Windows 2000 Pro chkdsk problems

Smoo · June 24th, 2004, 07:25 PM

I hope one of you nice people can help me...

I've searched this forum (admittedly not all that extensively), but I could not find anything to relate exactly to my problem.

I'm running Windows 2000 Professional, and I cannot run scandisk - I have just found out that scandisk doesn't actually exist in Win2000, instead there being CHKDSK.
So I go to My Computer, highlight C:, File, Properties, etc in order to make chkdsk run next time the PC starts up; but when the PC restarts, I get the following message:

File system is NTFS.
Cannot open volume for direct access.
Windows has finished checking the disk.

What does this mean? I could really use to run it at the moment as I'm also having AOL-related problems (see in another post started by rrcn) and it keeps buggering my PC up.

I saw in another thread that you can access the Windows Recovery console and do chkdsk from there - is this right, and if so, how?

Thanks in advance for your patience and time.

Bovon · June 25th, 2004, 12:41 AM

I am not that familiar with Win2K..I have it on this drive as a second OS...(dual boot) but rarely use it..but, chkdsk is the same as scandisk that has been modified by M$ to run on NTSF setups...scandisk will not run on anything other than FAT.

chkdsk will not run on win2K while the OS is up and running I have read..but why your are getting that message on bootup is strange.

"Volume" is referred to as the disk area where the OS is..in other words, if you had a 20 gig hard drive..and the whole thing was C: drive..then the 'volume' of C: drive would be 20 gb. I believe that is correct.

Hopefully someone better qualified to answer you will stop by soon.

FatalException · June 25th, 2004, 12:49 AM

Hi, I think I know how to solve your problem. You have 2 possibilities to fix this.

1. Do what you did before to make it so chkdsk tries to check the drive at bootup. When you reboot the system, though, press F8 right before the "Windows 2000 Professional" splash screen appears with the progress bar graph on it. A menu should appear and let you choose to start Windows in safe mode. Tell the computer to do this, then in safe mode run the chkdsk command... again, it will say you need to reboot to make it work. Reboot again, and this time, let it boot normally. It SHOULD be able to check it now.

The problem is caused most likely by a flag on a driver - the system thinks the driver is accessing the disk when it really isn't. Anything from modem drivers to chipset drivers can cause this. Booting to safe mode resets all those flags and sometimes helps fix that problem (if it is the problem).

2. If that doesn't work, boot from your Windows 2000 Pro CD-ROM and go into the recovery console. Then run chkdsk c: /r from there.

That will always work, unless your drive is SERIOUSLY goofed up - and I don't think you'd be able to use windows if it was acting that badly!

Smoo · June 25th, 2004, 09:03 PM

Thanks to both of you for your time; 'tis much appreciated.

Now, please don't think me too much of a dumb bitch, but I'm scared to do anything without asking properly first in case I break my PC.
If possible, please could you give me a step-by-step answer to my next question?

I can't seem to access Safe Mode now for some reason, so was unable to try the first option given by FatalException.

Obviously, this leaves booting from the Windows 2000 CDRom - but how exactly do I do this?

Do I [upon switching on the computer] press DEL to enter Setup, then go to the Boot section, then choose Atapi CD-Rom, then press F10, save and finally insert the disc?
I have just read this on a website, as I tried to find out for myself first.

Sorry for being a major pain.
Thanks again.

P.S. I find it amazing that I'm getting help from people in Iowa and S. Carolina! I'm in the UK. I know, I know...I sound like a right Internet newbie.

paul9 · June 25th, 2004, 09:14 PM

nothing wrong with being a newbie, it's the aol thing that loses you respect

if your pc comes up with something like F*8 FOR BOOT MENU when you boot up, then you can press that key to choose a one time cd boot without having to go into the bios. your system may even be set to boot from cd, anyway, try booting up with the cd in to find out. when you boot from the win xp cd (and i assume win 2000) you will get a message syaing press any key to boot from cd, if you don't press a key, then you will just boot windows and will have to try again.

Smoo · June 25th, 2004, 09:31 PM

Thanks ever so Paul9! I'm off to my cosy bed now, but I shall try that first thing tomorrow.

I see you're in the UK too. Well, hello to you. I'm in Lincolnshire, by the way.
I just haven't gotten round to doing anything with my profile yet.

As for AOHell...I know, I know!!!!!

FatalException · June 26th, 2004, 04:04 AM

On a side note - I think it's funny that someone in the UK is using a service to connect to the internet called AOL - America Online...

paul9 · June 26th, 2004, 04:34 AM

personally, i find it funny that ANYONE uses a service called aol

shastaone · July 1st, 2004, 01:13 PM

I have the same problem and appreciate all of the good replys and good advice. I have tried all of the suggestions. One of the suggestions was to run the chkdsk from the recovery console and that sounded like it should work. I don't know if I am doing something wrong, but that does not seem to work. At the prompt, I typed in chkdsk c: /r and I get a response that I have the wrong perimeters? Any further suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks,
George