Windows 7: Chkdsk runs everytime I restart

I never had this issue before, but following my Windows 7 rebuild, chkdsk now runs everytime I restart (right after the Starting Windows page)

QUESTION : How do I stop chkdsk run everytime I restart?. Sometimes it does the C drive, sometimes the D. Sometimes it finds things, sometime not. Never find any bad sectors. Seem to rebuild indexes a lot. The drives are 10 months old. Please dont suggest a reformat. I would sooner throw the machine in the garbage. Did rebuilds a 100 times already.

SIDEBAR : I really cant take too much more of my Windows 7 machines. Such a drain on my time and patience. Problem after problem after problem, Rebuild after rebuild. Been on DOS/Windows since the beginning, and I have invested so much energy and knowledge into it, but I really hate it now. Too many problems - all new or recent machines. All new software. Spend more time fixing them than using them. Its so unfair. Very tempted to buy my first Mac and run to the Apple store as needed. I bet anything to would take less time and effort to run and wait at the Apple store than the collective time I spend now. I really dont know for sure though if Apple is any better. I suspect it is.

Sidebar: I have 7 different machines, a mixture of old (more than 3 years) laptops and desktops (three Atoms, a Fusion, and a Core i3), all of them running Windows 7 rock solid. I've also installed 7 on a ton of laptops and desktops at work (32 and 64 bit, with and without manufacturer Windows 7 drivers), and they also work fine. Without more information on which computer is having problems for you (complete system specs, what drivers, what software) I can only guess that you either have serious hardware or software problems, none of which are related to the actual Windows OS.

Question: Have you done any troubleshooting on your drive? Have you taken it out and slaved it into another computer and run a full diagnostics on it? The age of a drive sometimes has nothing to do with it failing. If you have, and it only has issues on the Windows 7 computer, then I believe it's a driver (motherboard, chipset, etc) issue or possibly a power issue - have you checked the power supply?

Well, all I can say is that EVERY problem I had since adopting Win 7 on two machines , every one of them, has been solved with the help of this and others forums...only becaase others have reported the same issue. ie known problems. With all due respect, I highly doubt its my hardware or my software.

The issue were solved with resintalls, regsitry, hacks, workarounds etc. All I am saying is, its a very frustrating process. When it runs, it runs well, but it's no fun getting there.

Anyway, it is what it is.

And the hard drive? Have you run any diagnostics on it? Tried it in a different computer?

When you reinstall the OS, do you install the drivers from the Dell website, or do you let Windows find and update them automatically? Just wondering, as I reviewed one of your threads just now and you didn't mention where you get your drivers from, other than a Windows NIC update killed your computer - which I'm assuming is this same computer.

There are some that say you should let Windows take care of all of the drivers. I do not believe in the philosophy. Unlike a Mac, which totally controls all hardware that you can basically attach to it, a Windows machine has millions of pieces of hardware, and they can't be expected to get everything correct - especially drivers for laptops made by Dell, HP, etc.

Thanks for the follow-up..

PC: Yes this is for the DELL Studio XPS 9100.

DRIVERS: Yes, I always check the DELL site for updated drivers, bios updates etc. For the hard drive, there is no specfic driver posted on the Dell site. Its an Hitachi - see below . So I had to let Windows initially pick the driver . Same with the second drive is a WDC I TB drive. But you are correct, it could be the drivers. which would explain why both drives are affected. Where would I obtain better drivers? I could not find any on the Hitachi web site or on the Western Digital site.

REMOVAL : No I did not remove the drive and install it in another computer . I hope this is not the expectation of Windows 7 users. I would only do that if it were not working at all.

DIAGNOSTICS : As to diagnostics, no, I have not run any yet, but I can. Haven't done that in a while given the current generation of drives are MTBF of a millenium or so. I think DELL may have diagnostic software for this, but again I have not run them in a while. For the Hitachi drive, their site only has formatting and alignment tools. For the WDC drive, I will try the diagnostic software here. Is there a generic one you can suggest.

You could try the following link it may help.
Windows 7 and chkdsk on boot

Hard drive diagnostic software:
Western Digital - Data Lifegaurd Diagnostic
http://support.wdc.com/product/downl...02faex&x=0&y=0

Hitachi - Drive Fitness Test
Downloads

Besides running the Hitachi DFT extended CD scan from boot, boot the Windows 7 DVD Repair console or Repair CD to run Disk Check from Command line: Disk Check.

This way Disk Check doesn't depend upon possibly corrupt system files which are apparently looping, and will often allow it to actually complete.

Use this opportunity to also run Dell Diagnostics from boot using the Fkey given on first boot screen, or trigger it to run at reboot from All Programs.

I ran through the WIndows Disk Check process ( Computer/Properties/Tools/Errors/ Automatically fix. etc) and on a reboot it went though all 5 stages without incident. Could not tell what it fixed as I did not wait around while it processed and it do not stay on the screen when it was done... but it appeared to have worked, Next few reboots worked good.

I ran the Dell Diagnostic utilities, it too passed every test I ran.

I downloaded the Hitachi Fitness test , burned to DVD , booted with it, it ran, but after that was useless as it could not even find any drive - must be some incompatibilty somewhere... but I felt confident as the other tests were positive.

I then rebooted again -still good - but then that ugly popup came up reminding me of 14 updates ready to install - I confirmed none were NIC related and let it rip.

And right back to square one... frozen screen, failed windows updates and check dsk on reboot.

So I give up (again)

Perhaps its just a 'dirty' attribute that needed to be reset?? No harm trying to reset that I suppose.

Other than that, look like I am back to a reformat again, if I have the patience.

Either way, format or not, I am just going to leave it when I'm done, as at this point I am just chasing errors. There is no end game here. No finish line. I've seen a few hundred posts on the topic of "chksdsk on restart following a win 7 install" . I really highly doubt that all those user simulatenaeous;y had hard drive problems...just like I highly doubt that I do.

Roll back the Updates using the System Restore point which is always set first, if necessary from
System Recovery Options.

Then install the Updates one at a time or in smaller groups to isolate the one which is failing, open a Support case on Windows Updates webpage where all support is free but handled via email.

You may also need to go back through the steps which solved the issue earlier.

Rollback dont help. Even when I update one or two updates, its hit and miss as to whether it takes it.

And I cannot figure out a way to stop the "CHKDSK on bootup problem" ( even though FSUTIL tells me disk is NOT dirty).

So I only have two paths from here:

One is cut my losses and live with it. I am exhuasted trying to fix the endless array of problems. Let it check disk every reboot, who cares. And as for the endless array of Windows Security updates, what a joke - they will never end anyway. One is therefore always vulnerable. So I will turn windows update OFF. Problwm solved. No more crashes. All my drivers are finally working. All settings the way I like them. Backups in place. Win 7 Terminator wins , I lose ( even though I am Advanced on the scale of Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced / Expert).

The other route, if I give up yet another weekend is reformat and try again - with absolutely no guarranty of any different result.

Really torn what to do here. I hate giving up but its enough already You know what they say .. " A man who trys the same thing twice and expects a different result is a fool".

I better sleep on it. I've seen this movie before. I usually cave-in in the morning