Chkdsk problem "Cannot open volume for direct access"

[}{ell]

I scheduled chkdsk /f to run at the next restart (from the command prompt) because when i was using Ad-Ware it found a corrupt file and suggested i run Chkdsk...so i did. It started chkdsk, but then gave the following message "Cannot open volume for direct access" at which point chkdsk stops and windows loaded. Now when I try to Defrag it says “chkdsk is scheduled to run, please run chkdsk /f”. I wondered if it was Norton Anti Virus or Norton Firewall that are locking the volume so I set them to not start automatically, this still did not work. I have tried many other ideas but still none work (I have tried so many I cant remember them all). Any ideas will be greatly appreciated

-Ben

[Ian]

running

chkntfs /D

will delete the registry entry that runs chkdsk /f at boot, which should let defrag run

[}{ell]

I have done that and it still says chkdsk is scheduled to run on drive C please run chkdsk /f now.

[Ian]

umm, how about

chkdsk /X

Does it try to run chkdsk at every boot , or is the problem that you cant run defrag cos it says that chkdsk will run at the next boot ?

[}{ell]

It does run at every boot but i know how to stop that anyway. Its just that it still says "chkdsk is scheduled to run, please run chkdsk /f" whenever i try and defrag.

I tried chkdsk /X and it said that the volume is being used by another process would you like to run chkdsk on next restart?

[Ian]

If you have a bootable install cd for XP run chkdsk from the recovery console:

Set your PC BIOS to boot from CDROM, Boot from the CD
Select the first option R Repair/Recovery Console
Select your Windows partition by number (usually 1)
Login to XP with administrator password
Run CHKDSK /P from the command line

Rinse and Repeat until no errors are shown, run CHKDSK /P :X for each drive letter (X)

[}{ell]

Thanx a lot for all your help, the method you suggested worked and the problem is now fixed!!!


-Ben

[Ian]

thank gawd for that I was out of ideas

[kinvore]

You know I've been having the exact same problem only it was not resolved by the solution posted by Ian (sorry bro). When I tried accessing the repair/recovery console from the boot disk I received the following message:

Setup did not find any hard disk drives in your computer.

Followed by suggesting that I make sure the HD is powered up, etc. So something is accessing my HD and not allowing me to run chkdsk.

I do have one more specific problem. I have a corrupt file (I know exactly which one it is) but I cannot delete it or run chkdsk to correct it because of this other phantom program that is accessing my HD. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Johnny

You know I've been having the exact same problem only it was not resolved by the solution posted by Ian (sorry bro). When I tried accessing the repair/recovery console from the boot disk I received the following message:

Setup did not find any hard disk drives in your computer.

Followed by suggesting that I make sure the HD is powered up, etc. So something is accessing my HD and not allowing me to run chkdsk.

I do have one more specific problem. I have a corrupt file (I know exactly which one it is) but I cannot delete it or run chkdsk to correct it because of this other phantom program that is accessing my HD. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Johnny

Originally Posted by kinvore

Are you sure that that CD actually CAN find your hard drive? If it is running for example native SATA the original Windows XP cd won't find it, you have to have a CD with support for your sata card (or boot with a drivers disk).

/Andreas

[Olozzj]

thank gawd for that I was out of ideas

Originally Posted by Ian

but in bios and disable native support

If you have Spyware Doctor installed, try the following...

1. Exit from Spyware Doctor (to exit from Spyware Doctor please right click on the Spyware Doctor icon in the notification area (next to the clock on the Windows taskbar) and select Exit from the menu that appears)

2. Delete the file 'ikhlayer.sys' from cwindows\system32\drivers\

3. Restart Spyware Doctor

Chkdsk, defrag and error-checking should now work.

[tommy t]

If you have Spyware Doctor installed, try the following...

1. Exit from Spyware Doctor (to exit from Spyware Doctor please right click on the Spyware Doctor icon in the notification area (next to the clock on the Windows taskbar) and select Exit from the menu that appears)

2. Delete the file 'ikhlayer.sys' from c\windows\system32\drivers\

3. Restart Spyware Doctor

Chkdsk, defrag and error-checking should now work.

Originally Posted by Scanjo

mmm,interesting that is,as a subscribing customer of the named product "pc tools Spyware Doctor v6+ i can confirm that no file exists of the name above within windows sys32/drivers 'ikhlayer.sys' ??????,and i do not have any problems in performing a windows chkdsk,or using my defrag s/ware ,there are a few other files associated with pct sd v6 but not of the above name nor are they a cause of any known problem on my box

[PartMaster]

In my context, the solution was to delete partitions at the end of the disk and recreate them sequentially.
More details : my production disk contains about 30 partitions. Partitions 20 (my production Windows XP) and 21 (data) were corrupted and needed to run chkdsk.
1. After having deleted these two partitions, I was able to run chkdsk on other FAT and NTFS partitions.
2. After having recreated partition 20 from an older healthy (“chekdiskable”) copy, again chkdsk refused to run with “cannot open volume for direct access”.
3. Deleted again : chkdsk OK.
4. Created an empty partition : chkdsk cannot open volume …
The article 823439 in the Microsoft knowledge base says that the problem is corrected in SP2. At that time I was not sure if I had SP2 (in fact I do have XP SP2). I had the idea that it could result from a messy EPBR chain : by constant deleting and creating partitions, maybe the chain points back and forth within the extended partition in such a way that it becomes difficult to follow and sort, or maybe I had too many partitions. I had nothing else to do than try.
5. Cloned the whole disk, deleted all partitions from 20 to the end of the disk, copied partitions 20, 21 and 22, in this order, back from the clone into the big free space at the end of the production disk, starting at the beginning of the free space, ran chkdsk and it worked !
6. Copied the rest of the partitions in sequential order from 23 towards the end of the disk, then I was able to run chkdsk and correct the corrupted partitions.