Stuck at "checking file system on C:"

Hey,

This is my - seemingly impassable - issue at windows start up. I restarted my computer and on the start up it notified me of a need for file system check. It says the usual "checking file system on C:" - file system is NTFS and it checks for inconsistencies. Then it gives you a 10 second countdown to the checks beginning and pressing any button will skip the test.

However...of course....however, the check never starts - the count down gets stuck on 1 second(s), but never begins the check (never being about 1-2 hours, which is for how long I left it for). I force shut down the computer after waiting and running out of patience. There is no sound like the check is commencing. so not just an issue of looking like it freezes at 1 seond, but really is checking. It should be showing you the progress report right? New to 7 here...

The next time it did the same, got stuck at 1 second, before it could even start the checking. But this time I return after about 30 min and the computer is asleep, but after I wake it up (press a button) it only wakes up to a black screen.

After waiting again, while it hangs with a black screen, I force shut it again, but this time try to skip the checking by pressing any button during the countdown....this does nothing and the countdown runs to 1 second(s) again and get stuck! Auch....

I am on an oooold laptop here currently, would like to get back on my bran new HP!

Any help really appreciated....I can't seem to be able to do anything.

Lar Nem said:

Hey,

This is my - seemingly impassable - issue at windows start up. I restarted my computer and on the start up it notified me of a need for file system check. It says the usual "checking file system on C:" - file system is NTFS and it checks for inconsistencies. Then it gives you a 10 second countdown to the checks beginning and pressing any button will skip the test.

However...of course....however, the check never starts - the count down gets stuck on 1 second(s), but never begins the check (never being about 1-2 hours, which is for how long I left it for). I force shut down the computer after waiting and running out of patience. There is no sound like the check is commencing. so not just an issue of looking like it freezes at 1 seond, but really is checking. It should be showing you the progress report right? New to 7 here...

The next time it did the same, got stuck at 1 second, before it could even start the checking. But this time I return after about 30 min and the computer is asleep, but after I wake it up (press a button) it only wakes up to a black screen.

After waiting again, while it hangs with a black screen, I force shut it again, but this time try to skip the checking by pressing any button during the countdown....this does nothing and the countdown runs to 1 second(s) again and get stuck! Auch....

I am on an oooold laptop here currently, would like to get back on my bran new HP!

Any help really appreciated....I can't seem to be able to do anything.

Click to expand...

Hi and welcome

CAn you safe boot (F8)? if so you can do one of several things.
a repair install
a full clean re-install
If the OS was installed you can also do a system file check type cmd in search>right click and run as admin>sfc /scannow
let us know if we can help


Kenn J++

I'd whip out the drive and slave it to another PC and run chkdsk on it that way, with the repair switch activated... when you reinstall it make sure SMART is enabled in the BIOS as an additional precaution against corrupt clusters...

Ok - solved.

Well got passed the issue and all checks pass fine. I have no idea what the issue was. I finally got to boot options, by going through HP start up and diagnosis tools. F8 wouldn't do that before the file system check started and on that the keyboard had no effect.

Anyway, as I said all the tests were fine and I ran automatic start up repair just in case and lap top started up fine after that.

Solved, but will still look into it - I'll report if I find anything.

Thank you!!

Lar Nem said:

Hey,

This is my - seemingly impassable - issue at windows start up. I restarted my computer and on the start up it notified me of a need for file system check. It says the usual "checking file system on C:" - file system is NTFS and it checks for inconsistencies. Then it gives you a 10 second countdown to the checks beginning and pressing any button will skip the test.

However...of course....however, the check never starts - the count down gets stuck on 1 second(s), but never begins the check (never being about 1-2 hours, which is for how long I left it for). I force shut down the computer after waiting and running out of patience. There is no sound like the check is commencing. so not just an issue of looking like it freezes at 1 seond, but really is checking. It should be showing you the progress report right? New to 7 here...

The next time it did the same, got stuck at 1 second, before it could even start the checking. But this time I return after about 30 min and the computer is asleep, but after I wake it up (press a button) it only wakes up to a black screen.

After waiting again, while it hangs with a black screen, I force shut it again, but this time try to skip the checking by pressing any button during the countdown....this does nothing and the countdown runs to 1 second(s) again and get stuck! Auch....

I am on an oooold laptop here currently, would like to get back on my bran new HP!

Any help really appreciated....I can't seem to be able to do anything.

Click to expand...

Hi, I am having the same problem with my HP Laptop running Windows 7 Professional 64 bit.

You mentioned you fixed the problem, would you mind telling me how you fixed it so that I can get back on my laptop again.

Thanks

Chkdsk sometimes takes hours in a pre-Windows environment.

It sounds to me like OP mistook the length of the process for a freeze, and that after he'd allowed time for it to complete the machine finally booted to the desktop.

