chkdsk log location?

hi, anyone know where the log file for the chkdsk utility is stored?
please don't tell me to look in EVENT VIEWER as i can't open it (if you can help me with that also here is a link to that problem - http://www.vistax64.com/general-dis...er-mmc-could-not-create-snap.html#post1214975)

thanks in advance

Hi,

I believe it is C:\bootex.log. If it is not, post back and I will continue the search!

Richard

thanks richard.
i'd heard "C:\bootex.log" somewhere else but it's not there. unless it gets automatically deleted or something. i did a thorough search including hidden/protected files and searching inside files but found nothing.

Hi,

It should be there. If it is not follow the instructions here: How to see hidden files in Windows Vista

If it still does not show up, then it probably does not exist!:D You could try running chkdsk again and seeing if it appears now. You can now undo the changes you made to your settings.

Is there any particular problem you want to resolve that we can help you with and why do you want to view this log?

Richard

yup,

of course i had enabled show hidden files and folders, and unchecked hide protected system files, too.
i'll run it again and see if it's there at startup.
i want to see how badly damaged the disk is/was - whether and how many bad clusters chkdsk found.

CHKDSK LogFile:
Go to Start and type in "eventvwr.msc" (without the quotes) and press Enter
Expand the Windows logs heading, then select the Application log file entry.
Double click on the Source column header.
Scroll down the list until you find the Chkdsk entry (wininit for Win7) (winlogon for XP).
Copy/paste the results into your next post.

usasma said:

CHKDSK LogFile:
Go to Start and type in "eventvwr.msc" (without the quotes) and press Enter
Expand the Windows logs heading, then select the Application log file entry.
Double click on the Source column header.
Scroll down the list until you find the Chkdsk entry (wininit for Win7) (winlogon for XP).
Copy/paste the results into your next post.

Click to expand...

He wanted the actuall location of the log file because, as he said in his first post, he could not open event viewer. He may well have fixed this now, though he has not mentioned it, but I am sure your post will help someone else.

Richard

yeah thanks richard i didn't really wanna point that out myself ... haven't found it but doesn't matter, i ran chkdsk from inside windows for D and E drives no problem will do C when i have more time

AFAIK there isn't a logfile for chkdsk. There were logfiles in previous versions, but they seem to have been phased out.

Research on the logfiles such as bootex.log will invariably refer to XP (or earlier) and the fact that chkdsk has to be run under certain conditions to generate the logfile. I suspect that this function has been phased out because of the recovery ability of the NTFS file system - so that CHKDSK isn't as necessary as it once was.

So, AFAIK, the only "log" of the events is located at the location that I've posted.
Further reference can be made to Windows Internals, 5th Edition, pp 974-989 and 1094-1110

There is reference to log files in Windows Internals, 4th Edition - but there's no specifics as to location. And, the interpretation of this info can be that the NTFS file system logs the report for NTFS errors - not for the CHKDSK function (pp 762)

From page 773 of Windows Internals, 4th edition:

Because file system corruption is rare on a fault-tolerant disk configuration (such as NTFS), Chkdsk is seldom needed. It is supplied as a safety precaution rather than as a first-line data recovery strategy.

Click to expand...

usasma said:

CHKDSK LogFile:
Go to Start and type in "eventvwr.msc" (without the quotes) and press Enter
Expand the Windows logs heading, then select the Application log file entry.
Double click on the Source column header.
Scroll down the list until you find the Chkdsk entry (wininit for Win7) (winlogon for XP).
Copy/paste the results into your next post.

Click to expand...

Thank you, this helped me. The file is called "Wininit" in the "Source" column on my machine. It contains all the info pertaining to the CHKDSK process i was looking for.

Programmers....it would be more helpful if the file name made reference to the CHKDSK process. There are hundreds of entries to look through!

Hi, after reading this thread I want to respond because of this quote "Chkdsk is seldom needed".

Not for me! I'm searching for specific information to cancel autochk/chkNTFS at boot, and ended up reading this thread. Chkdsk or chkNTFS is often needed on my PC. Here's my problem...

Everytime I boot my PC up chkNTFS runs, just after loading my drivers in the startup process.
Happens every time & I've searched for countless hours trying to prevent this process from running, but to no avail.

Not only is it very annoying, at each boot, it also slows my machine down considerably!

