CHKDSK damages Partition Table

[AndyTampa]

SFC didn't find any problems.

C:\>sfc /scannow

Beginning system scan. This process will take some time.

Beginning verification phase of system scan.
Verification 100% complete.

Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.

C:\>

Do you still need to see the log? I'm downloading the system readiness tool now.

 

[NoelDP]

I'll wait for the CheckSUR

 

[AndyTampa]

I've run the tests you requested and have attached all three log files. At this point it seems like you are doing alot of what I do which is the equivalent of throwing a bunch of crap at the wall to see what sticks. You're just using crap I'm not aware of. (This is meant to be humorous and not offensive.)

Fixing this and finding a good free image and backup software is becoming a critical issue. As I sit here, my girlfriend's hard drive is whistling behind me and (unrelated) the DVR hard drive gave out on Wednesday. I'm worried about this repaired hard drive that I haven't been able to back up yet.

 

[NoelDP]

To an extent, you're spot on!

CheckSUR found only one problem - and SFC none, as you said (althoughit did seem to do a lot of work)

Unavailable repair files:
 winsxs\manifests\x86_microsoft-windows-ie-winsockautodialstub_31bf3856ad364e35_9.1.8112.20557_none_b08d3af9b4df3249.manifest

This indicates a problem with IE9 (seemingly very minor - and almost certainly unrelated to your disk corruption)
I'll work on a fix for it later today.

 

[NoelDP]

I've uploaded a file 'Manifests-andyt.zip' to my SkyDrive at
https://skydrive.live.com/#cid=936736BB8FCEB92F&id=936736BB8FCEB92F%21526

Please download and save it.
Extract the downloaded file to the folder C:\Windows\Temp\CheckSur\Winsxs\Manifests

Run the CheckSUR tool again, and then post the new CheckSUR.log file.

 

[AndyTampa]

Noel, doesn't the fact that they're all migration files give you another clue? Also, where all the errors are "Unable to locate the file name attribute", couldn't we find those files and set the attributes it's looking for?

I did find a post where someone found the files, changed their name and changed them back again, but they weren't .man files. Might that work?

 

[NoelDP]

Plese follow the instructions I gave.
The fact that they all belong to an area may simply be a single corrupted file causing problems - or may be because they all happen to be on the same area of the disk that was affected by some event or other.
Or it may be that some form of malware is perpetually corrupting them.
I've never seen this type of recurrent entry in a CHKDSK report before, that I recall.

 

[AndyTampa]

I've done what you said and have attached the CheckSUR112812.log file.

You're knowledge of Vista is amazing. What shall I do next?

Would it be okay to do the backup before we fix the CHKDSK problem? I'm still looking for software, but I'd like to get the backup done and transfer everything to a new hard drive. Or should we fix everything first?

 

[NoelDP]

Backups are ALWAYS good!

 

[AndyTampa]

So where do we stand as far as the chkdsk errors?

 

[NoelDP]

Please run the following command, and lets have a look to see what it produces....

DIR C:\Windows\DirectoryServices-ISM-Smtp-DL.man /S

 

[AndyTampa]

This is what I get:

C:\Windows\system32>cd\

C:\>dir c:\windows\DirectoryServices-ISM-Smtp-DL.man /S
 Volume in drive C is Windows
 Volume Serial Number is AC9A-C22B

 Directory of c:\windows\System32\migwiz\dlmanifests

01/05/2008  06:23 AM             1,851 DirectoryServices-ISM-Smtp-DL.man
               1 File(s)          1,851 bytes

 Directory of c:\windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-m..-downlevelmanifests_31b
f3856ad364e35_6.0.6001.18000_none_0278b57e8399bfdb

01/05/2008  06:23 AM             1,851 DirectoryServices-ISM-Smtp-DL.man
               1 File(s)          1,851 bytes

 Directory of c:\windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-m..-downlevelmanifests_31b
f3856ad364e35_6.0.6002.18005_none_04642e8a80bb8b27

01/05/2008  06:23 AM             1,851 DirectoryServices-ISM-Smtp-DL.man
               1 File(s)          1,851 bytes

     Total Files Listed:
               3 File(s)          5,553 bytes
               0 Dir(s)  59,280,842,752 bytes free

C:\>

There is another downlevelmanifests folder on my computer, but the requested file is not in it.

 

[NoelDP]

It looks like the whole SysWOW64 structure may be nissing - which would cause problems.

Please run the following command....

Tree C:\Windows\SysWOW64\migwiz

post the results.

 

[AndyTampa]

You were right. Not only is it nissing, it's also mot there.

C:\>tree c:\Windows\SysWOW64\migwiz
Folder PATH listing for volume Windows
Volume serial number is AC9A-C22B
C:\WINDOWS\SYSWOW64\MIGWIZ
Invalid path - \WINDOWS\SYSWOW64\MIGWIZ
No subfolders exist

What is that tree there for? It doesn't seem to be causing any obvious errors.

 

[townsbg]

It is used to run 32-bit applications on Windows 64-bit.
WoW64 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Windows 64-bit: The 'Program Files (x86)' and 'SysWOW64' folders explained (Technical Article)

 

[NoelDP]

I *think* that this particular tree is actually only used during an upgrade install for migration of 32-bit applications - but I have no real idea.

It's almost certainly beyond manual fixing, so your best option is a repair install

Repair Install - Windows 7 Forums

 

[AndyTampa]

But I don't have a 64-bit system. I'm using Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit. A repair install is not a good option since I'd have to reinstall programs to which I don't have install files and some of the companies are out of business to get one. I'd also lose my thousands of emails in their assorted files. I also don't have an install disk for this service pack.

Earlier I'd posted about a similar problem being experience by someone in another forum. They said they had corrected the problem by renaming the files and then renaming them back again. Do you think that would work with these files?

 

[NoelDP]

Ah! - that would explain why the system is as confused as I am, then :D

Something is obviously lying to the CHKDSK about it somewhere.

I'm going to call in a couple of others to assist - this must be a case of registry corruption somewhere, I think!

 

[AndyTampa]

I just tried the "change the name and change it back" trick but it wouldn't let me due to privileges. I'd have to take ownership of the files first. I'll wait to hear from you before I proceed down that path.

 

[NoelDP]

Forget everything I said about your misssing SysWOW64 - I was having a bad day yesterday!

The files the CHKDSK is reporting as orphaned must be the System32 versions.
Please run the following commands one at a time, and report the Summary results at the end of each

DIR C:\Windows\System32\migwiz /S
DIR C:\Windows\System32\migwiz /AR /S
DIR C:\Windows\System32\migwiz /AH /S
DIR C:\Windows\System32\migwiz /AS /S

Then please run the following commands

TREE C:\Windows\System32\migwiz
DIR C:\Windows\migw*.* /S

post the results in your reponse