Problems Galore

Firstly, booting into safe mode should allow you to delete the oracle files. While you're in safe mode, please post the cpu utilization, and run scandisk from Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools. Post any errors you encounter.

The CPU utiliazation is down to zero unless I run the cleanmanager.exe or some other program - be it big or small, it then goes upto 100%. The space continues to be be missing. Properties of disk indicate a 60 GB disk but with well over 55 GB used up when the sum of sizes of directories in C drive is just 13 GB and sum of files on the C Drive is just 34 MB

I was able to delete the Oracle files in safe mode. Why do you need to be in safe mode to do that?

There is no scandisk on the Windows 2000 version that I have running on my system. Any ideas?  Does a reformat look imminent?


Qazi

I ran the reapir disk utility in Windows 2000 and I saw a rather unexpected entry along with the C Drive. The entry reads "Osselector<CHAR>" and is not NTFS file type and has an amount of 16 MB associated with it. What could have happend?

<CHAR> = Square looking special character

Qazi

To answer your safe mode question, safe mode boots up windows using a minimum of drivers and programs. You couldn't delete those oracle files before because something in windows was still trying to access them. Booting into safe mode prevented that program from booting up, thus allowing you to delete the files.

Do you have any other information on the hard drive, such as manufacturer or prefreably model number? You can access that info from Start > Control Panel > System, then the "hardware" tab, then the "device manager" button. Find your hard drive in the list and post whatever information you can find. Doing this will help troubleshoot. Keep in mind that it's possible that this is a hardware issue, meaning that the hard drive is broken. Do you know how old it is?

I will do that - the drive is probably 2 years old

qazi

It's a WD Drive

Model # is

WDC WD600BB-60CJA1

uder General Tab

Write cache enabled is checked under Disk Properties tab

Driver Version is 5.0.2183.1

under Driver Tab


Qazi

That error means that whatever section of the hard drive was being scanned is corrupt. I'm not sure if it's hardware or software related.

This is a link to the Wester Digital Hard drive diagnostic utility: http://support.wdc.com/download/index.asp#diagutils

Download and install the program, then run all possible tests on that hard drive. For hard drive problems like this, one of the best steps to take is to download the official utilities for your hard drive to see what they tell you. Please post your results.

There are no hard drive errors that show up. I am at my wits end!

Qazi

Alright, there's one last possibility. It could be that you've got a malicious program eating away at your hard drive. Could you download, install Hijack This!: http://www.spychecker.com/program/hijackthis.html

Once it's installed, run it and then post the log that it returns. I'll take a look at it to see exactly what's happening on your computer. You may end up having to reformat the drive to get it back to its original condition, so start thinking of how you can backup any important files.

I ran the hijackthis.exe and came up with

-------------------------------------------

O2 - BHO: (no name) - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 6.0\Reader\ActiveX\AcroIEhelper.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - C:\Progra~1\Spybot~1\SDHelper.dll
O3 - Toolbar: &Radio - C:\Winnt\System32\msdxm.ocx
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Synchronization Manager] mobsyn.exe /login
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SiS Tray] C:\WINNT\System32\sistray.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Cmaudio] Rundll32.cpl,CMICtrlWnd
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Program Files\Quicktime\qttask.exe" -atboottime
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [pccguide.exe] "C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\PC-cillin 2003\pccguide.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [PCCClient.exe] "C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\PC-cillin 2003\PCCClient.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Pop3trap.exe] "C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\PC-cillin 2003\Pop3trap.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TkBellExe] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe" -osboot
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [PopUpStopperFreeEdition] "C:\Program Files\Panicware\Pop-Up Stopper Free Edition\PSFree.exe"
O4 - Global StartUp: Microsoft Office.lnk= C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\OSA9.EXE
O4 - Global StartUp: Service Manager.lnk= C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\80\Tools\Binn\sqlmangr.exe
O16 - DPF: (Shockwave ActiveX Control) - http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/director/swdir.cab
O16 - DPF: (Update Class) - http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/CAB/x86/unicode/iuctl.CAB?38006.517337963
O16 - DPF: (Shockwave Flash Object) - http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab

Anything suspicious?

Qazi

I uninstalled both and restarted the computer. No change yet. For scandisk should I right click properties of C driv, pick the Tools tab and click the Check Now button with the "Scan For and attempt recovery of bad sectors". Should I be doing something else? Is there any other tool that I can download that performs scandisk from the command prompt

Thank You

qazi

You're doing the right thing in terms of running Scandisk. If you'd like to run Scandisk from the command prompt the command is "scandisk". Entering that should produce an error that will direct you in the proper way to use the scandisk command through the command prompt.

  Again, are you doing any of this through safe mode? Do you know how to get into safe mode?

Hey there eortega619! I would like to to let you know that everything finally worked. Removing the PCCillin was part of the solution. Reinstalling it, running the update and then running a scan and then rebooting the computer did the trick. I am back upto47 GB of free space and I am very grateful to you

qazi