Expert xp help needed

Hello- I am running Windows XP Professional x86, SP3 O/S, a WD 500GB Blue HDD (that has passed their S.M.A.R.T. TEST), and am having some severe File System issues, that are even affecting my avast! Internet Security 8 prog.
First, running 'chkdsk' from 'cmd' shows there are errors. So, I run 'chkdsk /r', or even the 'f' switch for that matter, and after it is done running and reboots Windows hangs on a black screen with a large, hour glass cursor. The only way out is a hard shut down, start, F8> 'Last Known Good Config'.
Going into the Registry- HKLM>System>CurrControlSet>Control>Session Manager, the Boot Execute data is at 'autocheck autochk *'. But after running the 'chkdsk', it establishes itself in the Multi String Mod window as such:
autocheck autochk *
u
t
o
c
h
In other words, 'autocheck autochk * (autocheck*)'... Something is messed up here. OK, so I go and run 'sfc /scannow', and it asks for the XP w/SP3 installation disk, which I provide. It takes about 1/2 hr. to straighten the File System out.(?)
The only other thing, and I think it is somehow related, is that after shutting the machine down for the night, upon start up the next morning, my avast! FireWall is stopped and I am not protected. The only way to correct this is go to Add/ Remove progs, click remove avast!, and an avast! window opens and asks if I want to repair, or uninstall. Of course, I do the repair. I have been using this AV for 5 yrs. and have never had an issue.
I can't find any spyware, rootkits, or anything malware or viral related on the System.
I am trying to AVOID a REPAIR of Windows, for reasons I'll explain to the curious.
Can someone out there PLEASE help me out here?... I would certainly appreciate it!
Thanks!-
tim

 

Hey buddy, why don't you head to the Malware Forum just too make sure before trying anything else.

 

WHY???... The System is clean as a whistle!... The reason I didn't mention anything in the source post is because the first thing I did was check for any 'dirt' in the system. With that said, Thank You for the reply, albeit worthless in context with the subject matter.
Now, just to inform, I did run a disk utility and it did indicate there were 'some inconsistencies' but nothing serious in terms of errors or sector issues.
I did run CHKDSK from 3 sources, too: Within Windows Tools, from 'cmd', and from Recovery Console. Who knows, maybe something is skewed within Windows Check Disk. I've got a 250GB VelociRaptor sitting here I'll throw at it with a clean install. After all, it's just my ol' XP machine anyway.
Take Care!
tim

 

Hi

It's likely that your hard drive IS failing. Have you tried running the WD DataLifeguard Tools utility to check the drive's health?

If the drive is indeed having issues, I would recommend IMAGING your current install and loading the image onto a known good drive. EASUS ToDo Backup Free I believe is a free utility recommended here (I use [paid] Acronis True Image Home, myself).

 

I've used EASUS once to make a disk image, and I had no problems, but I seem to remember having to read the messages that came very carefully to to get exactly what I wanted. That's not to say there aren't others which may or not be 'better'. It's free.

Dumb_Question
23.March.2013
HP Pavilion dm4 1050ea - Win 7 - 8GB RAM

 

I hear you!... I surely do not want to shoot an image of a drive that has a corrupt and/or suspicious File System, right?... there are more details to my saga, but the main point is that Windows CHKDSK is either 'skewed' or there is something wrong on the disk. I used a shareware disk prog, too, for analysis and it noted that there were 'some inconsistencies' on the drive.
Thanks for your input!

 

If the drive is indeed failing, and you want to attempt to salvage the current installation, then imaging the drive is the best option.

Once the data image has been successfully copied to a known good hard drive, file system repairs might be possible. My GUESS is that your current hard drive has a lot of bad sectors, which makes the file system repairs not go as they should.

If you are able to successfully image the drive, it definitely wouldn't hurt it, that's for sure.

 

Further, making an image of your disk, while it may enable you to recover your disk by using a good disk to perform the recovery on, if this should not work and you destroy what is on your image, you are in no worse a position than you started off from.

Can you remove your disk and install it in another PC and then boot up that PC and use it's copy of CHKDSK to look at your disk ? (you said maybe your copy of CHKDSK was screwed). Or boot up from CD, I'm not sure if XP bootable disks carry a copy of CHKDSK. Probably these are just dumb sugestions though.

(I assume your PC does not support boot from a USB drive ? my desktop doesn't but I would like it to !)

Dumb_Question
24.March.2013
HP Pavilion dm4 1050ea - Win 7 - 8GB RAM

 

I have also seen bad RAM really screw up a Windows intallation.

May want to run MemTest before you go crazy with the HDD. There's nothing quite like the Ultimate Boot CD, it just has so many useful tools:

http://majorgeeks.com/Ultimate_Boot_CD_d4981.html


If you know what brand your hard drive is, the UBCD has manufacturer's diagnostic software on board as well.

 

Thanks, everyone, for the input. Yes, I have run the WD Data LifeGuard tool for this Blue drive. Yes, I ran MemTest86 for approx. 20 cycles. No issues with either. To be perfectly honest, I surely do not know how to interpret the values from the WD tool results. If you would like, I can run WD DLG again and post the results for those of you who are savvy with that info.
Thanks, again!
tim w

 

LOL!... Oh yeah!, I wouldn't leave home without my Hiram's!... I love that toolbox!

