Amazing WinRAR problem.. i'm stumped, and i'm no noob

OK, the common part of this story is that WinRAR gives me "CRC failed. File is Corrupt" when I try to extract a large multi-Rar file.

The uncommon part is: I'm running the latest WinRAR (3.7.1) on Windows XP SP2, SFV Checker checks all RARS as OK, and the RARs extract fine on my girlfriend's computer (Vista, WinRar 3.7.1)! (Yes, I'm starting extraction from the same file on both computers. It works on hers, but not on mine, even though we're using the same version of WinRAR and starting extraction from the same file).

I tried PowerArchiver, and I get the same CRC/File Corrupt error on my computer.

I've scanned my computer for viruses, even run all of the virus scanners/fixes recommended in the majorgeeks.com malware removal support forum (see attached logs). I've even uninstalled WinRar, removed all Winrar entries from the Windows Registry, then Reinstalled WinRar. Still get CRC fail/File Corrupt.

I ran a test on my RAM using Microsoft's bootable RAM tester application, let it run all night, and it says the RAM's fine. I ran chkdsk on both of my hard drives, and it did find some bad cluster and said it added them to its list (so i'm assuming windows now knows not to use these bad parts of the hard drives).

I tried deleting and redownloading the RARs after having run chkdsk, but I still get CRC Fail/File Corrupt.

I even tried taking the disk that I used to transfer the data to my GF's computer (where the extraction worked fine) and copied the data from that disc back to my hard drive, then tried extracting that data on my computer.. STILL CRC Fail/File Corrupt.



I would just ditch this archive and move on, but this problem happens very often on my computer.. Only when attempting to extract large, multi-RAR archives. Sometimes it works fine, but often it doesn't.

Has anyone ever seen this happen before? Does anyone know a solution, or anything else I can try? I'm really pulling my hair out over this one

Only thing I can think to do at this point is to do a windows repair install, but i'm hoping to avoid that..

Thank you

 

additional logs

 

Time for a battery change? CR2032. This passes the info of your hard drive/cd-rom, etc to Window$. Cheap & easy fix. Hope this helps.

 

Have you tried saving the rars from the working cd/dvd disc to your other HD(without the bad clusters) and extracting?

Does TugZip work to extract the rars?

 

Changed Motherboard battery, that didn't help.

Tried tugzip, and it worked! I just don't understand though... WinRAR 3.71 works to extract these RARs on my girlfriend's computer under Vista, but WinRAR 3.71 gives me CRC Error when extracting the same RARs on my computer under XP.

I'm sure that other people are extracting this archive under XP using WinRAR 3.71 with no problems, because nobody else has complained about CRC Error on this archive.


My Windows Drive is the drive that had bad clusters. When I ran chkdsk I had both options checked: "Automatically fix file system errors" and "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors." Will chkdsk, with these options, either fix or quarantine the bad sectors so that they're not used anymore?

My thinking is that perhaps Windows is using a bad sector/cluster in its pagefile, and that is causing WinRAR to write the wrong data. Maybe TUGRar uses less of the pagefile and therefore is not using this bad sector/cluster. But if chkdsk quarantines the bad sectors/clusters, then this can't be the case..


I really want to understand why I've been having this problem, because I want to make sure that my computer isn't writing incorrect data. I spend a lot of time on my computer doing work, it would be disastrous for me if my data was corrupted during the save process.

If anyone has any ideas about this, please share

 

One other thing: I have also been having trouble completing successful data verification when I burn DVD's using Nero. The data that my computer burns onto the DVD often (but not always) does not exactly match the data on the hard drive.

Data verification is always successful on my girlfriend's computer.

This is consistent with my theory that my computer is using a bad sector/cluster in its pagefile, I think (considering that my RAM tests as error free).. Does anyone know more about this, or have a better theory?

 

Maybe try progressively smaller pagefiles to see if that frees up the bad cluster so Chkdsk can deal with it? Bazza

 

But when I run chkdsk, windows reboots so that it can have "exclusive access to system resources." When chkdsk then runs, all I see is a special microsoft "blue background chkdsk screen". Doesn't this mean that when chkdsk is operating under these circumstances, that chkdsk has access to the entire disk, including the pagefile? (i.e. pagefile is not in use when running chkdsk)

 

Thanks Tim, followed all steps and still having same problem.. here are the logs you requested, I will post in malware forum as well.

 

TimW told me that I should post back here now that we're sure my computer is clean of malware, so here I am. I'm still having the same problem.

Here is my fixwareout log:

http://forums.majorgeeks.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=88151&d=1210397593

 

OK, I used Alcohol to burn the ISO file extracted from the multi-RAR archive using TugZip. Then I used DVDInfo Pro to compare the ISO file extracted by TugZip with the data burned on the DVD.

DVDInfo Pro found differences between the data on the disc and the data in the ISO file.

This is seriously crazy, does anyone know why this could be happening?

 

I think I've made some progress in diagnosing this.

The only files that are failing data verification when burned are ISO files. I don't know why...

This leaves me with the RAR failing to extract issue..

 

It looks like bad media was complicating things, but I still have some confusing issues.. Using DVDInfo Pro I was able to tell exactly which files were written wrong and which ones were written right. For files other than ISO disc images, the files at the outer edge of the DVD were always the ones with errors. So I just put less on the disc, and then the DVD verified fine.

ISO's are still a mystery. ISO verification always fails on my computer, but never on my GF's computer.

 

I am not that familiar with it but could it be the Nvidia Firewall? I don't mean it affecting or corrupting your downloads, but it can affect alot of applications.

I would check that, then look at what "security software" I had installed and disable those and try the .rar files.

Steve

 

Hi,
I actually have the same problem as maxplanck735, nothing different!
On the same computer I tried to install Windows XP SP1, SP2 and now I'm under Vista SP1 32bit. I still get CRC errors on those 3 different OS (same computer).
Files aren't corrupt because I checked them with SFV, I tried different sources, other multipart files, they unpack correctly on my father's computer , other friends who downloaded this file didn't complaint about this error. I guess there's something hardware behing all that ?
I tried Memtest86+ bootable to check my memory (4GO RAM) no errors...so I wonder how we could fix this problem ?
I removed my RAM, to leave only 2Go Ram...same problem...
I have a Core2Duo E6750 @ 2.66 Ghz and Motherboard ASUS P5W DH with Geforce 7800 256Mo.
When I check "keep corrupt files" on Winrar with multi-part RAR files that contain music it's fine, but when I use it with Multi-rar files that contain ISO file they are unrared but never work, because they are corrupt.
For example when I open the Winrar-window the ISO file is 6.5 Gigas, when unrared with "keep corrup files" I get a 5.3 gigas file...so I guess something is wrong because of CRC error and this is why it's unreadable.
Anyone can help us with that issue? I will appreciate help for that!

Kind regards,

Zack