Same Here...

Just had the exact same problem on the wife's new HP laptop...

Went into the boot menu (escape key at HP logo) - selected system info - it then booted straight from there...

I have had the exact same problem on my HP tx2500z tablet since I installed the win7 release candidate earlier this year. The "Checking file system on C:" message appears upon startup roughly half of the time. Pressing any key within 10 seconds does not cancel the disk check as the message suggests it will.

The message will freeze at the 1 second mark. Nothing will happen beyond this point -- the fans remain at full speed, and the HDD light blinks very shortly, exactly every 1 second. I have left it for up to an hour on occasion, and it fails to complete (or show any sign of progress). The only option is to manually reboot the computer, and hope it doesn't insist on a disk check next time. Clearly, something is wrong.

I have found that, if you attempt to cancel during the 10 second countdown, it will always hang; however, if you do not press any key, sometimes it will complete successfully (perhaps 1 out of 5 times?).

I was hoping that this problem would be corrected after wiping the release candidate and installing retail Windows 7 Pro, but it still occurs.

The only "solution" I have found was to burn a Windows Recovery CD, boot into it, and run the startup troubleshooting wizard. It will then run CHKDSK and always correct errors. Yet, the problem will reappear in a few weeks. What could be causing these errors so frequently? (I know this could be a sign of HDD failure, but as I understand it the HDD should detect bad sectors and remove them from use, right?)

An alternative "solution" is simply to avoid shutting down or rebooting -- it doesn't occur upon resume from sleep or hibernate. However, this is hardly a solution, and I'd like to fix whatever the underlying problem is.

I appreciate any answers anyone might provide!

dwin said:

What could be causing these errors so frequently?

Click to expand...

As you said - a failing HDD.

The hard drive passes HP's quick and full drive tests.

Any other thoughts on what might be causing the constant disk checking and consequent freezing?

A failing HDD.

Do you have any suggestions for testing the hard drive to verify that it is failing? It is backed up every night.

What triggers Win7's automatic disk check upon bootup? How often does it occur for a "normal" drive?

HP will not replace it unless it fails their test.

The drive is a Toshiba MK2552GSX and has been in use for less than 11 months. The computer has experienced no drops, etc.

Thanks.

Windows doesn't ever do a disk check for a drive without errors (unless the flag isn't being reset - but then again - that's due to errors.) Since it is checking, you can assume that there is something wrong.

If power is immediately cut from the system without using the power button or Windows shutdown (like if power fails without UPS or plug is pulled) then that could cause a disk check.

"I have found that, if you attempt to cancel during the 10 second countdown, it will always hang; however, if you do not press any key, sometimes it will complete successfully (perhaps 1 out of 5 times?)."

This statement of yours almost is guaranteed to = failing HDD. Nothing else would really cause that.

dwin said:

Do you have any suggestions for testing the hard drive to verify that it is failing? It is backed up every night.

Click to expand...

Yes. Run Spinrite on the drive

Also, as above, turn on SMART disk monitoring in the BIOS...

Yes, another good suggestion from Qdos. Spinrite will mark all bad sectors and set it so Windows will refrain from using them.

Thanks for the feedback. For $80, I could replace the drive myself.

Let's hope that, if (when) it fails, it does so in the next month while it is still under warranty. I wonder if HP's Hard Disk Self Test is a bit "conservative" in declaring hard drives as having failed? I have run the quick and the full version a few times, and each time it has passed -- this clearly contradicts your advice.

Is there any sort of Windows log that would include whatever errors are triggering these disk checks?
Thanks again.

dwin said:

this clearly contradicts your advice.

Click to expand...

...and Windows itself contradicts that.

You're welcome.

Here's another resource for you:

http://www.carrona.org/hddiag.html

I fixed the same problem on my brand new laptop...I did a fresh install of windows and then I started noticing problems and ran check disk...and it would get stuck on countdown 1...all the problem was that I had to install the SATA drivers of my laptop...as soon as I did, check disk would run normally and all problems gone...so it may not be faulty HDD for some of you!

Yh the exact same thing happened to me, exept now my Laptop won't even turn on! I fear I have damaged the hard disk and am currently in the process of draining the power and trying to start again. What do you suggest I do if I get it working? Press ESC during the HP logo and starting from there? Or just not pressing anything at all and hoping it just works? If by some miracle I do get past the disk Check, what shall I do to make sure this doesn't happen again?
Any cooperation would be greatful thanks

I fixed this problem on my laptop by turning off legacy device support (legacy keyboard) in the bios.

I think it confuses the startup process with some kind of buggy keyboard output. It can also cause the computer to fail to boot from the hard drive device correctly.

(I can confirm my HD is in perfect working order - in fact it's a brand new SSD).

After doing this I am also now able to use the F8 hotkey for windows boot options.