Select the product you need help with

ScanDisk Runs After Improper Shutdown or Hard Disk Error

Article ID: 152404 - View products that this article applies to.

This article was previously published under Q152404

Expand all | Collapse all

SYMPTOMS

ScanDisk runs automatically or you receive one of the following error messages when Microsoft Windows starts:

Windows was not properly shut down. One or more of your disk drives may have errors on it. Press any key to run ScanDisk on these drives...
One or more of your disk drives may have developed bad sectors. Press any key to run ScanDisk with surface analysis on these drives...
Improper shutdown detected. Checking drives for errors.

Back to the top | Give Feedback

This can occur if your computer was not shutdown properly or when an error occurs on one of your hard disk drives. If Windows seems to shutdown correctly but ScanDisk still runs the next time you start the computer, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

273017

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/273017/EN-US/ )

ScanDisk Runs Even Though Windows Shut Down Correctly

Back to the top | Give Feedback

RESOLUTION

Allow ScanDisk to perform the necessary checks on all drives and repair any errors found. To properly shut down Windows, follow these steps:

On the toolbar click Start, and then click Shut Down.
Click Shut Down The Computer (or Shut Down), and then click OK.

NOTE: You should not turn off the computer while Windows is running unless the computer has stopped responding to mouse and keyboard input.

Back to the top | Give Feedback

MORE INFORMATION

To disable Scandisk from running automatically after a bad shutdown, use one of the following procedures:

Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, or Windows Millennium (Me)

On the toolbar click Start, click Run, type Msconfig, and then click OK.
Click Advanced, and select the Disable Scandisk after bad shutdown option.
Click OK twice, and then click Yes to restart your computer.NOTE: For Windows 98 and Windows 98 Second Edition, this procedure adds AutoScan=0 to the [Options] section of the Msdos.sys file. For Windows Me, this procedure adds a Binary value named DisableScandiskOnBoot to the following registry key and sets its value to 01:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem

Windows 95 OSR2, Windows 98, or Windows 98 Second Edition

Add AutoScan=0 to the [Options] section of the Msdos.sys file. For information on editing the Msdos.sys file, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

118579

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/118579/EN-US/ )

Contents of the Windows Msdos.sys File

Back to the top | Give Feedback