Can't run Check disc in Windows XP

[stickyb]

Friend of mine has an XP system, and tried to run a disc check.

Selected the options, and got the normal message that this could not be done now as it needed exclusive
access and so would be scheduled for next reload.

Next time reloaded, disc check tried to start, gave error message "Unable to access drive c:" (which is the only hard drive) and then continued to load.

This now happens on every switch on.

How can I either
a) make it run the disc check once on startup
or
b) stop it trying to run every time

[stickyb]

Yes, tried that.
Spent a long long time loading in safe mode with no display on the screen other than the list of modules, but then when back into normal mode still tries (and fails) the disc check

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

stickyb,

If you cannot get the error checking to run in Safe Mode, there is one more option. Boot from the WinXP CD, then go into Recovery Console. Type from the C Prompt:

chkdsk drive /p /r

/p : Does an exhaustive check of the drive and corrects any errors.

/r : Locates bad sectors and recovers readable information.

Take Care,

Richard

[stickyb]

Sorry Richard, I don't think I have explained myself very well.

Let me try again. This all started with a right click in explorer on the c drive, select properties, then select tools, then select Error checking, check now
Ticking the Automatically fix file system errors results in the message "The disck check could not be performed becuase exclusive access to the drive could not be obtained. Do you want to schedule this disk check to occur the next time you restart the computer?" and then clicking on yes.

I understand this is all normal windows behaviour up to this point, but where it goes wrong is on the next reload. You would normally get a pause in the boot sequence where the checkdisk is run, with messages detailing progress, but all that happens is the error "unable to access the drive C" on each and every subsequent load.
Running checkdisk as you suggest from the recovery console works fine, no problems. Running it under windows without the Auto fix option works fine. The problem is that I can't get rid of the scheduled attempt which fails on every load.

[stickyb]

Sorry folks, making a bit of a pig's ear of this one. I have just done another seach on the Msoft KB, and found this.
Msoft KB (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;823439&Product=winxp)
which describes the error apart from the fact that I am not seeing the IFSUTIL line.

However, it doesn't say how to get rid of the problem!! Where is the startup setting made?

TCS, if you mean the norton av software, this is happeneing long long before that starts

[stickyb]

Havn't tried that, seems a bit drastic and don't want to loose other stuff