Check out the following tutorial: http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/130824-chkdsk-will-not-run-startup-vista.html (which is for the opposite problem, but step 3 (and maybe step 4 depending on what you find) should fix this problem).

If that doesn't work (but it should), boot into the Recovery Environment on the genuine Vista Installation disk. If you don't have a genuine Vista Installation disk, you can make a bootable Recovery Disk using http://neosmart.net/blog/2008/windows-vista-recovery-disc-download/ along with burning software like: http://www.snapfiles.com/get/active-isoburner.html and, of course, a blank CD. To boot to the CD you may need to change the BIOS to make the CD-drive first in the boot sequence. To do that, wait for the screen that tells you the F key to push to access the boot menu or boot setup. Push it quickly. Make the changes, save your work, and exit. Put the CD in the drive and reboot. When prompted, push any key to boot from the CD.

Navigate to Command Prompt. Type chkdsk /f /r C: and enter and let it run. If it finishes and fixes the problems, the drive should be marked clean and should no longer run chkdsk at every startup. If the command doesn't work, type cd C:\Windows\System32 and enter. Then type chkdsk /f /r and enter. It will want to schedule itself to run at the next restart. Answer yes and then reboot to run the program. It will scan and try to fix any corruption or bad sectors on your hard drive. If it fixes the problems, it should remove the indication the drive is dirty and end the constant chkdsk running at startup. If it fails to run or to complete, your hard disk may be more damaged or corrupt than it can handle or repair.

Considering the chkdsk problems, let's test your hard drive for hardware problems:

To test your hard drive, check the manufacturer and then get the diagnostic utility from: http://www.techsupportforum.com/hardware-support/hard-drive-support/302602-hard-drive-diagnostic-utilities.html (and/or get one from your hard drive or computer manufacturer if they have one available – it wouldn’t hurt to try both). If it fails the test, replace it. If it passes the test, then there's probably nothing wrong with it.

I hope this helps. If not, post back with results and we'll see where to go from there.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by Lorien

Check out the following articles and see if any provide any help or hints in how to stop the process. We'll worry about the fact that it can't complete later - but it's most likely becaue the drive which has been shown to have problems seems to be having even more now and it may be time to consider a replacement (but let's tackle one step at a time):

Okay. All of those articles/guides repeat essentially the same thing: "chkntfs /x c:" will tell autochk to ignore the drive even if its dirty bit is set.
This follows with what I said in my initial post...

Originally Posted by HeapUnlinkify

This means chkdsk runs at every boot unless I use "chkntfs /x c:".

So yes, this does stop autochk/chkdsk on boot.
Additionally, those guides suggest running chkdsk afterwards to unset the dirty bit, but of course, that doesn't apply to my case.

As a side note: SeaTools found and "fixed" 1 bad sector, but that did not help autochk or chkdsk complete at all.

Seatools has a new version since you tried a year ago (I think it's 9/17/10 and version 1.2.0.4)
available at: SeaTools for Windows | Seagate. Please download and see if this new version tells us anything we don't already know (and give me the code if that's all it provides again in case I can find a way to identify the meaning).

There is no way I can find to turn off the dirty bit permanently (you know the temporary method to avoid it running at the next startup) but there's no way to stop it from happening every time except by completely and successfully running chkdsk /f /r somehow - and even using the disk didn't work (though it did show us the problem which is not something we can fix as it merely identifies a section of the hard drive where the program cannot continue). The fact that it will not complete strongly suggests it is a problem with the hard drive that even chkdsk cannot fix (and can't even get past) or possibly there's a problem with the chkdsk program (and we'll check for that shortly).

If Seatools doesn't help (or continues to report a problem but not enough to figure out what it is exactly), then I suggest we try to check your system files to see if there's a problem with chkdsk and that maybe it can be repaired and allow chkdsk to run.

Go to Start / All Programs / Accessories / Command prompt and right click on command prompt and click run as Administrator.

Type sfc /scannow and enter and let it run. It will scan and try to fix some of your system files. Hopefully it will complete with no corruption it could not repair (if there is such corruption post back here or try to analyze it to find the problem file(s) using http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928228. Try to attach the sftreport.txt file (you may need to copy it to your desktop before it will permit you to attach it) here so we can see if they can be repaired with good copies from the installation disk (unless there are too many).

