XP Start Up problem - File Check

[forget]

My PC, spec below, hasn’t missed a beat in years but has now developed a glitch. On cold start it will, only now and again, go into a file check which takes up top 3 hours!

I’ve reinstalled SP2, defragged etc. Is there any where I can find a record of what’s causing this – and fix it?

Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 (build 2600) VIA Technologies, Inc. Chipset-AV41
Processor a Main Circuit Board b
1.50 gigahertz Intel Pentium 4
8 kilobyte primary memory cache
256 kilobyte secondary memory cache Board: Chipset-AV41
Bus Clock: 100 megahertz
BIOS: Award Software International, Inc. 6.00 PG 12/11/2001
Drives Memory Modules c,d
20.01 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
3.42 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space

ATAPI DVD-ROM 12X [CD-ROM drive]
BTC BCE1610IM [CD-ROM drive]
3.5" format removeable media [Floppy drive]

WDC WD200BB-00CVB0 [Hard drive] (20.02 GB) -- drive 0, s/n WD-WMAC21425686, rev 05.04E05, SMART Status: Healthy 256 Megabytes Installed Memory

Slot 'A0' has 256 MB
Slot 'A1' is Empty
Slot 'A2' is Empty
Local Drive Volumes

c: (on drive 0) 20.01 GB 3.42 GB free

[Mac the Knife]

Do you mean its running Scandisk/chkdsk or do you mean the Windows System File Checker is running? What's on your screen?

If SFC is running have a look at - http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;310747 - the registry key may be bollixed.

Take a look at Settings/Control Panel/Administrative Tools/Event Viewer/System and look through the Errors and Warnings (some of these are not significant, but you may be able to pin it down by time).

Your HDD is a bit small and elderly - having just had a heavily used WDD drive fail on me (only second HDD failure ever), I wonder a bit about the drive's health. If you have SMART tunrned on in the BIOS it will warn you of impending drive failure on botup (the WD200BB is SMART enabled).

Good luck :ok:

[forget]

Thanks Mac, Windows System File Checker runs. I'll take a look at what you've suggested. I take your point on the HD!

Having looked - there seem to be a lot of errors 'PctSpk' - what's this mean?

[Mac the Knife]

...."pctspk.exe is a diagnostic program for PCTel modems. It doesn't seem to be recquired. Some people have said their modem still works after closing this program while others have reported problems.? "

Your copy of pctspk is possibly corrupt and Windows is replacing it's working copy. Alternatively the real pctspk has been replaced by a trojan. Or it's on a dodgy bit of the disk and Windows sometimes reads it correctly and sometimes not.

"Description: File pctspk.exe is located in the folder C:\Windows\System32. Known file sizes on Windows XP are 86016 bytes (55% of all occurrence), 163840 bytes, 167936 bytes, 180224 bytes, 74752 bytes, 173056 bytes, 155648 bytes, 68608 bytes, 176128 bytes.It is a Windows system file. The program has no visible window. It is a Microsoft signed file."

I suggest that you find it and RENAME it to pctspk.old (rename so that you block a potentially bad sector). Windows SHOULD replace it with a clean version from the dllcache folder.

You may need to disable WFP in order to get a good copy in - see
http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/790/
and
http://www.updatexp.com/windows-file-protection.html

Getting a good copy - there should be one in one of the .cabs in the XP install disk - or try Google.

Edited to add:
On my XP Pro SP2 there is a copy of pctspk.exe in C:\WINDOWS\Driver Cache\i386\driver.cab - size 86016, date 17/08/2001 10:36 PM.
Winzip can open .cab files and extract it. If you have problems finding it, pm me and I'll send you a copy.

[forget]

Thanks again Mac. After what you said about my HD I may just have a new one installed and, while that's being done, have the whole thing checked out.

[Avtrician]

Just had a scan thru my C drive, and no pctspk.exe was found. So not an essential file (unless your modem needs it :- if you use a modem). Should be safe to delete.