Chapter 31: Troubleshooting Tools and Strategies (continued)
Correcting Problems by Using Chkdsk
Chkdsk cannot correct found errors when there are open files on the volume because Chkdsk cannot lock the volume. In this case, Chkdsk offers to check the volume automatically the next time the computer is started. This is typical behavior for the boot volume. When the boot volume is checked, the computer is automatically restarted after the volume check is completed.
Because some repairs, such as correcting lost clusters (also knows as allocation units) or cross-linked files, change a volume's file allocation table and can cause data loss, Chkdsk first prompts you with a confirmation message similar to the following:
10 lost allocation units found in 3 chains.
Convert lost chains to files?
If you press N, Windows 2000 fixes the errors on the volume but does not save the contents of the lost clusters. If you press Y, Windows 2000 attempts to identify the folder to which they belong. If the folder is identified, the lost cluster chains are saved there as files. If the folder cannot be identified or if the folder does not exist, it saves each chain of lost clusters in a folder called Found.xxx, where xxx is a sequential number starting with 000. If no folder Found.000 exists, one is created at the root. If one or more sequential folders called Found.xxx (starting at 000) exists, one using the next number in the sequence is created.
After the storage folder has been identified or created, one or more files with a name in the format Filennnn.chk (the first saved file is named File0000.chk, the second is named File0001.chk, and so on in sequence) are saved. When Chkdsk finishes, you can examine the contents of these files with a text editor to see whether they contain any needed data (if the converted chains came from corrupted binary files, they are of no value). You can delete the CHK files after you have saved any useful data.
NOTE
Be careful to delete only files using the file name extension CHK from the Found.xxx folders. Other programs might create and use files with that extension.