Hi VALCE,

What is the exact system model?

We might need to check the HDD functionality first.

Restart the system and press f12 key on startup - choose diagnostics. Let it run the diags and if you encounter any errors - make a note of the complete error and report the same to us. These are onboard diagnostics and they might possible pick some error if the hardware is not functional. Also, run an extended / thorough tests on the HDD and memory to check for any possible errors. 

Also, please click my DELL-username and write me a private message with the service tag and your Name for case records.

Let us know if you have any other queries.

You could find out which partition it is by running the command below in an administrative command prompt.  If it does not show a drive letter associated with it, copy the entire drive ID, including slashes and paste in a RUN box.  It will open the volume so you can see what is on it.  Let us know what folders it has so we can determine which partition it is.  

Since it happens quickly, it is probably one of the small ones.  Also look at Disk Management and see if any partitions have a drive letter which usually do not.

mountvol

His laptop is an Inspiron 17 (dxdiag says Inspirion 3721). I'll run the diagnostics and get back to you.

Valce, the command is mountvol

It will only show NTFS partitions although it may mention the EFI Fat 32. 

What command? I don't see anything.

His computer has a main C: partition for the OS and 6 others (500MB, 40MB, 500MB, 859MB, 350MB and 11.68GB), all whose free space is 100%; they aren't being used. I can't seem to merge them either.

Thanks for the command. It returned these as the results (although none of them match the one in the message):

Possible values for VolumeName along with current mount points are:

   \\?\Volume{a8332684-65a6-4ad1-ac15-52ac75f77157}\

       C:\

   \\?\Volume{804b98ee-7081-493d-a215-7c07770c6f3f}\

       *** NO MOUNT POINTS ***

   \\?\Volume{b57825db-29ab-4b72-a4c9-a548c0187789}\

       *** NO MOUNT POINTS ***

   \\?\Volume{13823b49-6667-47ef-87b7-4f248f3960d1}\

       *** NO MOUNT POINTS ***

   \\?\Volume{14386729-bc08-408c-be61-469fe5e59fb4}\

       *** NO MOUNT POINTS ***

   \\?\Volume{c3ae94b7-ae81-11e2-be66-806e6f6e6963}\

       D:\

I suspect it has something to do with one of those 6 partitions. Let me know what you think and thank you again for all this help :-)

If the volume number is accurate in your first post, it is none of the ones you show in the listing.  I mentioned a FAT 32 partition would not be listed.

If you can account for the partition listed, and the no mount points are usually Recovery partitions, then if there are some extra partitions, like a EFI System partition, then it might be that one.  Make sure, in Disk Management there are no strange drive letters showing.

I am going to need to do some research.  I know commands for NTFS volumes concerning the Dirty Bit but not for FAT 32, if that is the partition being checked.

If I find anything, I will post back.

While I am researching, you might open the admin command prompt and enter the command below for each drive letter.  If it shows dirty then that is probably the problematic partition.

fsutil dirty query C:

I'll do that, thanks :-)

My question though, is doesn't chkdsk reset the dirty bit? I ran it with the commands to repair any errors it found and it was my understanding that a partition/drives dirty bit is reset during this process.

Queried the drive and it's reported as not dirty. There's only one letter in Computer Management (C:), the other partitions aren't lettered.

Yes, it should cancel the bit after it runs.  Your situation may be it is seeing something which triggers it.  A problem during shutdown or a drive being corrupted could reset that bit.  If you skip the check during the boot, it should leave the bit set so you can check it.

You appear to have a Dell system which has had an OS upgrade a couple of times.  Since it finishes the check quickly, I would think it was a small partition but not sure.

Use info from your system for these commands and you can copy and paste the long Volume info.

fsutil dirty query c:

or

fsutil dirty query \\?\Volume{1ea30722-401e-4945-93f6-ac7533f388dd}\

Once you find one marked as dirty and can open that drive in explorer by putting the volume info in a Run box.  You may not be able to go any further than the first level but we will know which partition from the file structure.

I suppose the question is what to do about it.  If you find out which partition it is, you can cancel the automatic check during boot, if appropriate.  The fact it is happening could be a sign the drive is having a problem so keep that in mind.  It is always a good idea to have recovery media and your files backed up in case the drive fails completely.  And a reinstall is always an option.

I read on another forum (the only one with an apparent resolution lol) that someone fixed this by simply deleting all the partitions and then merging their space into C:. If the drive is failing (which no scans are reporting) it won't make a difference anyway if the partitions are kept or not. I've been working on this for a couple days now and it honestly doesn't sound like it's worth the trouble because nothing I've tried so far reports problems or can find this mysterious partition.

If nothing else, use the volume info you see on the chkdsk message during boot and see if it is dirty or what is on it.  

Hi VALCE,

I have read through the forum thread of your discussion with Saltgrass. 

Since the diagnostics have passed without any errors, I think the issue could be OS related.

As per the disk management pic posted, I don't see any user partitions of the volume created.

Use the DISM commands and load a clean image on the system.

Also, since the recovery partitions is intact, you could try a Windows 10 reset and it might also fix the issue.

If the issue persists, then you might need to reinstall the OS.

Let us know if you have any other queries.