Corrupt Vista files, System Restore does not work, Tweaking hangs at Start

[Averjane]

Windows Vista Home Premium 64 bit with Windows Vista SP2 - Toshiba P305-S8838 laptop

Shane, can you help?

My laptop was taking too long to boot up when turned off, so first I ran CCleaner, then I defragmented the hard drive with Defraggler because I had 25 % defragmentation to start on a 320 GB hard drive. I might have run defrag too much, because I think it may have deleted some of my System Restore points. 

Then I went to Tweaking.com, updated to new version & tried to use. I have used your old version successfully in the past. Following Tweaking.com instructions, I first did a proper power reset. Then I ran Malwarebytes (no viruses found), & CCleaner again. Note - I use CCleaner frequently – at least once a week, but I had not run Malwarebytes for a month or so. I also use Avast antivirus.

Then, I did your Step 3 & determined a Check Disk was needed. I attempted to use Check Disk thru your site, nothing happened upon reboot,  so I did an elevated command prompt for System File Checker, which found numerous Windows errors.  I printed the SFC scan results on the Windows CBS.Log file and I have it attached.

Another website recommended a download of the Windows System Update Readiness Tool http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947821 so I then downloaded & installed the one for my Vista 64 bit SP2 operating system.  They also said sometimes Check Disk needs to be run more than once to fix errors.  I re-ran Check Disk 3 more times, but it still could not fix the errors.

Then I tried to do System Restore, found it only had maybe 5 days of points (I know I set more in the past, but that was all there now), and I tried to set. However, I got an error message that Windows has detected file system corruption on the hard drive and I must check the disk for errors before it can be restored. So, I could not do System Restore.

Then I did a Clean Boot following your web instructions, and tried to run Repairs anyway – tried to run all options at first, then Defaults later, but could not do. The log noted Memory after cleaning, then “Starting Repairs”, but nothing happened- sat for hours with no progress status bar movement at all with nothing showing under the Repair Info tab either.

I also tried your Beta for Repair System Restore – nothing happened here either.

Suggestions? I have an OEM laptop so I do not have a Windows Vista start disk if it comes to that. Thanks for any help you can offer!

[jraju]

Hi, The slowing of computer on boot up is not connected with those programs listed by you. The slowness is due to the startup programs during the startup. You might have enabled auto update of programs, which will always be running at boot up processes. These programs could be minimized to try to boot quickly. The sfc details txt contains so much windows files that seems not possible to repair.  It listed important files which is needed but not found in the store . Did you check for chkdsk /f/r for fixing file system errors . If not pl try.
                         If the slowness in booting time is the problem, then you need to shortlist the startup programs. You could use the ccleaner for that purpose. Only thing, that some of the programs do exist without normal names.
                             The only otherway of copying required files is thro windows 7 dvd installation cd, by using 7zip in the given link
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/42776-extract-files-windows-7-installation-dvd.html

[Boggin]

I think you need to determine the state of the HDD before attempting to repair any files.

You can create a bootable disk to use Seatools for DOS http://www.seagate.com/support/downloads/seatools/ and use Imgburn to create the bootable disk http://filehippo.com/download_imgburn

If the disk is still serviceable then you can back up your personal stuff and do a factory reset, but Toshiba gives you the facility to create a set of OEM restore disks which will be in the Toshiba folder in All Programs and will be listed as something like Toshiba Media Recovery Creator - at least it is in Win 7 machines.

This will be a copy of what is in the Recovery Partition and booting up with those will factory reset the machine.

I take it that you don't create regular system images.

[Shane]

My windows repair v2.8.6 had a problem with a bug in vista that would cause the run as system exe to crash and so the repair wouldn't even start. I fixed that in v2.8.7 so you can try that and see if the repairs will run.

Did you also do a bad sector check on the drive yet?

Shane

[Averjane]

Hello All,
I am writing from my spouse’s laptop - might is currently stuck on CheckDisk (more on that below).
I have been having a jolly ole time with the laptop, but have learned alot in the process. I am a newbie to much of this and I really appreciate your help so far. Here’s what I have done since you responded:

Frankly, I did not understand that the Scandisk that I already ran & attached above was not the same thing as Checkdisk, until Jradju a & Shane asked if I ran that also. After you brought it to my attention I googled the differences. I now understand that checkdsk can fix file system errors.