 

Sorry for the excessive posts- I just remembered something- I use WD drives exclusively, and that being, I can image the drive without buying any imaging software. WD offers Acronis to those who use their drives. Pretty cool, huh? :cool

 

This is true! I completely forgot about that (even though I'm aware of it).

And yes, if you can, post the results of the diagnostic software... I or someone else may be able to tell you something from it.

With all of this said, hard drive diagnostic software does NOT always find all issues... I have seen drives going bad that the diagnostic software missed.

 

OK, here is something to look at. First, I ran the WD DLGDiag again and the drive's S.M.A.R.T. feature is intact and functioning correctly. The WD Quick Test passed. Next, I ran HD Tune freeware. Attached is a .zip file with .bmp screen shots of the results. Again, all looks good to my eye, and the drive in question passed here, too. :confused
The shots are: 1) Specifications on Drive, 2) Benchmark, 3) Health, and 4) Error Scan (Quick).
Please take a look and opine, at will.
Thanks for your help! :wave
tim w

 

LOL... So did I!!!... I am skating on thin ice here. I don't have a back-up done, as my external storage drive has taken a dive!

This present drive in question was an emergency replacement to a VelociRaptor that was in my machine. The VR got hit hard by a real spooky attack 3 years ago and I was right in the middle of a project that had time constraints. So, it was off to the local Staple's for this Blue drive. It had the biggest cache, and was the only 7200 SATA they had in stock- I paid $69 for it! :eek

This CPU/ Mobo combo, along with the Blue drive needs replacing. I want to keep this machine running XP Pro, so I have a Phenom X4 965 Black, mATX ASUS mobo, and a 250GB V-Raptor w/64MB cache to throw at it- when I get some time.

 

I urge you to stop using the hard drive immediately, and image the drive ASAP.

Your access time is 15+ seconds... far slower than the average for your particular drive. My guess is that the drive motor heads are showing signs of wear/breakdown, which could be causing the file system check issues as well (it's unable to complete certain tasks).

Honestly, at this point, I am not even absolutely sure you will be able to successfully image the drive, but I definitely hope you can.

If somehow I'm way off on this, someone please let me know. However, I've seen drives "slow down" like this, and fail soon afterward.

 

No arguement here.

On a slow spindown to a dead stop...

 

OK, thanks... I guess!... I'll shoot an image right now. Maybe if I do it before it blows, I can repair the files once on the new drive. :confused

 

OK, I have the True Image installed. Not sure what to do next- clone or add new drive to system. Sorry, I really don't have time in my schedule to go through the PDF at present.
Thanx!
tim w

 

You want to clone the drive.

 

Agreed.

 

Thanks, you guys, mission accomplished. I didn't want to use this brand new V-Raptor sitting here, so I dug up an old SG Barracuda 7200 16MB cache drive I had laying around. Took that drive and did a 3 pass wipe, installed it and gave it a name in Disk Management, and downloaded the Macrium Reflect Free imagining prog. The Acronis through WD apparently has a code written into it as WD states you have to use their drives on both sides of the op. Anyway, we cloned to the Seagate and all is well. I'm running it now. Went into 'cmd' and ran 'chkdsk' without a switch and all is well. If you'd like, I can run HD Tune on it for the sake of conversation on the status.
I am going to do a clean install on the V-Raptor as soon as I have some time to install the new CPU and mobo. I have 2 other machines that are Windows 7, Ivy Bridge i7 powered that I do my work on. This XP machine and I have spent a lot of time together and I use it for Facebook and online gaming, burning, and things of that nature.
I don't understand how you came up with that 15+ figure, 'mcmsc', but the drive was a bit notchy and not as smooth as this one. Hard to describe, but it's like a seat of the pants thing.
I appreciate all of your constructive input, both of you, and I look forward to hearing if you want to see the diagnostics on the 'Cuda.
Thanks! :wave

tim w

 

I'm glad you were able to successfully image the drive!

The 15+ figure was from one of your screenshots. It's in the middle on the right hand side of the HDhealth.bmp file, in yellow. The drive in question's average was between 8 and 11 seconds (based on reading or writing). Slower access time than the rated average speeds denotes that the drive heads are having mechanical issues, which once they are present, tend to get worse fairly quickly.

I do think it would be a good idea to run HD Tune on the other drive to ensure it's up to par... I doubt you want to have further issues.

And yes, the WD version of Acronis is designed solely for transferring between WD branded drives... it's part of the license agreement of the software.

 

Hell, 'mcsmc', this drive looks just as bad, if not a bit worse!!!... See the attched HD Tune Diag's.

Funny thing, the 'Cuda is smoother and a tad faster, and isn't glitchin' and twitchin' like the WD Caviar Blue was. The SG is at 16.8/ms Access in the Benchmark test, and the Spin Retry exceeds the threshold, plush the Unknown Attribute (B8) does, too!

Well, we're backed up, 'Cuda passes 'chkdsk' (no switch, read only) and passes just fine with zero bad sectors, etc.

Ain't this fun???... LOL!

Thanks!

tim w

 

Oh yeah, I forgot- I installed a brand new Roswel hi performance SATA cable from drive to mobo, too.

 

Yes, that drive appears to be experiencing a (slow?) mechanical breakdown as well.

 

Yeah, it's 5 yrs. old... Ran 'chkdsk' and it showed clean... ran 'chkdsk /f' and when it was done running Windows rebooted to a black screen with large, moveable hour glass cursor- once again, 'last known good...'.
I'm going to reboot it to Spinrite with (4) switch and go to bed.
Thanks...