Recurring scandisk error

[mapsonx]

Win98se, IE 5.5sp2

Lately I've been getting the same scandisk error on a pretty regular basis.

This drive's boot area contains important information that is damaged or invalid. This can cause Windows to report the drive's free space incorrectly or slowly. ScanDisk repairs the boot area by recording the correct values in this area.

I assign the repair, but all too often when I rerun scandisk directly thereafter to make sure all is well, the same error re-occurs, either on the same drive or on other partitions or both.

On occasion I have to reboot or run scandisk from DOS for the repairs to take effect.

Then it's usually just a matter of a few days when the error shows up again.

For now it's more of inconvernience & annoyance than any else (i.e. when I'm trying to backup data to my second HD & I'm informed that it is out of space, when I know very well that is not the case, & thus must repair the error before backup can continue), but I'd like to know if this behavior is symptomatic of a potentially more serious problem.

Either way, I want it fixed. Does this sound familiar to anybody?

tia

~J

[EzyStvy]

ScanDisk Errors on IDE Hard Disks Larger Than 32 GB
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;243450

[mapsonx]

Originally Posted by EzyStvy ScanDisk Errors on IDE Hard Disks Larger Than 32 GB http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;243450

Thanks, but this does not apply to me.
10gb master, 1.2 gb slave, Award BIOs

[glc]

I'd run manufacturer's diagnostics on the hard drive. It could be shot.

[mapsonx]

Originally Posted by glc I'd run manufacturer's diagnostics on the hard drive. It could be shot.

That may very well be the case, but why would the error also show up on D:\, which is my second HD?

[AlwaysUp]

Try running scandisk in Safe Mode.

[GaryRouth]

Re-reading this thread tonight, I'm thinking that trying Scandisk in Safe Mode is a good idea, and also that disk diagnostics for *both* hard drives would be a good idea. In fact, if you have a CD burner on that system, burning what you most want to keep to CDs sounds like a good idea too.

A 1.2gb drive has to be reaching its tenth year of service, while a 10gb drive might well be going on its sixth or seventh year. It's possible an electrical surge (or tremor, if you're here in So. Cal.!) damaged both - or they just might coincidentally be showing signs of wear at the same time.

Either way, the diagnostics don't take much time on the smaller drives such as these. And it will rule out physical damage as the cause.

If the diagnostics come out clean - that will be interesting. [Much harder to figure. . . ]
. . . Gary