1. First I did an elevated command prompt and tried to run chkdsk /f/r to fix file system errors, but upon reboot, my system did not do it & rebooted to normal, so I had to research how to fix. After much ado and time bumbling around the internet I got that fixed by doing what I think is called a manual entry in the registry.
2) Then I ran Checkdsk on my 320 GB harddrive (which Defraggler had said was less than half full, and 25% defragmented) and left it running overnight. Next morning it was stuck at Stage 5 at about 17% with no signs of harddrive lights, sounds or movement. So I shut the power down & rebooted. Then I got the blue screen of death, and I had to do a Startup repair. Finally got thru that.
3) Then I downloaded the update of Tweaking.com and went thru the steps ...it did not hang at Startup this time, but there are still errors.
4) At Boggin’s suggestion I tried to find something to check the integrity of my harddrive - I found some utility that came pre-loaded on my Toshiba laptop - it gave it a pass. Just took a second to do and I have no idea of how it worked or how accurate it is. That is as far as I have got on this so I think I may need to run more tests but I am not sure.
5) I ran Malwarebytes again. I ran CCleaner again including using it to pare down some of the stuff in Start menu.
6) At this point I checked Defraggler again. Somehow I was now down to 6% instead of 25% defragmentation that I had before - am clueless how this might be---???.
7) Thinking things were looking up, I decided to run Chkdsk again.
That is where I am stuck now. It went a couple of hours, showing good progress. The first stages showed deleting some of the same files that sounded like the same or similar named files that Stage 3 later showed as “Recovering orphaned files (mostly with .mof extensions) into directory files”. Stage 4 showed file verificaion complete.

Currently, Chkdsk is verifying free space (Stage 5 of 5) .... 20 percent complete (3410049 od 42724796 free clusters) and it has been there for 18 hours with no outward signs of harddrive movement.- no harddrive light or sounds (just the fan sound).

--- What do I do now with Chkdsk? Should I wait it out longer or can Checkdisk actually get stuck, without finishing on its own?
Any other suggestions of what else I should do? Thanks!

[jraju]

Hi, Shane I think that it denotes low level of hard disk failure. I request Shane to prescribe the correct diagnostic tool for this laptop
To the thread owner:
             Please arrange to copy all the important files before attempting anything as full hard disk failure will not be recoverable once it is totally failed.
              I think that there are more corrupt files and the disk is trying to repair each one and it takes much time to accomplish the task
                Since your computer is in working stage, i advise you to copy all the important files to external storages first
              You could use diagnostic tool from Toshiba, the link is here
http://storage.toshiba.com/storage-services-support/warranty-support/software-utilities

[Averjane]

Thanks but The computer 12 hours Since my last post is still stuck In check disk at the same spot. Should I Abandon heck disk at this point?
I will not do so until I hear back from you.

 Again I am writing this from a different computer.

[Shane]

Currently, Chkdsk is verifying free space (Stage 5 of 5) .... 20 percent complete (3410049 od 42724796 free clusters) and it has been there for 18 hours with no outward signs of harddrive movement.- no harddrive light or sounds (just the fan sound).

Stage 5 is where it is checking for bad sectors. Where it reads and writes to every sector on the drive. When it stalls like that it is either because of bad memory (Which if it was bad memory then you would be locking up and blue screening a lot) or it hit a bad sector and cant get itself unstuck.

A bad sector check takes a long time because very sector on the drive is written to and then read from to test it. But if it hits a bad sector, normally chkdsk will be able to tell and move on. But if the drive itself is having a lot of problems then the drive isnt reporting correctly to chkdsk and why it gets stuck.

Get your data backed up as soon as you can. From the looks of it you have a bad hard drive.

Shane

[jraju]

Hi,
                  I still think that averjane  left the diskchk in his computer and expecting replies to cure.
                            Shane, Shall I suggest him to power off the computer by holding the power button and then try to reboot. because, there is nothing he could do other than power off and reboot. Then if it boots, save files he needed from and then repair or replace the hard disk.
                      Shane, I am writing to you, as you may suggest whether any other alternative idea to power off could help him.
                               

[Averjane]

I went ahead and abandoned the Check disk by pressing the power button. Luckily the computer booted back up to Windows fine. I am backing up my important files as suggested.

As mentioned in one of my earlier posts, I did run the very brief Toshiba Diagnostic tool that came on my laptop &  it gave the Harddrive a "Pass".

My harddrive is a Toshiba MK3252GSX. The Toshiba website only has diagnostic hard drive tests for Fujitsu- branded harddrives.
Does anyone have any suggestions for a diagnostic hard drive test on a Toshiba (not Fujitsu) branded harddrive?

I tried to google a solution but am not coming up with anything. A couple of sites suggested trying the Hitachi drive fitness tool  WinDST ( from the download section of HGST, a Western Digital subsidiary) but I downloaded it & when I hit its search button (which is supposed to find compatible harddrives that it can test), it just shows a blank. I did note that the instructions that came with it said "Please note, WinDFT is not designed to run on your primary operating drive"."

[Boggin]

I have Toshiba laptops and have never had much faith in the built diagnostics.

Go back to Reply #2 where you will see I've already linked you to a HDD diagnostic tool which includes a tutorial - Seatools for DOS.

[Shane]

Those tests never show what condition the drive is actually in. I just helped a user who had a pass as well but when we looked at the smart status on each drive it showed the drives where having horrible problems and going to die soon. But because the drives where still working they got a pass, even though they where on their last leg.

I used ASTRA32 for Windows from here
http://www.sysinfolab.com/download.htm

When I used it on the users machines i went to the drives and looked at the smart status for each one, seen a ton of bad sector relocations and that the smart status of the drive was very poor.

See if that tool can give you the missing information about how the drive is doing that the test did not give you

Shane