I finally discovered that the source of my problems with chkdsk and Diskeeper
was a program called Haute Secure. I had thought that it was a toolbar or
BHO that would do nothing if IE was not open and would not in any event dig
deep into the OS like an antivirus program. I tried every possible
uninstall/reinstall/version rollback on my Symantec software before I grasped
at one last straw today and uninstalled Haute Secure. Chkdsk then ran on my
next reboot. It turns out that that program is quite powerful and involves
some kind of kernel-level driver.
System Restore is still not working from within Vista Ultimate, but I have,
at all times, been able to run System Restore and Complete PC Restore from
the Vista DVD.
All of the messing around with the computer seems to have generated some new
problems, and I may have to post some new questions on this forum in order to
get back to where this all began.
"Rick Rogers" wrote:
> Hi Conley,
>
> Raxco, a maker of another disk utility, has this page of programs known to
> cause this issue. You may want to run through the list to see if any of them
> apply:
> http://www.raxco.com/support/windows...id=494&issue=3
>
> There isn't going to be a simple answer here, as under normal circumstances
> the disk checker utility will run fine when scheduled. What you have is some
> program that has altered the system and is gaining access to the drive and
> running prior to the disk checker, thus preventing the exclusive access it
> requires. Deciphering it will require some detective work, and simple
> removal of any offending program will not always resolve the problem as it
> may not undo all of the changes that the original installation made. This is
> particularly so if the software was not designed for Vista.
>
> --
> Best of Luck,
>
> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
> My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com
>
> "Conley" <Conley@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:6A5EE865-2655-485E-9F33-B827BDBB6B77@microsoft.com...
> > Rick,
> >
> > I tried this twice, with services enabled and with services disabled, and
> > I
> > saw the same thing both times. After hitting enter at the command line
> > for
> > chkntfs /d, a new command line appeared (i.e., no text confirming success
> > with resetting defaults, which may be the normal behavior). I then ran
> > chkdsk /r and got the same error message when it tried to run after the
> > reboot.
> >
> > "Rick Rogers" wrote:
> >
> >> Hi Conley,
> >>
> >> Try running chkntfs /d, then chkdsk.
> >>
> >> --
> >> Best of Luck,
> >>
> >> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
> >> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
> >> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
> >> My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com
> >>
> >> "Conley" <Conley@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> news:6BE9C169-1A1F-41A5-A037-8638922C1998@microsoft.com...
> >> > Per the KB article, I disabled all non-Microsoft services and rebooted.
> >> > (There was very little there except for the antivirus program.)
> >> >
> >> > I then tried running chkdsk with various combinations of /f, /r and /x,
> >> > and
> >> > I got the following results:
> >> >
> >> > /f No text screen came up
> >> > /r The screen with the error message re
> >> > "direct
> >> > access" came up
> >> > /x No text screen came up
> >> > /f /x No text screen came up
> >> > /r /x The screen with the error message re
> >> > "direct
> >> > access" came up
> >> >
> >> > Do you know of anything else that I should be looking for if the
> >> > problem
> >> > is
> >> > not attributable to a boot-loading third-party service or driver, which
> >> > should have shown up on the Autoruns scan?
> >> >
> >> > Thanks for all of your time and effort.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > "Rick Rogers" wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> Hi,
> >> >>
> >> >> There's this: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555484
> >> >>
> >> >> And as well some disk utilities make system changes that are not
> >> >> undone
> >> >> when
> >> >> they are uninstalled. You might try running chkdsk /x to force
> >> >> dismounting.
> >> >>
> >> >> --
> >> >> Best of Luck,
> >> >>
> >> >> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
> >> >> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
> >> >> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
> >> >> My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com
> >> >>
> >> >> "Conley" <Conley@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> >> news:BBB2E344-1202-418C-94C4-7AFB4AAFD81A@microsoft.com...
> >> >> > What do you mean by "disk management software"? How does it cause
> >> >> > this
> >> >> > issue, and how do you undo the damage?
