🚀 go-pugleaf

Andy Mabbett wrote in message ...
>A couple of times lately, while running Scandisc overnight, I've been
>told "Windows has had to restart 10 times because another programme
>is using this drive" (I paraphrase). I've even tried closing down
>everything in sight (via CTRL- ALT- DEL).
>
>What can I do?

Hi Andy,

FWIW, a standard ScanDisk check (which I assume you are NOT running)
should take very roughly 15 secs per gigabyte.  A thorough check
WITHOUT write checking should take very roughly 4-5 minutes per
gigabyte.  A thorough check WITH write checking should take very
roughly 9 minutes per gigabyte.  All these are ballpark figures and
apply if you have prevented interruptions, and the screensaver does
not kick in.

Since you're running ScanDisk overnight, I assume you are running it
with: Type of test: "Thorough" radio button - checked
Options: Do not perform write testing - UNchecked
and on a large (greater than 2-3 Gbyte) drive (otherwise why leave it
overnight?).

Since you don't run a screensaver, if you have closed all processes
revealed in the Ctrl-Alt-Del scan except Explorer and Systray, you
have now eliminated all the more common causes of this problem and
there is NO point consulting the relevant MS Knowledge base article
(http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q222/4/69.ASP)
mentioned here merely for other interested parties.

Your problem WILL BE due to a background process accessing the drive
and causing ScanDisk to restart.

Processes need not reveal themselves to the Ctrl-Alt-Del scan, so
other things to consider in no particular order are:

1) Are you running System Agent and scheduling a conflicting disk
task?

2) Are you running an on-access background virus checker?  This will
cause disk activity, and prevent Scandisk completing.

3) Do you have a virus?  Unlikely, but you can download a free
scanner, eg F-PROT from
http://www.complex.is/

4) Is it possible that there is some event sound that is triggering
during this process?  This will certainly cause disk activity, and
there is a chance this may interfere with Scandisk.

5) Other processes may be launched from registry keys at bootup, (Use
Regedit.exe) and the keys to check are:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

6) Another launch point is WIN.INI file, section
[windows]
load=

7) Another launch point is Autoexec.bat, check for non-standard
programs loading:

8) Yet another launch point is the folder:
C:\WINDOWS\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp\ - check what is starting from
there.

9) The only remaining launch point I am aware of is reached by
directly altering the internal strings hardcoded in file IO.SYS at or
around offset A40Dhex (Win95 OSR2 value).  Do you have a hacker in the
area?

10) Is the machine connected to a network where another user may be
triggering disk activity?

Failing any of these, I imagine you're running SETIathome, and you've
got one (I expect they'd like to know at:
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/).

I hope this helps.

William