Disk problem - Win 2000 Pro

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ragnar Midtskogen
  • Start date Start date
R

Ragnar Midtskogen

Hello,

In recent weeks, sometimes when I start the computer I get a message:
"Filesystem is FAT32"
"One of your disks needs to be checked for consistency"

Then I have to wait more than 2 hours for the check to complete checking the
38 GB disk..
I have not watched when it finishes, so I don't know if there are any
summaries that show the results of the checking.

The system is always shut down properly, and aside from the checking, it
appears to work correctly.
It is behind a hardware firewall (Router) and has up-todate virus and
Internet security software, so it is unlikely the problems are related to
malware of any kind.

I have heard that this behavior sometimes precedes a disk failure, so I am
keeping my fingers crossed.
I need better performance, reliability, as well as more storage space, so I
have ordered a new computer and is considering leaving this one running
until the new one arrives in about 2 weeks.
I have tons of development software installed, Office, including three
versions of MS Access, Visual Studio, Alpha5, Acrobat etc., plus gobs of
data files, so I hesitate to try to fix the problem until I have backed up
at least the most important files.
I am planning to use LapLink's PCMover to transfer apps and data files to
the new machine.

Once that is done I will upgrade the old machine to Windows XP Pro and
convert the file system to NTFS

Has anyone had any experience with this kind of behavior?
Any comment or suggestions would be appreciated.

Ragnar
 
Ragnar said:
Hello,

In recent weeks, sometimes when I start the computer I get a message:
"Filesystem is FAT32"
"One of your disks needs to be checked for consistency"

Then I have to wait more than 2 hours for the check to complete checking the
38 GB disk..
I have not watched when it finishes, so I don't know if there are any
summaries that show the results of the checking.

The system is always shut down properly, and aside from the checking, it
appears to work correctly.
It is behind a hardware firewall (Router) and has up-todate virus and
Internet security software, so it is unlikely the problems are related to
malware of any kind.

I have heard that this behavior sometimes precedes a disk failure, so I am
keeping my fingers crossed.
I need better performance, reliability, as well as more storage space, so I
have ordered a new computer and is considering leaving this one running
until the new one arrives in about 2 weeks.
I have tons of development software installed, Office, including three
versions of MS Access, Visual Studio, Alpha5, Acrobat etc., plus gobs of
data files, so I hesitate to try to fix the problem until I have backed up
at least the most important files.
I am planning to use LapLink's PCMover to transfer apps and data files to
the new machine.

Once that is done I will upgrade the old machine to Windows XP Pro and
convert the file system to NTFS

Has anyone had any experience with this kind of behavior?
Any comment or suggestions would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

How many disks do you have? Are you referring to Windows chkdsk program.
If so it should not take anything like 2 hours to check a 38GB disk.
Convert the FAT32 disk to NTFS, which is better system anyway. See if
you get the same problem. Win2k is as reliable as XP without all of the
latter's bells and whistles, and uses a much smaller proportion of the
PC's overheads. Why should you need 3 versions of Access etc. Not necessary.
 
Are you sure that Laplink will transfer Apps between two different o/s?

Why aren't you using NTFS anyway?
Thought of visiting your hd manu site and downloading their checking
utility?
It appears you have no data backup?
There's absolutely no advantage in upgrading an o/s on a system that appears
to have a problem, without first fixing or diagnosing the problem.
 
il giorno Tue, 12 Sep 2006 15:13:58 -0400 "Ragnar Midtskogen"
In recent weeks, sometimes when I start the computer I get a message:
"Filesystem is FAT32"
"One of your disks needs to be checked for consistency"
Click to expand...

I got this message at times on multiboot PCs where I have more
partitions and/or more disks (let's say two) and one is NTFS, the
other FAT32. When the PC is not shutdown properly in Win98/FAT32 and
reboot in W2000/NTFS, it sometimes require the check of FAT32
drive/partition: usually it does not require much time on a 40 GB hard
drive.

If you only have one drive/partion and you say the PC is shut down
properly, it could mean there is some corruption problem within file
system, not necessarily due to hardware failure....
I have heard that this behavior sometimes precedes a disk failure, so I am
keeping my fingers crossed.
Click to expand...

....although we cannot 100% exclude this :)
I need better performance, reliability, as well as more storage space, so I
have ordered a new computer and is considering leaving this one running
until the new one arrives in about 2 weeks.
I have tons of development software installed, Office, including three
versions of MS Access,
Click to expand...

Well, it sounds messy :) but I know one could need them for
compatibility issues on particularly rare legacy or customized Access
applications - I remember fighting with some old Access 2.0 code

__

Marco Pesce * marcopesce(tin.it
 
Thank you Frank, I appreciate your comments.
How many disks do you have? One.

