Vista - Corrupt Files !!??

Life on the bleeding edge..

I have few files, amongst many others, which I can't open, move delete or
copy. I can't even check their properties. If I try explorer just freezes
with a copy/delete/move dialogue. Closing the box with repeated attempts on
the red X button makes explorer.exe crash and start again.

Chkdsk doesn't find any corruption and booting into Safe Mode doesn't change
this behaviour.

Some of these files are rather important, being the work I have been doing
for the last few days. I don;t know the full extent of this curruption,
through thousands of files, but 99% of them are backup up.

Does anybody know what could be cauing this??

ss.

Whenever I run into this condition on computers I repair, the very first
thing I suspect is substandard RAM.

In many cases, changing out the RAM has solved the problem. This goes back
to when Windows XP was introduced. XP worked the RAM more intensively that
Windows 98 ever did and the RAM, in many cases, was not up to snuff.

I would suspect that the same problem is again rearing it's ugly head.

And, BTW, a software RAM test will not show up the substandard RAM as being
defective.

I had one machine that passed every test thrown at it, including being
tested in my hardware RAM tester. It was only when I installed a matched set
of Crucial RAM that the computer began behaving as it should.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

"Synapse Syndrome" <synapse@NOSPAMgomez404.elitemail.org> wrote in message
news:C677DE49-2FBC-439C-81C7-EB66EE5522A6@microsoft.com...
> Life on the bleeding edge..
>
> I have few files, amongst many others, which I can't open, move delete or
> copy. I can't even check their properties. If I try explorer just
> freezes with a copy/delete/move dialogue. Closing the box with repeated
> attempts on the red X button makes explorer.exe crash and start again.
>
> Chkdsk doesn't find any corruption and booting into Safe Mode doesn't
> change this behaviour.
>
> Some of these files are rather important, being the work I have been doing
> for the last few days. I don;t know the full extent of this curruption,
> through thousands of files, but 99% of them are backup up.
>
> Does anybody know what could be cauing this??
>
> ss.

"Richard Urban" <richardurbanREMOVETHIS@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:75444DCC-DFC9-4AEA-BDE5-56391C08714A@microsoft.com...
> Whenever I run into this condition on computers I repair, the very first
> thing I suspect is substandard RAM.
>
> In many cases, changing out the RAM has solved the problem. This goes back
> to when Windows XP was introduced. XP worked the RAM more intensively that
> Windows 98 ever did and the RAM, in many cases, was not up to snuff.
>
> I would suspect that the same problem is again rearing it's ugly head.
>
> And, BTW, a software RAM test will not show up the substandard RAM as
> being defective.
>
> I had one machine that passed every test thrown at it, including being
> tested in my hardware RAM tester. It was only when I installed a matched
> set of Crucial RAM that the computer began behaving as it should.


Thanks for your comments. My RAM has passed Memtest86+ and the Vista RAM
test. I know you say that this doesn't mean anything, but it is top quality
Mushkin 'eXtreme Performance' PC6400 RAM that can clock much faster than
what it's running at.

But would this possible RAM problem only be the case if the files were, in
fact, corrupt?

I have just been able access and open them through Remote Desktop from my
server, so the files are actually okay!

So this must be some sort of weird fault in Vista? I'm runnign Build 5840,
so I hope this has been fixed. Whatever is going on, it's very weird.

ss.

No. The files would not show up because of corrupt RAM. The files would be
corrupted "because" of the RAM.

Really, the only way to find for this problem is by substitution. God, I
must have about 60-80 sticks of RAM, of various configurations, in my
equipment cabinet. I could not survive without them for substitution/testing
purposes.

Turn off your computer. Remove the RAM and clean the contacts (both sides)
with a rubber pencil eraser. Then wipe the contacts with a cotton swap
dipped in alcohol. Sometimes this can work wonders. If you can, try the RAM
in different slots.

Only when you are 101% certain that the RAM is competent can you go and look
for other causes. That is how confident I am that most problems such as
yours is caused by substandard/defective RAM.

It could also be a faulty hard drive controller.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

"Synapse Syndrome" <synapse@NOSPAMgomez404.elitemail.org> wrote in message
news:8FE3902A-2F00-4C5A-AB02-03B5D3010ADC@microsoft.com...
> "Richard Urban" <richardurbanREMOVETHIS@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:75444DCC-DFC9-4AEA-BDE5-56391C08714A@microsoft.com...
>> Whenever I run into this condition on computers I repair, the very first
>> thing I suspect is substandard RAM.
>>
>> In many cases, changing out the RAM has solved the problem. This goes
>> back to when Windows XP was introduced. XP worked the RAM more
>> intensively that Windows 98 ever did and the RAM, in many cases, was not
>> up to snuff.
>>
>> I would suspect that the same problem is again rearing it's ugly head.
>>
>> And, BTW, a software RAM test will not show up the substandard RAM as
>> being defective.
>>
>> I had one machine that passed every test thrown at it, including being
>> tested in my hardware RAM tester. It was only when I installed a matched
>> set of Crucial RAM that the computer began behaving as it should.
>
>
> Thanks for your comments. My RAM has passed Memtest86+ and the Vista RAM
> test. I know you say that this doesn't mean anything, but it is top
> quality Mushkin 'eXtreme Performance' PC6400 RAM that can clock much
> faster than what it's running at.
>
> But would this possible RAM problem only be the case if the files were, in
> fact, corrupt?
>
> I have just been able access and open them through Remote Desktop from my
> server, so the files are actually okay!
>
> So this must be some sort of weird fault in Vista? I'm runnign Build
> 5840, so I hope this has been fixed. Whatever is going on, it's very
> weird.
>
> ss.

