CHKDSK

Simple question. What causes CHKDSK errors? Especially the ones that only resolved when I unplugged from the internet? Thank you in advance.

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To make a long answer short, problems with the file system cause chkdsk errors. More specifically, based on how you are performing the chkdsk procedure you may be confused about what constitutes a real error. If you are running CHKDSK from the command prompt without any other switches, it will run in read only mode. It will most likely find "errors" with in use files such as temporary internet files. Thus, this is the reason you see errors when you are hooked up to the internet. If you then follow the instructions to run CHKDSK /F and reboot your computer to complete the process, you may think this corrected your errors. It did not! Because those "errors" do not exist during the reboot because those files are no longer in use. This is why you have to reboot your computer to run the chkdsk /f. It is to free up those in use files. So, you turn right around and run chkdsk again thinking your system should be fixed now, and low and behold, more errors with inuse files. So, to sum this up, those aren't errors. If you want to confirm this, pay close attention to the chkdsk information that you will see during the reboot process. Most likely you will see that it doesn't find any errors during the CHKDSK /F check.

appleoddity, thank you for your expert well delivered explanation. I wish the “MS” security experts could have given such an expert explanation. They simply claimed that every one of my computers that had different processors, different motherboards and different video cards fell into the category of “bizarre” hardware configurations that simply did this type of “bizarre” hardware configuration “CHKDSK” output. I guess there really are explanations to seemingly “bizarre” events. I know that XP PRO is obsolete software. MS told me that when I went to them to buy it and they referred me to the world to get it, since they no longer sold it. I took up Red China on it and they sent me a genuine validated XP PRO software disk. Since it was not exactly what I ordered from them, I asked for my money back for it that they had shipped me from Langley, Virginia. They refunded my $10 and said essentially I could keep it. How can Red China stay in business giving away genuine validated MS XP PRO software is also, to me quite bizarre. In any case do you also have an opinion on why ZoneAlarm has the ability to also cure the CHKDSK errors and why it takes 7-9 percent of computer power at rest for it to do so? Thank you in advance.

Zonealarm is probably blocking a particular program that is utilizing your internet connection and possibly generating temporary files. Thats the best I can explain. You've probably blocked a program that, you may find out later, needs internet access. I don't know why ZoneAlarm takes up so many resources. I don't use it. It is my general opinion that this type of software is un-needed and I would prefer to not use it due to the annoyances and performance issues as you have already stated in other threads.

appleoddity, thank you again for your clear and concise explanation. I also would like to feel comfortable using XP Pro without ZoneAlarm. Unfortunately, until MS makes software that is functioning in a relatively secure way where unknown and unwanted contact with the internet is not common, I think I am condemned to use it. I thought going to Win 7 pro would be an improvement, but it is already refusing to work in protected mode and read PNG files, so since update/upgrade reinstall did not resolve the problems with it, I think I am also condemned to do a reformat and reload of 7, just like I have had to do with XP Pro so many times I lost count years ago. I am no computer expert, but I will never feel comfortable running software that makes unwanted contact with unknown people for unknown reasons. Thank you again for your help. Now I can go back using the computers to do my financial transactions that are way behind schedule. As soon as I retype in it all my passwords that Win 7 keeps throwing away.

appleoddity, I finally got Win 7 Pro to not have any CHKDSK errors and to work in protected mode(NOT ANY MORE) IT WENT BACK TO SOME OF ITS OLD WAYS AFTER A FEW DAYS, but I had to have it unplugged from the internet during the entire reinstall and reformat of the boot drive. Then and only then did I get it to work. I hope this information is useful to all the other non computer experts here. I also learned to use 5 year old scsi raid 15k drives and do not get the slow solid state drives, if you are going to go through all the testing I just did. This lack of speed of the solid states was confirmed to me by the hard drive support people. Now since I am not getting CHKDSK errors, I can use CHKDSK for its intended purpose and be reasonably assured that the computer is not making unwanted contact to unknown people for unknown purposes. I thank you for all your help.

Appleoddity, I have a couple of other questions. I reconfigured security on the computers in accordance with product recommendations here. With ZoneAlarm installed on 3 of my computers, all configured as public with no contact allowed, why does “a” computer, that I have not reloaded Xp Pro on but have ZA and antivirus on, constantly try to make contact on “b” and “c” computer, that I have reformatted and reloaded the operating systems? All computers scan clean with Malwarebytes and their own active antimal/virus programs and all scanable internet based programs. But despite this “a” computer acts as if ZA isn’t even installed, or something is going through it as if it was not there and trying to make contact with the “b” and “ c” computers along multiple ports. ZA does function as designed on it otherwise. Second, “c” computer, which is Win7 pro, and has Avast installed on it, with Avast in live “file system shield” mode gives data files of a program closed hours ago as the last file scanned, despite working on it for an hour in IE8, but only when it is connected to the internet. The maker of the program that uses the data files says that the program is not capable by itself to do this. It does not happen when I unplug from the internet. Can you explain this and say how to stop this undesirable behavior? “c” is a bran new load of reformatted Win7 Pro with ZA and Avast installed on it before I connected it to the internet and for the first few days actually ran IE8 in protected mode and loaded PNC files, which it does now only intermittently. “a” computer is not running during the behavior described on “c” computer. Third, on “b” computer the “D” data drive, that I had disconnected from the computer as I reloaded XP Pro is recognized as “D” by XP Pro now that I reconnected it, but the whole drive appears to be write protected and certain of its directories only give an “Access denied” message when attempting to access them for any data. What is the best way to get “D” to act as it did before I disconnected it and reloaded XP? Thank you in advance.