I tried to resolve this with a self-imposed chkdsk, with all the available parameters, but that didn't help.

Then I ran "fsutil dirty query C:" and my C: turned out to be clean, just as the other partitions I have...

Apparently, for some mysterious reason "autochk" triggers the "chkNTFS" process during startup, and I don't know what it is, nor how to resolve this. Can I please get professional help from the knowledgeable crowd on this forum?

An sfc/scannow scan didn't help either, and neither if I edit "BootExecute" under this Registry string:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager

The standard value is (autocheck autochk *) and the parameters I've set (autocheck autochk /k:C /K: /k:E *) should exclude a scan on those volumes (3 partitions/volumes on main disk). Which it does, well kind of. The process still runs, somehow, regardless of what parameter I set either directly in BootExecute or in DOS (chkntfs /x c: d: e:

Normally one would expect that checking the volumes/partitions is skipped with the /x parameter, but it isn't really!
As I can still see a black screen, with white text; "Microsoft (R) yada yada 4 System Processors". (see screenshot)

View attachment 29100

This screen can be there for 2 or 3 minutes, before more text is revealed.

Nothing happens visually, but I hear the PC working, as if he searches/scans for something.
And then at the end I get a brief summary that Windows performed a scan. (see screenshot1)

View attachment 29101


PS: I'm using a Dutch Vista version, and those 2 'screenshots' above were manually made + I had to roughly translate the text. (If the text is unreadable, it says (roughly translated); "The File system is being checked. Windows completed disk control. The volume name HP is undamaged.) I mean a scan "/k:C" parameter...

With all volumes excluded I get a simple "Windows completed scan" text, in the same black screen, before the next boot phase starts. So, whether I run with one volume allowed, C for instance, or under normal conditions (autochk *), or all volumes excluded, the process runs the same time interval, more or less. The only difference is the output.

Sorry, I've no screenshot of "Windows completed scan", but close your eyes and you'll get the picture

Anyhow, the scan still runs in the background, despite my efforts to bypass it!

I even left BootExecute blank, hoping autochk would skip it... alas the process runs again as described as above.

But why does this scan run at every boot, and why isn't the scan bypassed/skipped with the right commands?

I had a buddy over the other day and he said that this is not normal, I shouldn't have to see a scan at each boot.
So now, with a free day on my hands I'm trying to figure this one out, with mediocre success, and in need of further assistance!

I've read tens of article pertaining this topic of autochk chkNTFS chkdsk etc, so please don't point me in that direction, as I've seen them all, and tried whatever I could. Found some good one along the way, and I might as well share two interesting links on this subject. Could be helpful for others too...

Chkdsk (Check Disk), ChkNTFS, and Autochk (AutoCheck):
Chkdsk  (Check Disk), ChkNTFS, and Autochk (Auto Check)

Very informational!

If the above link doesn't help, here's more advanced option to manually search for the "dirty bit" in a hex-editor.
a first for me

"Manually Reset or Clear Dirty Bit in Windows without using CHKDSK":
https://www.raymond.cc/blog/manuall...-bit-in-windows-without-chkdsk/#ixzz1yoxGe7uV

It works!
Well, the explanation is good, as i could locate where Windows stores the dirty bit, so If one follows those steps carefully one could trace the dirty bit on his volume/disk/partition, whatever, and if it's set, manually edit it to 00. Unfortunately my dirty bit was not set (which is good), so that can't be the problem either!

Pfff...
I've tried everything I know... FWIW lol

sfc/scannow, chkdsk, fsutil, edit BootExecute... nothing worked to stop a scan at every boot!

So I'm running out of options... and patience hehehe

Can someone please help me out?

Oh yeah, before I forget, I tried to set the log to a smaller size, as it was 65365 KB.
I thought maybe the scan takes so long as the Log file has become too big, hence more time needed to read&write.
I don't know, but that didn't shorten the scan exactly either! (Unless I could prevent this log from being written?!)

Uhhm, a "defrag c: -b" or Smart Defrag of IObit, nor a defrag of the Registry & Profile speeded this scan up.
Nothing seems to help LOL

Don't know if a particular Windows Service is in the mix here, but these are tweaked with BlackViper & I have a good tool to keep them running as they should be, so I probably won't find my answers in this section. (also good!)

Pfff, what else eh?! Any ideas?

Regards Carlo