[Fitz]

On the odd occasion that I shut down Windows 95 incorrectly or have to reboot, I notice that Scandisk will not run automatically as it used to. Is there something I can do to restore its automatic operation on startup?
Fitz

[Rollin' Rog]

Open your msdos.sys file (in the root directory, c:\) in Notepad, or use the windows dos prompt to: edit msdos.sys

Look for an Autoscan= entry under the [options]header. It should be set to 1 or 2 to enable it.
http://support.microsoft.com/support.../Q118/5/79.ASP

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What the Dormouse Said

[Fitz]

Thanks for that.
The only problem is that Msdos.sys is a read only file so Notepad can't make the "Autoscan=1" insertion stick. I haven't tried EDIT but I daresay that won't either.
Interestingly, Autoscan doesn't appear at all in the file, so I wonder how it disappeared.
Fitz

[Fitz]

I just scrolled right to the end of the MS Product Support Page that you included in your message and have seen the instructions for making the changes by suspending the "Read-Only" status of the sys file.
I'll do that.
Thanks again

[Fitz]

That's odd.
I followed instructions to the letter about editing the MSDOS.SYS file to include the AutoScan=1 line under [OPTIONS], including the part about leaving no gaps and matching cases, but when I came to test an incorrect shutdown, I get exactly the same message, i.e. "there was a problem running SCANDISK.EXE"
I can run it once Windows is loaded, though I did experience slow running till I shut down everything except SYSTRAY and EXPLORER, but it works OK then. I still don't get the option to run the startup SCANDISK. Are there two different files for SCANDISK? The DOS version and the WINDOWS 95 version or do they somehow use the same file? I've searched my computer and there's only SCANDISK.EXE file with what appears to be the DOS programme icon next to it, but when I activate this, it turns out to be the Windows version.
Fitz

[Dan O]

You can use Tweak UI to set the option as well, make sure you use the correct version that matches version of Windows. If you don't have it you can download it from Microsoft. If you cannot find let us know and we will give a URL for it.

[Fitz]

Dan,
I had no problem in changing and saving the option in MSDOS.SYS, which I presume is being noted on startup, but..well the DOS Scandisk just doesn't kick in after an incorrect shutdown even though the MSDOS.SYS file is appropriately amended.
I'm just wondering if there are TWO Scandisk files, one for DOS before Windows 95 loads and the other for when it's loaded. Is that the case, because I think my computer only has the one
Fitz

[Rollin' Rog]

If you are getting an error message regarding scandisk after an improper shutdown, then the call to scandisk is being made, but the problem is elsewhere.

Is there any more massage to the message? I'm wondering if there is a problem with low conventional memory. From a DOS prompt enter the command: mem

How much free conventional memory do you have available?

And is there anything special about the drive? Disk management software of any kind?

Do you have Norton Disk Doctor installed by any chance? Could be a conflict there.

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What the Dormouse Said

[Anne Troy]

Scandisk.exe and Scandskw.exe

Guess which one is for Windows!

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~dreamboat~
Brainbench MVP for Microsoft Word
Brainbench

[Fitz]

Dreamboat,
Thanks for that.
I know which is which.
The point I was making in my previous posted messages was that I can only find one of these programmes on my computer: SCANDISK.EXE.which sits in the WINDOWS\COMMAND folder, I realise that this should be the DOS file, but in fact when I activate this, it sets off the Windows version not the DOS version. I seem to have lost the DOS version.

Rollin' Rog,
Thanks for the advice.
I had a look at DOS conventional memory and it had 529k free, which seemed a little low, so I've activated DOS=HIGH,UMB in the config.sys file and now have 617k free, but still I get the same message after an incorrect shutdown: "Problems loading SCANDISK.EXE. Run the Windows version after loading" or words to that effect.
I haven't got Norton Disk Doctor, which I always found useful on my old 3.1 system, so that isn't causing any interference.
My question is: What happened to the DOS version of Scandisk, and can I get it from somewhere?
Fitz

[Dan O]

"Question is: What happened to the DOS version of Scandisk, and can I get it from somewhere?"

I don't think you will ever find out what happen to it. To get a copy ask a friend or reinstall Windows.

[Rollin' Rog]

Whitphil is the real expert in these matters , but I believe the scandisk that runs after a bad shutdown is the Windows scandisk -- scandskw.exe. So if you don't have that, no wonder there is a "problem running scandisk".

Scandisk.exe, being the DOS version should run if you boot to a command prompt and enter: scandisk.exe

So it is not the DOS version that you want to go looking for.

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What the Dormouse Said

[Bryan]

W95/98 runs scandisk.exe after a bad shutdown. Windows ME was changed to run scandiskw.exe after a bad shutdown.

Can you post the exact error message you get word for word when you run scandisk.exe from DOS?

[This message has been edited by bhesson (edited 12-31-2000).]

[Rollin' Rog]

I stand (or sit) corrected, if I had read the Microsoft Q a little more thoroughly, I would have seen that
http://support.microsoft.com/support.../q186/3/65.asp

But we must still be in a quandry as to why scandisk.exe doesn't run if he has it, but scandskw.exe does when he doesn't

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What the Dormouse Said

[This message has been edited by Rollin' Rog (edited 12-31-2000).]

[Bryan]

It happens to all of us.

Windows will default and run scandskw.exe if you run scandisk.exe while in Windows. I suspect Fitz may be searching for scanDISKW.exe and instead of scanDSKW.exe but that's just a guess. Anyway, I still would like to see the the exact error message Fitz gets, word for word, when scandisk.exe is run from DOS mode.



[This message has been edited by bhesson (edited 12-31-2000).]