"Richard Urban" <richardurbanREMOVETHIS@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:BE4EAC64-4C14-4C7F-AC5F-DDDFB6AE2A2F@microsoft.com...
> No. The files would not show up because of corrupt RAM. The files would be
> corrupted "because" of the RAM.
>
> Really, the only way to find for this problem is by substitution. God, I
> must have about 60-80 sticks of RAM, of various configurations, in my
> equipment cabinet. I could not survive without them for
> substitution/testing purposes.
>
> Turn off your computer. Remove the RAM and clean the contacts (both sides)
> with a rubber pencil eraser. Then wipe the contacts with a cotton swap
> dipped in alcohol. Sometimes this can work wonders. If you can, try the
> RAM in different slots.
>
> Only when you are 101% certain that the RAM is competent can you go and
> look for other causes. That is how confident I am that most problems such
> as yours is caused by substandard/defective RAM.
>
> It could also be a faulty hard drive controller.


But if I can access the files from another computer and open them through
Remote Desktop, doesn't that mean that the files are not corrupt?

ss.

If you can do that then you do not have, in fact, file corruption at all.

If these files are on a separate partition to Vista, I would suggest that
you perform a clean format/install of Vista. Something may have gone bad
during your first install. Immediately after a clean reinstall see if you
can access the files.

If you can, look to subsequent installs of your desired drivers or other
programs that may be interacting unfavorably with the operating system

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

"Synapse Syndrome" <synapse@NOSPAMgomez404.elitemail.org> wrote in message
news:8638BB92-8536-4A12-99E7-A4E1BE277661@microsoft.com...
> "Richard Urban" <richardurbanREMOVETHIS@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:BE4EAC64-4C14-4C7F-AC5F-DDDFB6AE2A2F@microsoft.com...
>> No. The files would not show up because of corrupt RAM. The files would
>> be corrupted "because" of the RAM.
>>
>> Really, the only way to find for this problem is by substitution. God, I
>> must have about 60-80 sticks of RAM, of various configurations, in my
>> equipment cabinet. I could not survive without them for
>> substitution/testing purposes.
>>
>> Turn off your computer. Remove the RAM and clean the contacts (both
>> sides) with a rubber pencil eraser. Then wipe the contacts with a cotton
>> swap dipped in alcohol. Sometimes this can work wonders. If you can, try
>> the RAM in different slots.
>>
>> Only when you are 101% certain that the RAM is competent can you go and
>> look for other causes. That is how confident I am that most problems such
>> as yours is caused by substandard/defective RAM.
>>
>> It could also be a faulty hard drive controller.
>
>
> But if I can access the files from another computer and open them through
> Remote Desktop, doesn't that mean that the files are not corrupt?
>
> ss.

A friend of mine had a similar situation recently. A replacement of his
SATA cable cured it. It might be worth trying a different cable.

--
Jane, not plain 64 bit enabled :-)
Batteries not included. Braincell on vacation ;-)
"Synapse Syndrome" <synapse@NOSPAMgomez404.elitemail.org> wrote in message
news:8638BB92-8536-4A12-99E7-A4E1BE277661@microsoft.com...
> "Richard Urban" <richardurbanREMOVETHIS@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:BE4EAC64-4C14-4C7F-AC5F-DDDFB6AE2A2F@microsoft.com...
>> No. The files would not show up because of corrupt RAM. The files would
>> be corrupted "because" of the RAM.
>>
>> Really, the only way to find for this problem is by substitution. God, I
>> must have about 60-80 sticks of RAM, of various configurations, in my
>> equipment cabinet. I could not survive without them for
>> substitution/testing purposes.
>>
>> Turn off your computer. Remove the RAM and clean the contacts (both
>> sides) with a rubber pencil eraser. Then wipe the contacts with a cotton
>> swap dipped in alcohol. Sometimes this can work wonders. If you can, try
>> the RAM in different slots.
>>
>> Only when you are 101% certain that the RAM is competent can you go and
>> look for other causes. That is how confident I am that most problems such
>> as yours is caused by substandard/defective RAM.
>>
>> It could also be a faulty hard drive controller.
>
>
> But if I can access the files from another computer and open them through
> Remote Desktop, doesn't that mean that the files are not corrupt?
>
> ss.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Synapse Syndrome [mailto:synapse@NOSPAMgomez404.elitemail.org]
> Posted At: Friday, November 24, 2006 9:30 PM
> Posted To: microsoft.public.windows.vista.general
> Conversation: Corrupt Files !!??
> Subject: Re: Corrupt Files !!??
> But if I can access the files from another computer and open them
through
> Remote Desktop, doesn't that mean that the files are not corrupt?

