registry is, teatimer will put it on hold, scandisk will restart and you get your error.

raffnixpert · 03-08-2006, 04:44 PM

Again very helpful information. Thank you oshwyn5. That completes the picture. - Almost. - What still puzzles me is one piece of advice given in the Microsoft article (linked in Koala's first contribution to this thread) for the resolution of the scandisk restart problem. They recommend among others to turn off the quick launch toolbar before (isn't "while" incorrect?) running scandisk. What is it that a quick lauch toolbar item could write to the harddisk? I have always thought that it is just waiting there for me to activate it by a mouse click.

novaz04 · 03-09-2006, 09:30 PM

My 98 SE box has the same problem when I choose thourough scan in ScanDisk.

budman40 · 04-07-2006, 08:55 PM

press control, alt, delete close all programs except systray and explorer than try again

08-24-2004, 01:04 PM	#1 (permalink)
Helpplease Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 11 OS: Windows ME	Scan Disk freezes up Hi I need help. I want to run scan disk but everytime I do so, it freezes within the first minute of running. I am not sure what to do. How can i fix this and have scan disk run a successful check?

08-24-2004, 01:42 PM	#2 (permalink)
greyknight17 Analyst, Security Team Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: New York Posts: 14,331 OS: Windows 98 & Windows XP Home/Pro My System	Try doing this in Safe Mode. Restart and hit the F8 key repeatedly until a menu shows up. Choose Safe Mode and run it in there. __________________ Please do NOT PM me. Post whatever questions you may have in the forum and we will take a look at it when we get to it. If you have waited for more than 3 days, you may then and ONLY then PM me for assistance. I will take a look at it. Adaware :: CWShredder :: HijackThis :: Panda ActiveScan :: Spybot S&D Anti-Spyware Tutorial :: Spyware Prevention Tools

03-07-2006, 08:43 AM	#6 (permalink)
koala Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK Posts: 12,344 OS: XP/7/Ubuntu My System	raffnixpert, whenever any programs (including Spybot, antivirus and screensavers) are running in the background, they can cause Scandisk to halt and start over again. That's why it's best to run it in safe mode. See this article for more details. __________________ New members: Subscribe to your thread (Thread Tools) to receive an instant email notification when you get a reply. TSF Folding@Home Team 85015 - details here

03-07-2006, 07:26 PM	#8 (permalink)
koala Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK Posts: 12,344 OS: XP/7/Ubuntu My System	Whenever a program writes to disk while Scandisk is running it causes Scandisk to restart a maximum of 10 times before you get an error message. WinPatrol and SpywareBlaster aren't writing so they don't affect it. I usually close down all non-essential processes (including teatimer) using Ctrl-Alt-Del before scanning. Running it in safe mode is not essential but it's more effective and sometimes quicker than normal mode, and is good for troubleshooting. __________________ New members: Subscribe to your thread (Thread Tools) to receive an instant email notification when you get a reply. TSF Folding@Home Team 85015 - details here

04-07-2006, 08:55 PM	#13 (permalink)
budman40 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 1 OS: winme	scandisk press control, alt, delete close all programs except systray and explorer than try again

08-24-2004, 02:59 PM	#3 (permalink)
Helpplease Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 11 OS: Windows ME	Thanks alot i will give it a try

03-07-2006, 04:56 AM	#5 (permalink)
raffnixpert Registered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 12 OS: WinME	I had the same problem. My OS is WinME. The cure in my case was deactivating Spybot's Teatimer. I am thinking of reverting to WinPatrol plus Spywareblaster instead. Maybe you have also Teatimer running? Then this post was worth trying. By the way, I am intending to ask in this or if necessary in other forums whether just my Spybot settings need to be changed to cure the scandisk problem.

03-07-2006, 06:57 PM	#7 (permalink)
raffnixpert Registered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 12 OS: WinME	Koala, you are right. Thank you for reminding me. That is what I generally do: close any virus scanner and screensavers prior to scandisk. Sometimes it happens that I forget it. But WinPatrol and SpywareBlaster had never slowed down scandisk, so I mostly left them running. But is using scandisk in the safe mode only not a bit overcautious? I use the scandisk equivalent "DiskFixer" from the old Ontrack SystemSuite (which is now the VCOM SystemSuite) and the PC utilities contained in that suite are not described in terms as if they were considered to be safe mode utilities. In fact their RegistryDefrag Utility explicitly requires that all other programs have to be closed before starting it, which certainly implies that it is run from within Windows. If scandisk is not a pure safe mode tool a regular user would want it back in the full Windows mode. The safe mode would only be a temporary solution.

03-08-2006, 03:02 AM	#9 (permalink)
raffnixpert Registered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 12 OS: WinME	Thank you very much, Koala, for this elucidating explanantion. It helped me a lot. I hope that Helpplease will also get the information he needs and that I did not distract too much from his intentions.

03-08-2006, 04:44 PM	#11 (permalink)
raffnixpert Registered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 12 OS: WinME	Again very helpful information. Thank you oshwyn5. That completes the picture. - Almost. - What still puzzles me is one piece of advice given in the Microsoft article (linked in Koala's first contribution to this thread) for the resolution of the scandisk restart problem. They recommend among others to turn off the quick launch toolbar before (isn't "while" incorrect?) running scandisk. What is it that a quick lauch toolbar item could write to the harddisk? I have always thought that it is just waiting there for me to activate it by a mouse click.

03-09-2006, 09:30 PM	#12 (permalink)
novaz04 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 60 OS: OS 10.3.9, XP SP2, 98 SE	My 98 SE box has the same problem when I choose thourough scan in ScanDisk.