Start-up Disk-Check

[PCFanatic85]

I am not sure if this is the most appropriate area for a post concerning HDD disk check via windows xp, but oh well. Here goes:

I recently wanted to perform disk-check on my HDD. Via right-clicking the C-drive, going to tools, and selecting the option to perform disk check on next restart. When I do it, however, I get a message after the disk check begins. It advises me that it does not have access to system files and aborts. And, it tries everytime I restart now - which slows down the boot speed considerably. Is there some reason my system files are locked or etc? I was able to run disk chec k in the past. Thanks in advance.

[EzyStvy]

The system files are locked because they are in use....

Chkdsk.exe or Autochk.exe starts when you try to shut down or restart your computer

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;831426


Chkdsk Runs Each Time That You Start Your Computer

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;316506

[PCFanatic85]

I understand that. But I was under the impression that it performs it on restart so the files wont be in use? But they are, nonetheless.

[Mesaeus]

This sounds like a problem I once had with an older Zonealarm version. The problem was that a new feature in the ZoneAlarm firewall loaded as a device driver and locked the disk even when starting in the special mode that Windows uses to avoid locked drives. The result was chkdsk and disk defragmenters refusing to work, just as you described. Do you use ZoneAlarm ?

[PCFanatic85]

I had zone alarm at one point. But I uninstalled it quite a while ago.

[EzyStvy]

During bootup, have you let chkdsk run till it's fininshed?
Do you still get prompted that it's want's to run on bootup?
Did you read through the two links I posted?