Updated 04/04 AD 2001

W9Xx Scandisk/Defrag

Many are having problems running ScanDisk and/or Defrag, with the program[s] running 1%-70%
and then stalling. Often with a message that Windows is trying to write to the drive.

How to run ScanDisk/Defrag successfully:

Go to Start > Run and type: msconfig in the Run (Command) box, clk ok.
On the General tab, uncheck all items listed under Selective startup (make sure that Selective
startup is selected)
Hit apply then OK and restart Windows
This starts Windows with only Explorer running, and insures nothing will interfere with ScanDisk
and Defrag, other than the Screensaver option, so be sure disable it before beginning.
Run ScanDisk first, then Defrag.
When completed go into Msconfig and select Normal startup, choose no when prompted to restart,
then manually select restart, press the shift key then click restart. This will perform a quick or warm
reboot which is much faster. Note: this method can be used when installing programs as well, as it
will still update any new changes to the registry.

W95x Users:
Download the Msconfig file, and place it in the C:\Windows\System folder. Then follow the above
instructions. Msconfig

Alternate W95x Solution:
Restart the system, and when you see the "Starting Windows 95... "text on
your screen, quickly press the F8 key. Choose Safe mode from the menu.
Run ScanDisk first, followed by Defrag.

Defrag Error Message: ID No:DEFRAG00205

This error can occur if the Applog file in the hidden \Windows\Applog folder is damaged.

To fix this:

  1. First make sure that you are able to see hidden files on your system. To see all files: Open Windows Explorer, and select Folder Options from the View Menu Click on the View tab, go to the Hidden Files header and choose Show all files, and press Apply
  2. Select Start > Find, and then click Files or Folders
  3. In the Named box, type applog, select C: in the Look in box, click to select the Include subfolders check box, and then click Find Now
  4. Double-click the Applog folder to open it
  5. On the Edit menu, click Select all
  6. On the File menu, click Delete, and then click Yes when you are prompted to confirm the deletion.

Add a value for DEFRAG.EXE /ALL to the RunServicesOnce key

The Disk Defragmenter for Windows 98 (DEFRAG.EXE) may start and not complete its task. If repeated attempts to defragment the drive are unsuccessful, it may be because an application is writing to the disk. The Disk Defragementer cannot share access to a drive with other tasks.

An application loading automatically at startup may interfere with DEFRAG. Run DEFRAG before applications load at startup by adding a value for DEFRAG.EXE /ALL to the RunServicesOnce key in the registry.

Note: You can use your computer while Disk Defragmenter is running, however, Disk Defragmenter restarts if the contents of the drive you are defragmenting change.

  1. Select defrag.inf found in the \tools\mtsutil folder on the Windows 98 CD
  2. Right-click defrag.inf, and choose Install from the menu

The next time you start your computer, Windows will defragment your drive(s) automatically.

ScanDisk Errors on IDE Hard Disks larger than 32GB

If your computer uses a Phoenix BIOS and uses the Phoenix Bit Shift translation algorithm to report the geometry of large IDE hard disks, the Windows protected-mode IDE disk driver (Esdi_506.pdr) may not correctly recognize the translation mode for the drive, resulting in an inability to access areas of the drive beyond the first 32GB.

In such cases, if you use the protected-mode (graphical) version of ScanDisk to perform a thorough scan (which includes a surface scan) on an integrated device electronics (IDE) hard disk that is larger than 32GB in size, ScanDisk may report errors on every cluster after approximately cluster number 967,393.

Microsoft has released an updated Esdi_506.pdr driver for Windows 98 and Windows 98 Second Edition. The file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center, and the Microsoft Windows Update Web site.

Downloads

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