HELP: chkdsk.exe file corrupted

Question

I ran a program the other day that I was told to run once a week on here to check for virses and after I ran it I turned off the computer and the next morning when I turned the computer back on it was coming up that the chkdsk.exe file is corrupted and then today it was coming up that one that starts with a j is corrputed...and it wont let me download anything to try to fix this so what should i do??

Answer 1

Did you try the System Restore and the Startup Repair recommended in my first post?  If not, you should do so.

SFC isn't completing which means that there's severe corruption on your system - so severe the program can't even complete.

Chkdsk isn't working so we can identify or repair any hard disk corruption (and it seems corruption is the reason it won't work).

You can't download any files for diagnostic or repair efforts (have you tried with safe mode with networking by booting and pushing the F8 key repeatedly until you get the menu and then selecting that option?).  There's a hard disk diagnostic program I'd like to have you download and run to test the hard drive.  To test your hard drive, check the manufacturer and then get the diagnostic utility from: http://www.techsupportforum.com/hardware-support/hard-drive-support/302602-hard-drive-diagnostic-utilities.html.  If it fails the test, replace it.  If it passes the test, then there's probably nothing wrong with it.  If necessary, download it with another computer and transfer it to the problem computer with a flash drive and then install and run it (if you can - if you can't, post back).

Do you have a genuine Windows Vista Installation Disk or only a Recovery Disk from the Computer Manufacturer (or no disk at all except perhaps the one you may have made per my instructions to do the Startup Repair and perhaps even the System Restore - it can do it from the disk)?  Do you have a Recovery Partition on your computer with perhaps a keyboard command to activate it (and do you know what that command is)?  If you don't know the answers to these questions, you may want to contact your computer manufacturer to get the answers as that's pretty much the next step in troubleshooting.  If you can get your hands on a genuine Windows Vista Installation Disk then that would be great because otherwise the only option is a clean install which neither of us would prefer.

We're running out of options.  It seems to me that you have a bad corruption problem on your hard drive which is the root cause of all these problems.  That may be repairable or you may need to replace the drive.  That's the reason for the diagnostic program listed above - to check it out.

I look forward to your response.

Good luck!

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Lorien - MCSE/MCSA/Network+/A+ --- If this post helps to resolve your issue, please click the "Mark as Answer" or "Helpful" button at the top of this message. By marking a post as Answered, or Helpful you help others find the answer faster.

Answer 2

It's chkdsk /f /r (note the spaces).  It may require you to reboot to do it at the next startup (but if it is corrupted, we'd expect it to not be functioning properly so maybe this is the result).

The link I gave is valid - I just went there.  The one you posted has a space in it and that would make it invalid.  Just click on the link in the post itself.  This may be important if you can't do sfc /scannow (note the space) since it's the only other way to fix corrupted system files and that might very well be the problem.

Good luck.

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Lorien - MCSE/MCSA/Network+/A+ --- If this post helps to resolve your issue, please click the "Mark as Answer" or "Helpful" button at the top of this message. By marking a post as Answered, or Helpful you help others find the answer faster.

Answer 3

i tried the http://www.vista64.com/tutorials 88236-repair-install-vista.html and this is what it said  ShellExecutefailed code 267 directory name is invalid

Answer 4

ok i did the sfc/scannow and it go to 40% complete and said that it could not perform the request operation..so i tried the chkdsk/f/r and it came up NTFS and cannot lock current driver

Answer 5

Do you know when this problem began?  Try a System Restore to a point in time BEFORE the problem began.  Here's the procedure: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/using-windows-vista-system-restore/.  Be sure to check the box to show more than 5 days of restore points.  If the first attempt fails, then try an earlier point or two.  NOTE: You will have to re-install any software and updates you installed between now and the restore point, but you can use Windows Update for the updates.  Use the recovery disk if the system prompt doesn’t work.

If the System Restore doesn't work, do a Startup Repair by booting to the genuine Windows Vista Installation Disk (or one you can borrow from ANYONE) or from a Recovery Disk.  Here's the procedure: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial148.html.  To boot to the CD you may need to change the BIOS to make the CD-drive first in the boot sequence.  To do that, wait for the screen that tells you the F key to push to access the boot menu or boot setup.  Push it quickly. Make the changes, save your work, and exit.  Put the CD in the drive and reboot.  When prompted, push any key to boot from the CD.

If you don't have either disk, you can make a bootable Recovery Disk using http://neosmart.net/blog/2008/windows-vista-recovery-disc-download/ along with burning software like: http://www.snapfiles.com/get/active-isoburner.html and, of course, a blank CD.  You may need to go to safe mode to access the internet and do the downloads (or use another computer).

If that doesn't work, try to boot into safe mode (repeatedly click the F8 key while booting and go to safe mode with networking – or do so from the command prompt on the disk).  Then let's check some of your system files:

Go to Start / All Programs / Accessories / Command prompt and right click on command prompt and click run as Administrator (you can skip this step if using the disk).

Type sfc /scannow and enter and let it run.  It will scan and try to fix some of your system files.  Hopefully it will complete with no corruption it could not repair (if there is such corruption post back here or try to analyze it to find the problem file(s) using http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928228.  Try to post any corrupted files here so we can see if they can be repaired with good copies from the installation disk (unless there are too many).  It sounds like you do have some corruption.

While in Command Prompt, type chkdsk /f /r and enter and let it run (it may fail because of the error saying it is corrupted, but it's worth a try).  It will scan and try to fix any corruption or bad sectors on your hard drive and mostly remove that as a potential cause.

If that doesn't work, then please post any repeating error messages from the Event Viewer concerning startup (Start / Control Panel / Administrative Tools / Event Viewer – or typing eventvwr from the command prompt).  Here's how to use Event Viewer: http://www.petri.co.il/vista-event-viewer.htm.

If that doesn't work (and I think we'll be forced to this step), we'll need to do a system repair/upgrade using the genuine Windows Vista Installation Disk (one you own or one you can borrow from ANYONE).  Here's the procedure: http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/88236-repair-install-vista.html.  Although this will not affect your data, settings, or programs, you should still backup your data before starting just to be on the safe side. If the other procedures don't work, THIS one is almost certain to work.  You may have a lot of updates to re-install (including any service packs you had to remove).  If the version on the system came with SP1 or SP2 pre-installed and the disk is an earlier version, then you'll need to make a slipstream disk as follows: http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/151606-vista-sp1-slipstream-installation-dvd.html.  

Hopefully one of these procedures will resolve your problem.  If not, post back and we'll try something else.  Post back in any case so we'll know how it turned out.

Good luck!

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Lorien - MCSE/MCSA/Network+/A+ --- If this post helps to resolve your issue, please click the "Mark as Answer" or "Helpful" button at the top of this message. By marking a post as Answered, or Helpful you help others find the answer faster.