I hope this helps.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by Lorien

Seatools has a new version since you tried a year ago (I think it's 9/17/10 and version 1.2.0.4)
available at: SeaTools for Windows | Seagate. Please download and see if this new version tells us anything we don't already know (and give me the code if that's all it provides again in case I can find a way to identify the meaning).

I used Ultimate Boot CD's SeaTools for DOS v2.2.0 in the past and recently.
I tried SeaTools for DOS v2.2.2, but no errors were found. (took 2 hours)
I tried SeaTools for Windows v1.2.0.4, but no errors were found. (took 5 hours)

Originally Posted by Lorien

There is no way I can find to turn off the dirty bit permanently (you know the temporary method to avoid it running at the next startup) but there's no way to stop it from happening every time except by completely and successfully running chkdsk /f /r somehow - and even using the disk didn't work (though it did show us the problem which is not something we can fix as it merely identifies a section of the hard drive where the program cannot continue). The fact that it will not complete strongly suggests it is a problem with the hard drive that even chkdsk cannot fix (and can't even get past) or possibly there's a problem with the chkdsk program (and we'll check for that shortly).

Yea, I have also been searching online for a method of resetting the dirty bit. All references that I can find go unsolved with no real answer.

Originally Posted by Lorien

If Seatools doesn't help (or continues to report a problem but not enough to figure out what it is exactly), then I suggest we try to check your system files to see if there's a problem with chkdsk and that maybe it can be repaired and allow chkdsk to run.

Go to Start / All Programs / Accessories / Command prompt and right click on command prompt and click run as Administrator.

Type sfc /scannow and enter and let it run. It will scan and try to fix some of your system files. Hopefully it will complete with no corruption it could not repair (if there is such corruption post back here or try to analyze it to find the problem file(s) using http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928228. Try to attach the sftreport.txt file (you may need to copy it to your desktop before it will permit you to attach it) here so we can see if they can be repaired with good copies from the installation disk (unless there are too many).

I am on a different computer currently, so I will paraphrase...

"C:\Windows\System32\cscdll.dll" v6.0.6001.18000 of Microsoft-Windows-OfflineFiles-Win32-APIs, ..., hash mismatch

repaired by copying from backup/from store

"C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar\settings.ini" v6.0.6001.18000 of Microsoft-Windows-Sidebar, ..., hash mismatch

component referenced by "Package_20_for_KB936330~31bf3856ad364e35-amd64~~6.0.1.18000.936330-33_neutral_GDR"
could not reproject corrupted file; source file in store is also corrupted

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Photo Gallery\en-US\PhotoViewer.dll.mui" v6.0.6000.16386 of Microsoft-Windows-PhotoViewer.Resources

component referenced by "Microsoft-Windows-PhotoPremiumPackage~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~6.0.6000.16386.PhotoPremiumUpdate
could not reproject corrupted file; source file in store is also corrupted

All files and registry keys listed in this transaction have been successfully repaired.

The last line raises confusion for me because it appears that 2 files, which I have no use for (I do not use Windows Sidebar or Windows PhotoViewer), could not be repaired.

Originally Posted by Lottiemansion

Hi,
Try this Software tool, it maybe able to correct the errors.
Dmitriy Primochenko Online

Just to clarify, I have not ignored this post.
Reviews of this software are very mixed and very limited. Some praising it as a magic utility, some indicating irreversible damage from the utility's repair process, and some claiming it is garbage that has no benefit.
With such a utility where the creators seem questionable, I can only use reviews as a guide. With the reviews and comments that I have found, the software does not seem to fit my situation.

My failing HDD has been cloned to an external USB HDD as of 2 weeks ago and I have ensured that the bad sector listings were reset. Ideally, I would boot from this external USB HDD, but every discussion I have read on the subject resulted in everyone giving up.
On top of this, I still have access to all critically important files currently on the HDD. I have not simply replaced my failing HDD because my laptop is partially covered by wear & defect insurance (not by the manufacturer), and hardware modification will void this insurance. However, to make a claim on the insurance requires a minimum of 2 weeks, which I do not have currently. So, I am attempting to get by for at least another month with what I have.