Scandisk Problem Running WINDOWS 98

Turn off antivirus software, pause scheduler, run in safe mode, use ctrl-alt-del and halt all programs except explorer, download adaware from lavasoft.de and run it to clean up spyware, erase files in c:\windows\temp. That should pretty well cover everything with the exception you have a virus or some other background program running which is loaded at bootup! Good Luck

This is really no problem, unless you are pressed for time.
The applet that tells you that it has restarted ten times because windows is writing to the drive, also asks if you want to continue receiving the message.
Tell it NO.
Even though the process is being interupted by the drive being written to, it will continue to scandisk. It takes a little longer.
If you are pressed for time, force the drive to be written to 10 times. This way you get the message applet and tell it NO, and don't have to wait for it to do it on its own.
Or, don't do the thorough route, use the standard scandisk.
Note: Make sure automatically fix errors is checked.
If none of this works, go over to CNet and download a trial of System Mechanic. This will allow you to turn off everything that could possibly wrtite to the disk while scandisking.
Note: Read the advice and warnings the Mechanic offers. It can have serious effects on the performance of your system if improperly used.
Hope this helps.

If you really want to do it right, always run scandisk & defrag, or an AV scan in safe mode. Nothing except absolutely necessary minimal drivers & processes are then running to operate the OS @ minimal resources, the activity(s) run much quicker without all those unnecessary services & programs running.

With other programs & services running while scandisk is also running, and a writing sequence to the HDD happens, the scandisk operation stops momentarily to allow that write process to happen otherwise you would lose the data it has read & is then writing. He's right, the scandisk process continues until finished (but don't we defeat the purpose when we run it w/other programs running? Which is afterall to make sure that all important FAT is in good order, and on a full the entire drive is ok?)

Close all open programs you can in the systray (area near the clock), then use the close program area (Ctrl+Alt+Delete-Once Only) Close each program in order except; Explorer & Systray. Then run your Disk Cleanup, Then Scandisk, Then Defrag (If you use another Defragging type of utility IE; Norton's Speedisk, then forgo the Windows Defrag Utility completely and run it instead). Every once in a while close programs the same and follow the same order inserting a Full(Thorough)Scandisk after running a Minimal Scandisk & before Defragging.

SafeMode is still the best though.

Good Luck. Prolly bored ya to tears.

Just to elaborate a little.

Both scandisk and defrag restart ANY time another program access the hard drive.

Windows may access the hard drive from time to time to update virtual memory.

In order to run either program sucesfully, you need to shut down ALL running programs, and disable your screen saver.

Right click on ALL icons in your system tray. Exit / close all that you can.

Use task manager (Alt-Ctrl-Del) to display other running tasks.
Close ALL those EXCEPT Explorer.

Right click on a blank area of the desktop, select properties.
On the screen saver tab, select none.
Click apply and close the Window.

Now, scandisk should run all the way through.

Booting into safe mode is a simple way to reduce both the amount of running programs, and have the swap file be as small as possible.

Chas

Start system in safe mode and stop screen saver from coming on, start defrag and it should complete the task.

did you uninstall winamp or ather program /winmx,etc/ ? some programs try to connect to server/music/

To really get a true scandisk and surface scan without the interferance of apps or other unwants, you should reboot to msdos then type scandisk. After complete you will reboot to safe mode and turn off everything but explorer including your screen saver, delete all files in your temp folders, clean up or delete your cookies and do any other clean up that you think is necessary. Empty recyle bin then run defrag.

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