> >> >> >
> >> >> > There was a recent update to Norton Antivirus 2007, but I have
> >> >> > uninstalled
> >> >> > the program and installed AVG Free, and I still have the same
> >> >> > problem.
> >> >> > Another possibility would be a rootkit scanner called gmer that I
> >> >> > tried
> >> >> > out
> >> >> > recently. After it caused my computer to freeze, I uninstalled it.
> >> >> > I
> >> >> > have
> >> >> > searched the registry and the file system for any lingering traces
> >> >> > of
> >> >> > the
> >> >> > program and found nothing. I have also run Autoruns, and I saw
> >> >> > nothing
> >> >> > on
> >> >> > the list of what was loading at start-up that struck me as unusual.
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> > "Rick Rogers" wrote:
> >> >> > .
> >> >> >> Hi,
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> AV programs are not the only problems, any disk management software
> >> >> >> can
> >> >> >> cause this issue. In addition, an update to your existing AV and
> >> >> >> security
> >> >> >> software can cause the issue (have you done any prior to this
> >> >> >> problem
> >> >> >> beginning?).
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> --
> >> >> >> Best of Luck,
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
> >> >> >> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
> >> >> >> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
> >> >> >> My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> "Conley" <Conley@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> >> >> news:AA42241E-FC9F-4AF2-B7A9-EC7EC2CE72B7@microsoft.com...
> >> >> >> >I have already tried disabling my antivirus progam before setting
> >> >> >> >up
> >> >> >> >the
> >> >> >> > scan, and it made no difference - the scan would not run.
> >> >> >> > Besides,
> >> >> >> > when
> >> >> >> > chkdsk was working, it ran without regard to whether the
> >> >> >> > antivirus
> >> >> >> > program
> >> >> >> > was running.
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> > "Rick Rogers" wrote:
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> >> Hi,
> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >> Do you have any boot time antivirus scanners running?
> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >> --
> >> >> >> >> Best of Luck,
> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
> >> >> >> >> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
> >> >> >> >> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
> >> >> >> >> My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com
> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >> "Conley" <Conley@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> >> >> >> news:AEBC244A-238C-4B42-B373-47006FFAD833@microsoft.com...
> >> >> >> >> > The error message comes up AFTER the scan has been requested
> >> >> >> >> > and
> >> >> >> >> > scheduled
> >> >> >> >> > and the computer has been rebooted so that the scan can run.
> >> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> >> > "Rick Rogers" wrote:
> >> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> >> >> Hi,
> >> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >> >> Any volume in use cannot be dismounted, which is required for
> >> >> >> >> >> chkdsk
> >> >> >> >> >> to
> >> >> >> >> >> run
> >> >> >> >> >> a full check. Normally, one is prompted for it to be
> >> >> >> >> >> completed
> >> >> >> >> >> on
> >> >> >> >> >> the
> >> >> >> >> >> next
> >> >> >> >> >> reboot, does this not occur for you?
> >> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >> >> --
> >> >> >> >> >> Best of Luck,
> >> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >> >> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
> >> >> >> >> >> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
> >> >> >> >> >> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
> >> >> >> >> >> My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com
> >> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >> >> "Conley" <Conley@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> >> >> >> >> news:51C84671-6DAC-4D37-9595-DC559753ECEE@microsoft.com...
> >> >> >> >> >> > The chkdsk utility will no longer run. Instead, I get this
> >> >> >> >> >> > error
> >> >> >> >> >> > message:
> >> >> >> >> >> > "cannot open volume for direct access." I found some old
> >> >> >> >> >> > KB
> >> >> >> >> >> > articles
> >> >> >> >> >> > indicating that this problem had come up under Windows XP
> >> >> >> >> >> > and
> >> >> >> >> >> > was
> >> >> >> >> >> > going
> >> >> >> >> >> > to
> >> >> >> >> >> > be
> >> >> >> >> >> > fixed by an upcoming service pack. Why am I getting this
> >> >> >> >> >> > error
> >> >> >> >> >> > message
> >> >> >> >> >> > with
> >> >> >> >> >> > Vista Ultimate?
> >> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >>
> >>
>
>