Skipping a scheduled disk check (CHKDSK) on Windows startup

Question

My hard disk appears to be damaged and seems to be on the way out (see here for full details). After Windows startup it has been giving me about 10-15 mins to try things out and transfer files before crashing (fortunately I also have a laptop that I'm using at the moment).

To try to cure the problem I decided to run the disk error checking tool in Windows (my computer/c:/properties/tools). The tool scheduled a disk check the next time I started Windows.

This has proved to be a big mistake.

Unfortunately the disk check sticks at the 'verifying file data' check at 1% and won't go any further - probably because of the hard drive fault itself. The only thing I can do is to switch the machine off. But because the disk check has not been completed, the computer will not boot windows. So every time I switch the machine on, it starts again with the disk check, proceeds so far as above and then stops.

Important: it says at the beginning it gives you ten seconds before it starts running to skip the disk check by pressing any key. However this doesn't work (maybe because I'm using a Bluetooth keyboard?)

So what I want to know is there any way of disabling, skipping or bypassing disk check before it automatically starts up (as soon as it actually starts it seems keyboard input is disabled).

Obviously the computer is a very sick animal and I will need to replace the hard drive and reinstall the OS, but if I can find some way of bypassing disk check and getting into Windows then at least I can make sure I've saved all the files I need to save.

So please any advice gratefully received

Message Edited by elrodrigo on 09-10-2008 11:39 AM

Mary G · Answer

Boot to your xp cd and run the Recovery Console. Directions here. You should be able to use the ESC key to cancel the checkdisk, but it doesn't always work.

elrodrigo · Answer

Thanks very much Mary - that sounds very much as if it should work.

However it's led to another problem which is when I try to run Windows Recovery Console, it asks for my Administrator Password, and when I enter it, it says it's not valid.

So, I've opened up the f2 Set up screen on boot, and under the Security option it not only recognises my Administrator Password as valid but even allows me to change it.

I don't get it. How come the f2 boot Set up menu recognises my administrator password as valid while the recovery console doesn't. I feel as if I'm being frustrated at every turn.

According to the Microsoft webpage on the Recovery Console in the link, it does say 'if the Security Accounts Manager (SAM) database is missing or damaged, you cannot use the Windows Recovery Console because you cannot have correct authentication' - which isn't particularly helpful. Where is the Security Accounts Manager database? How can you access it?

Thanks again Mary - perhaps as this is becoming a different query I need to open it up as a new thread.

elrodrigo · Answer

I've now actually solved the problem myself. Before starting this thread I had tried a few of the options on the f8 Windows Advanced Options boot menu without success, but for some reason not Last Known Good Configuration. In fact this one works, it hasn't solved my hard drive problems, but it does mean I've been able to get into Windows to rescue a few key photos and music files.

Larry R · Answer

The Administrator password the Recovery Console is asking for is not the BIOS Admin password, but the Windows Administrator account password.  They are two different passwords.  Unless you changed the password after you received the machine, then it has no password, so you would just press [enter] when it asks for it.

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Skipping a scheduled disk check (CHKDSK) on Windows startup

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