Good news and you're right. From our previous conversations I'm starting
to think that this problem may be local to shell. Did you try to access
these files from command line? If you have a text file among them, you
can Start cmd.exe and use following command to try to see file contents:

c:\> type c:\my\folder\my_file.txt | more

To see if you can get file security settings, use following command:

c:\> cacls c:\my\folder\my_file.txt

If both commands work that would limit scope of issue to the
GUI/Explorer.

--
Alexander Suhovey

Those flakey SATA connections and cables. My X64 wouldn't come up this
morning because of the connection to another drive. The infamous
acpitabl.dat. Reseated the connections and worked like a champ.

"Jane C" <jellybean@nospam.xjgarage.org> wrote in message
news:6A9083AB-2783-489D-9509-55267DE4188E@microsoft.com...
>A friend of mine had a similar situation recently. A replacement of his
>SATA cable cured it. It might be worth trying a different cable.
>
> --
> Jane, not plain 64 bit enabled :-)
> Batteries not included. Braincell on vacation ;-)
> "Synapse Syndrome" <synapse@NOSPAMgomez404.elitemail.org> wrote in message
> news:8638BB92-8536-4A12-99E7-A4E1BE277661@microsoft.com...
>> "Richard Urban" <richardurbanREMOVETHIS@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:BE4EAC64-4C14-4C7F-AC5F-DDDFB6AE2A2F@microsoft.com...
>>> No. The files would not show up because of corrupt RAM. The files would
>>> be corrupted "because" of the RAM.
>>>
>>> Really, the only way to find for this problem is by substitution. God, I
>>> must have about 60-80 sticks of RAM, of various configurations, in my
>>> equipment cabinet. I could not survive without them for
>>> substitution/testing purposes.
>>>
>>> Turn off your computer. Remove the RAM and clean the contacts (both
>>> sides) with a rubber pencil eraser. Then wipe the contacts with a cotton
>>> swap dipped in alcohol. Sometimes this can work wonders. If you can, try
>>> the RAM in different slots.
>>>
>>> Only when you are 101% certain that the RAM is competent can you go and
>>> look for other causes. That is how confident I am that most problems
>>> such as yours is caused by substandard/defective RAM.
>>>
>>> It could also be a faulty hard drive controller.
>>
>>
>> But if I can access the files from another computer and open them through
>> Remote Desktop, doesn't that mean that the files are not corrupt?
>>
>> ss.
>

I'm not sure what could be causing this. It would be interesting to hear
from the Jill Zoller types who are into files and folders.

I don't think though that this is particular to anything going on in Vista
as opposed say to XP or Win 2K but there may be different nuanced versions
of this.

The things I try when I have a file or folder that won't open or I get the
message that the file is being used by something else or words close or an
Access Denied Message

Make certain with those files that you have administrative privileges. If
you need to right click and use the security tab for them, or turning off
UAC *temporarily. I'm not recommending to turn off UAC more than
temporarily to get a specific task done if it helps. I know. Vista has UAC
boy do I ever know. I read everything Jimmy Brush has written and valued
all of it. I have had a ton of workarounds or ways to make UAC work since
this good idea with terrible execution hatched at Redmond. I have followed
the UAC team blog entries with interest and amusement.

1) Try going to Windows Explorer and deleting the file/folders from there.

2) Try booting into safe mode>then going to Windows Explorer and deleting
files from there.

3) Try Doug Knox's method:

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_undeletable_file.htm

4) Try the advice of this XP KB ( a lot of XP KBs will be updated to include
Vista in their titles but this is going to take a good while according to
MSFT's present time table of "Majunana Majunana Siesta Siesta Redmond Big
Sleep Good.--Party On Dudes and Duddettes."

5) Try downloading and using this app:

http://www.purgeie.com/delinv/index.htm

CH








"Synapse Syndrome" <synapse@NOSPAMgomez404.elitemail.org> wrote in message
news:C677DE49-2FBC-439C-81C7-EB66EE5522A6@microsoft.com...
> Life on the bleeding edge..
>
> I have few files, amongst many others, which I can't open, move delete or
> copy. I can't even check their properties. If I try explorer just
> freezes with a copy/delete/move dialogue. Closing the box with repeated
> attempts on the red X button makes explorer.exe crash and start again.
>
> Chkdsk doesn't find any corruption and booting into Safe Mode doesn't
> change this behaviour.
>
> Some of these files are rather important, being the work I have been doing
> for the last few days. I don;t know the full extent of this curruption,
> through thousands of files, but 99% of them are backup up.
>
> Does anybody know what could be cauing this??
>
> ss.