I’ve reported to Microsoft a relatively small but nasty problem in Windows XP running the utility called chkdsk.exe.
When you have a wireless keyboard you cannot interrupt chkdsk when it is scheduled to run after booting the PC, allthough it puts up a message giving you 10 seconds to prevent the utility from running.
In my case I scheduled a chkdsk because of a suspected problem with the harddisk. Chkdsk ran until 48% of stage 4 was reached and then would go no further even after waiting for a whole day.
So I powered off (very bad but the only way out) and rebooted in the hope of stopping chkdsk at the start.
To my surprise the system did not accept interrupts from a wireless keyboard when the message on the blue screen said you have 10 seconds to stop chkdsk from running.
You are now stuck with chkdsk running to stage 4 and then having to power off only to reboot again and being unable to prevent chkdsk from running again. Vicious circle.
I was forced to install a standard keyboard to interrupt chkdsk.
I wonder what people do who have little computer system experience.
Microsoft has not yet adequately replied to my queries.
They maintain that this is part of the boot process and therefor outside their control.
I beg to differ and maintain that the boot process has no way to know that a chkdsk was scheduled.
In any event I can see XP loading at least partially before the blue screen comes up to start chkdsk.
Has anyone else run into this situation??
