Problems after Diskeeper boot-time defrag

I have a problem when I use the boot-time defrag option in Diskeeper. I logged the issue with Diskeeper Support, and they advised me to reformat my hard drive.

I use DK 10 Home, on WinXP Home, with 6GB of free space (22%).

If I run a successful boot-time defrag, the next startup causes the CHKDSK warning to be displayed. I cannot then do a manual defrag unless I allow the CHKDSK to run. This means that I run CHKDSK before *and* after a boot-time defrag.

After the second run of CHKDSK, there are no problems, and CHKDSK does not ask to be run at startup.

Here is the sequence of events.

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1) Run CHKDSK /F /R. All OK.

2) After next startup, run two manual defrags to prepare the disk for a boot-time defrag. All OK.

3) Set a boot-time defrag for next startup.

4) Set ZoneAlarm, Spyware Doctor, Kaspersky AV not to be enabled at startup. Disable VSDATANT.

5) At next startup, I get a message asking if I want to defrag. Select Yes.

6) This defrag runs OK. After completion, press ESC to reboot.

7) At the reboot, I get a message saying that I need to run CHKDSK on the drive.

8) Cancel this check.

9 ) After startup, try to start a manual defrag. DK refused, saying that CHKDSK needs to be run on the volume.

10) CHKNTFS says that the drive is dirty.

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Hi Alan,

Diskeeper may increase disk activity and attempt to write to previously unused clusters on the disk, and just by running, it can make weak points in the system break. In this case, you have some disk error, most likely in the free space where the Windows disk error checking utility (CHKDSK) cannot find it. This by no means indicates a problem with Diskeeper.

As a safety precaution, Diskeeper's on-line defrag operation will not run on any volume that has the "dirty bit" set.

Best Regards,

Howard Butler
Technical Support Officer
Diskeeper Corporation