[booradley01]

I'm running Windows 98 and I can't scandisk or defrag my computer. During scandisk I keep getting the "Scandisk has restarted 10 times and Windows is writing a program" error. I have nothing running and I just ran Spybot, Ad Aware, and Cool Web Shredder. I don't know what to do.

 

[VirtualMe]

Your anti-virus or some other program maybe causing it.

SpywareGuard has to be turned off on mine when I do a scandisk or defrag, so I just do mine from safe mode.

Boot up in safe mode and run scandisk and defrag.

Starting your computer in Safe mode

 

[booradley01]

Safe mode didn't work. It always stops the scandisk when it starts checking the folders.

 

[telecom69]

I used to suffer from this when I had Windows ME and did find it was much better in safe mode with NO connection to the internet

 

[bilnrobn]

Suggest you go to Power Options in the Control Panel and set all options to Never. (You can note the old settings and reset them afterwards if you wish.) Then turn off your screen saver if you have one operating. If you have Scheduled Tasks set which are scheduled to start within the coming few hours disable them as well, (Control Panel/Scheduled Tasks). Then go to Safe Mode and run ScanDisk followed by Defrag. Even so ScanDisk will take quite a while in Thorough Mode, (mine takes three hours). Defrag will take a while too if it hasn't been run for a long time, but if you run it every few weeks then subsequent runs will be shorter. Hope this helps.

 

[flavallee]

Booradley01:

I've got articles in my website on hard drive maintenance and advanced power management. You might want to read them.

 

[Pacalis]

I'm sorry I don't have a link, as I'm at work . But do a Google on Diskkeeper Lite . It is Freeware , and quite a good Defrag program . This may help, but as suggested earlier, the Defrag and Scan Disc in "Safe Mode" would do the trick. After your initial Defrag , running Diskeeper Lite will help considerably in keeping your Machine Defragmented .

 

[booradley01]

Still no dice, even in safe mode. Like I said, it always messes up while it's trying to check the folders.

 

[Dingenium]

Have you tried shutting down your computer the wrong way and then letting the computer auto Scandisk while it comes up?

 

[bilnrobn]

That will only give you a Standard scan, not a Thorough one, but it will be interesting to see if it works.

 

[seidnerm]

Still no dice, even in safe mode. Like I said, it always messes up while it's trying to check the folders.

I was having similar problems. Scandisk would work for me in safe mode but not if I chose the "thorough" option. It would hang the computer before it finished.

The solution that worked for me was to temporarily remove the "Quick Launch" toolbar (plus also, turn off screen saver, firewalls, anti-virus program and any programs running in task manager except explorer & systray)

 

[booradley01]

The Scandisk works when I do not shut down properly, but not all of the time.

Also, I honestly have no clue how to remove the "Quick Launch" toolbar (plus also, turn off screen saver, firewalls, anti-virus program and any programs running in task manager except explorer & systray). I don't know what Task Manager is and as far as I know systray isn't running when I start up.

 

[bilnrobn]

Click the Start button, then settings then Control Panel. You can change the screensaver settings by double clicking Display in the Control Panel. Your AntiVirus and Firewall both probably have an icon in the tray, down by the clock. If you click with your right mouse button you can disable both.
And systray will be running.
If you want to see what opens when you boot up click Start, then run. Now type in msconfig and hit enter. Now click the Startup tag and a list appears. Everything with a tick starts at bootup. You can stop them opening by unticking, but don't do so unless you know what you are doing. (You can always tick them again if you wish to though.)

 

[cisco2004]

I use Diskeeper Lite daily with no problems. Takes about a minute or two to defrag. It's free. http://www.freedownloadscenter.com/...ance_and_Repair_Utilities/Diskeeper_Lite.html