How to run Scandisk

Have a blank floppy disk available.  You should always have one anyway.

Windows 2000, Windows XP

  • Close all open programs

  • Click on the Start button

  • Open My Computer

  • Locate the C Drive

  • Right Click on the C Drive

  • Left Click on Properties (It is the last item in the list)

  • At the top, left click on the Tools tab

  • Look for Error Checking

  • Left Click on Check Now

  • For a quick scan, do not put a tick in either of the boxes

  • For a thorough surface scan, tick Scan for and Attempt Recovery of Bad Sectors. You should run a surface scan on a regular basis because it will tell you if your hard drive is preparing to fail in the not too distant future.  A few bad spots (up to ten) is considered normal by most hard drive manufacturers, the key here is "Is the problem growing and if so, how fast?"  If you find a bad spot or two on a surface scan, after it gets done, run it again when it finishes.  Does it find more?, run it again.  If it finds more, or it finds 15 or twenty, stop.  You should back up your data and buy a new hard drive NOW!  If you run it a second time and it does not find anything, it is time to start watching carefully.   Run a surface scan every day and watch to see if it finds anymore.  If you run it everyday for a week or so and no more spots are found, begin running the surface scan at least once a week.  Watch for new spots.  This should give you an idea of how fast you will need a new hard drive.  Make sure you keep your data backed up.

  • After it is done, pick another hard drive if you have one.

Windows 98, Windows 98SE, Windows ME

  • Open My Computer

  • Locate the C Drive

  • Right Click on the C Drive

  • Left Click on Properties (It is the last item in the list)

  • At the top, left click on the Tools tab

  • Look for Error Checking

  • Left Click on Check Now

  • After the standard scandisk is done, it will ask you if you want to perform a thorough surface scan.  You should run a surface scan on a regular basis because it will tell you if your hard drive is preparing to fail in the not too distant future.  A few bad spots (up to ten) is considered normal by most hard drive manufacturers, the key here is "Is the problem growing and if so, how fast?"  If you find a bad spot or two on a surface scan, after it gets done, run it again when it finishes.  Does it find more?, run it again.  If it finds more, or it finds 15 or twenty, stop.  You should back up your data and buy a new hard drive NOW!  If you run it a second time and it does not find anything, it is time to start watching carefully.   Run a surface scan every day and watch to see if it finds anymore.  If you run it everyday for a week or so and no more spots are found, begin running the surface scan at least once a week.  Watch for new spots.  This should give you an idea of how fast you will need a new hard drive.  Make sure you keep your data backed up.
  • After it is done, pick another hard drive if you have one.

Windows 95

  • Click the "Start" button
  • Click on "Programs"
  • Click on "Accessories"
  • Click on "System Tools"
  • Click on "Scandisk"
  • Pick the drive (C:)
  • Click on "Start"
  • After the standard scandisk is done, it will ask you if you want to perform a thorough surface scan.  You should run a surface scan on a regular basis because it will tell you if your hard drive is preparing to fail in the not too distant future.  A few bad spots (up to ten) is considered normal by most hard drive manufacturers, the key here is "Is the problem growing and if so, how fast?"  If you find a bad spot or two on a surface scan, after it gets done, run it again when it finishes.  Does it find more?, run it again.  If it finds more, or it finds 15 or twenty, stop.  You should back up your data and buy a new hard drive NOW!  If you run it a second time and it does not find anything, it is time to start watching carefully.   Run a surface scan every day and watch to see if it finds anymore.  If you run it everyday for a week or so and no more spots are found, begin running the surface scan at least once a week.  Watch for new spots.  This should give you an idea of how fast you will need a new hard drive.  Make sure you keep your data backed up.
  • After it is done, pick the D: drive if you have another hard drive.

DOS 6.x/Windows 3.1

  • If you are in Windows, exit  so that you see C:\>  This is called a "C prompt".
  • type "scandisk" and press the "Enter" key after it is done
  • After the standard scandisk is done, it will ask you if you want to perform a surface scan.  You should run a surface scan on a regular basis because it will tell you if your hard drive is preparing to fail in the not too distant future.  A few bad spots (up to ten) is considered normal by most hard drive manufacturers, the key here is "Is the problem growing and if so, how fast?"  If you find a bad spot or two on a surface scan, after it gets done, run it again when it finishes.  Does it find more?, run it again.  If it finds more, or it finds 15 or twenty, stop.  You should back up your data and buy a new hard drive NOW!  If you run it a second time and it does not find anything, it is time to start watching carefully.  Run a surface scan every day and watch to see if it finds anymore.  If you run it everyday for a week or so and no more spots are found, begin running the surface scan at least once a week.  Watch for new spots.  This should give you an idea of how fast you will need a new hard drive.  Make sure you keep your data backed up.
  • If you have another drive, (e.g.: D:) type "scandisk D:"

 

Error Messages

    You may get error messages while running Scandisk.  Pay attention to them and take the defaults.  How often do you get these errors?   Once in a while is okay, but if you begin getting errors every time, but not on the surface scan, it is time to start thinking about why.  Possible causes are:

  • the IDE controller chip could be getting weak, this is usually an inexpensive repair
  • your power could be fluctuating too much, buy an APC battery backup (notice the brand name is specified here) If you live far from a sub-station, or your live in a mobile or older home, you will probably notice the lights blinking fairly often.  Those blinking lights are an indication of voltage drops.  Motors, such as hard drives, want nice clean regular power.  Drops mean that bytes are being scrambled on your hard drive.  If you need a battery backup, most systems these days require at least 400VA.  This will give you about 15 minutes of time to shut down properly if you completely lose your power.  Make sure that you read the instructions because most battery backups tell you not to plug your laser printer in them and some of them require charging before you plug anything into them.
  • You may get a message stating that the program has restarted more than 10 times. This means that you have programs running in the background that are writing to your hard drive. You must stop those programs. The first program most likely causing the trouble will be the screen saver. Set the screen saver to off, or advance the time to one hour. After stopping the screen saver from starting, there are two ways to stop the other programs.
  1. Manually end task each program using the task manager. The task manager is found by doing a Ctrl-Alt | Delete once (and choosing task Manager | Applications if you are in Windows 2000 or XP). This will really show you what is running. End Task everything except Explorer and systray. You can only end task one thing at a time. So you have to do this over and over. Some things will need another nudge and a window will pop up after about 15 seconds telling you that a program is not responding (you know it is not responding - you just end tasked it) and do you want to wait for it or end task it. Just click end task again if you get that window.
  2. Use the "End It All" program, which you can download here. Install and run this program and it will end task non essential programs.
  3. An updated version of End it all is here. It is called End It All 2.

    If you want to know more about scandisk, use the on-line help.   In Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, or XP go to Start, Help, Index and
type in "Scandisk" or "Error Checking."  In DOS, type in "help" and <Enter> from the C prompt (C:\>). then find scandisk in the list and press enter.  Want even more info?  Buy a book about DOS or Windows 95.

Home    Tips to Keep Your Computer Running     Send me E-mail

Copyright Eric Vey, 1997 - 2002
All trademarked names used in this site are owned by their respective companies.
Windows, Windows 95, DOS, Windows NT, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000 and Windows XP are trademarked names of Microsoft Corporation.