BleepingComputer.com: Check Disk Problems on Reboot

My check disk utility does not work, which also inhibits my ability to run a defragmentation.
This occurs on my C:/ drive (no other partitions). It is NTFS.

When I hit "Check Now..." from C / Properties / Tools Tab...
with fix and recover unchecked, "Windows was unable to complete the disk check."
with fix and recover checked, "...could not be preformed...needs exclusive access...
schedule this disk check on the next restart?" (won't check after reboot)

When I type "chkdsk c:" in the command prompt...
chkdsk is in read-only mode (f parameter not specified)
stage 1 - deletes a few corrupt attributes
errors found, chkdsk cannot continue in read-only mode

When I type "chkdsk c: /f"...
cannot lock current drive
volume is in use by another process
would you like to schedule a check on restart? (won't check after reboot)

When I type "chkdsk c: /f /x"...
same result as /f

The next step I took was to reboot in safe mode and try check disk.
All of the above methods repeat the same problems.

I don't know what step to take from here. I have been googling this very much.

I have heard that certain program like Zone Alarm and Spyware Doctor cause interferences with check disk and need to be uninstalled for it to work properly.

I have heard that certain drivers cause problems with check disk and need to be set to 4 (disabled) in registry for it to work properly.

I have heard that a Windows Restore or Repair or Bart'sPE can fix the problem.

I am almost 100% sure that it is not malware, because I scan frequently with good anti-malware programs: McAfee, MBAM, SAS, HJT, AdAware, S&D.

I need to get my C:/ Drive to be checked on reboot so that I can defragment it.

Other Specs/Info: The drive is NTFS and 'dirty'.
My registry value for BootExecute is:
"autocheck autochk /m \??\C:
autocheck autochk *"
My computer is a Dell Laptop, Windows XP SP3.

If anyone has any ideas, work arounds, anything to solve this - please give me a response!
Thank you for your time reading this.

This post has been edited by Marth_01: 06 April 2009 - 08:56 PM

I think it should be:

Quote

in the registry.

/m \??\C: Runs Chkdsk conditionally iif autochk thinks it should be run.
/p \??\C: Runs chkdsk unconditionally (always)

This post has been edited by Romeo29: 06 April 2009 - 10:18 PM

I changed the value to /p \??\C: and rebooted to see if it may run a check disk, but no luck.
Thanks for the info anyway!

Any other suggestions?

I have solved my own problem (mostly)! I used Bart's PE and rebooted to the CD and not XP. This made it so that any program/driver I had that was interfering with check disk by running before it would on startup would not be run (booting into safe mode even with the msconfigs help did not correct this some how). The check disk does not get past phase 2 when I run it when I rebooted back into XP (after taking the CD out), but the defrag does work and the check disk did work on Bart's PE.

You can delete this thread or mark it as solved or what not.

go through on this link
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265

Ummm, you either didn't read my posts or didn't understand. I know how to use check disk in command prompt and all of its optional arguments. The problem is that when I tell it to schedule a scan on reboot, it doesn't do it. That is still a problem I have, meaning that some program or service is starting before the scheduled scan on the reboot. Then the computer just postpones the check disk until the next restart. Safe mode for some reason still has this problem. I got it to disk check when I was outside of my OS, XP, and booted from a CD, Bart's PE. I heard it may be Norton Ghost, a program which I do have, so I may try uninstalling or disabling and seeing if that fixes it.

Thanks for the response anyway!

FWIW: If you did not run an extended diagnosis on your hard drive, I doubt if you have truly overcome this.

When a chkdsk cannot run to completion...IME, it's either a file system (NTFS) problem or it's a hard drive problem. The hard drive problem may be capable of being overcome, I've found NTFS problems just worthy of a nuke/reinstall approach.

Louis