Are you referring to Windows chkdsk program.
Click to expand...
I have no idea, I just see the special, DOS like display, no indication of
which checking program is running. The whole process is started by Windows
when the system tries to boot.
If so it should not take anything like 2 hours to check a 38GB disk.
Click to expand...
Since it is taking so long I am assuming it is doing a detailed hardware
check, not just the filesystem check.
Convert the FAT32 disk to NTFS, which is better system anyway. See if you
get the same problem.
Click to expand...
I don't dare to rock the boat right now, I am worried that something could
hiccup during the conversion.
I am thinking of getting a USB drive and backing up some files

Win2k is as reliable as XP without all of the latter's bells and whistles,
and uses a much smaller proportion of the PC's overheads.
Click to expand...
I agree with you about XP, I would like to stay with 2000 but I am afraid MS
will stop supporting it for workstations before too much longer.
Why should you need 3 versions of Access etc. Not necessary.
Click to expand...
I wish it were so, but I have found otherwise.
I service some Access applications that require Access 97, as well as some
that uses Access 2000 and 2003. I think 97 and 2002 uses the same file
format, not sure about 2003.
2000 does not recognize 2003 files, 2003 supposedly will leave a 2000 file
in it's original format, but I have had problems with that.

Ragnar
 
Thank you DL,
Are you sure that Laplink will transfer Apps between two different o/s?
Click to expand...

No, but their ads claim so and I can't get hold of anybody on the phone that
can answer my questions. They have a chat room but I can't get it to work. I
disabled my popup blocker but it stiil does not work.
Why aren't you using NTFS anyway?
Click to expand...

The machine came with FAT32 and by the time I realized that I had installed
a lot of software so I left it alone.
Thought of visiting your hd manu site and downloading their checking
utility?
Click to expand...
No, but that is a good idea, I will try that.
It appears you have no data backup?
Click to expand...
That is partially correct, I generally keep copies of important files on my
laptop as well.
Besides, all my source files are stored in our company's SourceSafe, which
is backed up daily
There's absolutely no advantage in upgrading an o/s on a system that
appears
to have a problem, without first fixing or diagnosing the problem.
Click to expand...
I thought that if a Windows file had gotten damaged it would be replaced
with a good file.
Since the checking program apparently never finds any errors I suspect that
the problem is with Windows, not with the disk.
I have had some cases where reinstalling Windows fixed a problem (Not on
this computer).
I am also thinking about getting a program that checks the Registry.

Ragnar
 
Just for the record, ran chkdsk, took about 2 minutes and found some file
fragments, created a file from them.

Maybe that was the problem? I doubt it, but we will see.

Ragnar
 
Laplink FAQ's state it should not be used for migrating to an older o/s,
they avoid the issue of transfering to a later o/s. But they do state this;
Core Windows applications, services, data. PCmover may not migrate
information/settings from applications provided by Windows itself
(ActiveDirectory, IIS, etc.).

Fat32 can be converted to NTFS without data loss or any problems, usually

If a win sys file is damaged you can run the sys file checker (sfc) on your
sy, or even run a repair installation.
Personnally I would'nt advise the use of any registry checking app.
 
Ragnar said:
Just for the record, ran chkdsk, took about 2 minutes and found some file
fragments, created a file from them.

Maybe that was the problem? I doubt it, but we will see.

Ragnar
Click to expand...
I have a 38 GB disk and chkdsk takes at least 20 mins to run. You need a
full chkdsk scan, using chkdsk/f or chkdsk /r. Do that within win2k.
Type cmd at Start/Run, then chkdsk /f. If that fails to fix the problem
do you have an ERD, which you should have made on floppy. If so run your
win2k system disk until the point it asks you for an ERD when you've
pressed R to repair. If you don't have one try using a fast repair
without an ERD. Don't attempt a full re-installation yet.
 
Well, I ran sfc and I got no error messages, so I guess it found no errors.
I was not aware of this tool, looks like a neat idea. Lot simpler than
reinstalling Windows over itself.
I did find PowerMax V 4.23, which is supposed to be the manufacturer's
checking tool for the Quantum Fireball AS40.0 HD.
I will run it next time I reboot the system.

Ragnar
 
Finally got this solved, ran MaxTor PowerMax, full read scan, and got a
message that the drive is failing, so I will have go shopping for a new one.

Ragnar
 
Thank you Frank,

Finally got this solved, ran MaxTor PowerMax, full read scan, and got a
message that the drive is failing, so I will have go shopping for a new one.

Ragnar
 
Ragnar said:
Thank you Frank,

Finally got this solved, ran MaxTor PowerMax, full read scan, and got a
message that the drive is failing, so I will have go shopping for a new one.

Ragnar
Click to expand...
Another piece of advice. Better not to buy another Maxtor hdd. They seem
to cause problems for a lot of (Dell) users at any rate.
 
Well, the original drive was a Quantum Fireball, I got a Western Digital
mainly because it was the right size and EIDE.
I have had good luck with hard disks, this is the first one to go bad on me.
The computer isn't a Dell BTW, it is an IBM NetVista A60, 5 years old.

Ragnar
 
glad its resolved

Ragnar Midtskogen said:
Finally got this solved, ran MaxTor PowerMax, full read scan, and got a
message that the drive is failing, so I will have go shopping for a new one.

Ragnar
Click to expand...
 
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