Scandisk in WinXP?

**Fingers** · September 4th, 2002, 08:50 AM

I haven't needed it before, but is there a funtion in WinXP to check for lost cluster and bad sectors. Like everything else in XP, its probably there but just not where I'm looking?

Thanks

**kjg** · September 4th, 2002, 08:57 AM

here you go fingers

Scandisk is not a part of Windows XP - instead you get the improved CHKDSK. You can use the Error-checking tool to check for file system errors and bad sectors on your hard disk.
1: Open My Computer, and then select the local disk you want to check.

2: On the File menu, click Properties.

3: On the Tools tab, under Error-checking, click Check Now.

4: Under Check disk options, select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box.

All files must be closed for this process to run. If the volume is currently in use, a message box will appear prompting you to indicate whether or not you want to reschedule the disk checking for the next time you restart your system. Then, the next time you restart your system, disk checking will run. Your volume will not be available to perform other tasks while this process is running.
If your volume is formatted as NTFS, Windows automatically logs all file transactions, replaces bad clusters, and stores copies of key information for all files on the NTFS volume.

**Angela** · September 4th, 2002, 10:03 AM

Two questions:

1) kjg-- Is your reference to "volume" the usual pedestrian meaning, or something else? How does it interfere with CHKDSK?

2) When starting CHKDSK from "run", what is the difference between just typing CHKDSK and CHKDSK /F? What does the /F refer to?

Thanks.

**kjg** · September 4th, 2002, 10:19 AM

Angela to be perfectly honest I have no idea about either of those questions. I run Windows 98se, but I saw this question and trawled the web for an answer and got this linky: http://www.activewin.com/winxp/tips/basic/3.shtml,
it is a basic explanation and so I would think that the volume does not effect the chkdsk and is merely the alert you have when a windows message box appears. as for the /F dont know.

i hope that i have not broken any copy right laws through this blatant plagarism.

**Theophylact** · September 4th, 2002, 10:25 AM

chkdsk /f almost certainly means "check and fix problems without prompting". That's what it does in DOS.

**Xaotic** · September 4th, 2002, 12:24 PM

/F does attempt to fix errors.

There are some other options for NTFS volumes. Start > Run > CMD (to command prompt) then CHKDSK /? to see them and some explanation.

Volume refers to the partition to be scanned, can include multiple/dynamic disks, RAID, etc.

**Angela** · September 4th, 2002, 01:20 PM

Thanks everyone for all the good info!

**troyt75** · September 4th, 2002, 01:55 PM

Fingers if you don't want to wait the default 10sec, type this at a command prompt " chkntfs/t:0 " no quotes. The time can be any thing 1,2,3, ect.

**MMock** · September 4th, 2002, 01:56 PM

You know something guys everytime that I ran scandisk on Winxp I have ended up reinstalling windows...(three times now) It finishes and then just sits there.... I hit cntl+alt+del and it reboots and I pick skip scandisk and it stops.... I then try to boot into safe mode and it stops.... You think there is something wrong with my cd??

**Brainchild** · September 4th, 2002, 02:04 PM

I have never ran scandisk XP, now ya got me worried mmock

**Fingers** · September 4th, 2002, 04:27 PM

Thanks everyone for the replies.

The reason I was asking is because this morning my AutoCad failed to load completely and just sat there with the hour glass. Same thing after reboot and I wanted to check the disk for lost clusters or bad sectors. I was in a hurry and ended up re-installing ACad, but now I have to recreate all my custom tool buttons and menus