chkdsk /f after windows startup

Hi zvitam

I hear you, however, there is no anti-virus running on the machine, and nothing doing on drive D:  - it is a digital video recorder so as soon as it finishes the chkdsk it loads up its DVR software - I can't wait 5 minutes.  The only thing D: is used for is storing the video.  So it shouldn't be doing anything before the software is loaded.

You could try setting up the autochk in the registry to check the drive.  Just like if windows finds a drive set to dirty and wants to run a chkdsk at startup but this way you're manually setting it up.  

Here is an article on how to turn it off.  You can use it to see the screenshots of what it looks like
http://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives/2008/02/23/disable-or-stop-auto-chkdsk-during-windows-startup/

You could go into that Registry key and set the Boot Execute to: autocheck autochk /m:D

Refer to this article to see that the autocheck autochk /m:D will perform a chkdsk /f every startup even if the dirty attribute isn't set.
http://www2.isye.gatech.edu/~mgoetsch/cali/Windows%20Configuration/Windows%20Configuration%20Html/ModifyingDefaultBootupRunofCHKDSK_F.htm

Good Luck HTH.

Hi,

Yep, tried that before, the problem is that Windows doesn't see the drive at startup, it takes a couple of seconds or so befor eit recognises that there is a drive on the end of D: autocheck just plain fails.

Thanks though.....

This is how my backwards logic works:

In order to startup Windows, that means you must be shutting down Windows at some point (or restarting at least).  Would this work for you?

Just prior to shutdown exit your DVR software (or whatever is accessing drive D:)

Make this simple batch file and create a shortcut icon that points to it:
chkdsk d: /f
shutdown -s -t 5

When you click the icon it will automatically chkdsk the D: drive and shut off the computer 5 seconds after chkdsk completes.

If you want a restart just use -r instead of -s.

That way your drive will be checked and ready to go the next time you start the computer.

If you aren't manually shutting down the computer, you could set the script to run as a Windows Task periodically, once a day, once a week, whatever.

Hi pcspecialists

Thanks for the idea, I have another spanner to throw into those works I'm afraid.  The lesson for me here is to provide more infor before qsking the question - sorry all.
So here is the spanner:
The DVR has a hardware timer built into it, that shuts it down 30 minutes after the power has been turned off.  It does to a windows shutdown though, problem is it isn't something I can add or remove functions to, so getting it to chkdsk at the end of its recording as apposed to startup isn't going to work.
It was a good thought though.

Any more ideas?

See if this works:

At the command prompt type chkdsk d: /f /x

You should get a message back that says "Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another process.  Would you like to schedule this volume to be checked the next time the system restarts? (Y/N)"  Press Y, exit the command prompt, and restart the computer.  Watch to see if you drive is chkdsk'd automatically.  It will happen on a text screen during the Windows bootup before login/desktop but after USB drivers are loaded which sounds like just what you need.

If it runs, I can help you setup a script to automate the command (so you don't have to press Y every time) and we'll put it in the Startup folder so it will always be scheduled to run upon the next bootup.

Hi pcspecialist

Nope no joy on that one I'm afraid.  However, how's this for a piece of lateral thinking.  I created a vb script file, plonked it in c:\ and told the registry hklm\software.......\run the entry of c:\\chkdskdvr.vbs

chkdskdvr.vbs code in a nutshell is as follows:

Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Log File = "c:\drivecheck.txt"
WScript.sleep 29000
WshShell.Run "%comspec% /c echo ********* Checking drive D ******** >" & LogFile, 8, True
WshShell.Run "%comspec% /c echo y|chkdsk.exe /f D: >>" & LogFile, 2, True

it then runs the DVR exe and all seems fair in love and war.

Thanks to everyone, it was a bit of a head scratcher to start with, but seems really obvious now it works.