Why is my C:\Recovery folder empty? (trying to create Recovery Disc)

The SFC tutorial shows how to repair the System files if repeated runs will not.

If the extra steps fail then a Repair Install usually works.

But I'd also look over the steps in the reinstall link below to compare your install to the perfect install compiled there. It is your chance to have the best install one can get.

Hi gregrocker

Just posting back to say that I finally resolved my issues. I was able to create a USB flash recovery disk, and then use that to run CHKDSK to fix some disk corruptions. Then I was able to run SFC to fix the corrupt dotNet files. SFC also pointed out that my AUTOCHK.EXE was corrupt, and following the instructions here, I was able to restore that from my new recovery disk. Once that was up and running and I was able to scheduled disk checks again, I then was able to re-run the Windows Update that had been failing. So I'm very pleased with the results. I just wonder if there has been any long term damage to the disk given that AUTOCHK hasn't been able to run for months?

Thanks again to everyone who helped, and to Brink for writing all those great articles.

Did you run the maker's HD Diagnostic extended CD scan to find the condition of the HD with certainty?

I tried but the Hitachi scan won't work on the drive where the OS is installed. I don't have a CD drive, so I'd need to transfer the ISO to a bootable USB to run the other test, and I'm not quite sure how to go about that. I don't think it's as easy as creating the recovery disk was on USB drive.

Run Seagate SeatoolsCD test from the link then

Ok, it looks like I'm not out of the woods yet. I ran Seatools for Windows and it reported that there were problems (both the Short DST and the Long Generic failed). Seagate recommends running the DOS version but again that requires burning a CD. Any suggestions as to what I can do next?

See if you can borrow a PC to download the Seatools ISO to burn to CD with Windows Image Burner. Boot it for a full scan.

If not you can read the SMART data off the HD with Crystal Disk Info from /61888/CrystalDiskInfo6_2_1-en.exe??????? - CrystalDiskInfo - SourceForge.JP making sure to uncheck and Decline anything except the program itself during install.

You can install install Partition Wizard's latest edition to run a Surface Scan on the highlighted HD.

Thanks gregrocker, but what would I do with a CD? My netbook only has USB. Do you think it would be possible to get the Seatools ISO on to a bootable USB?

SeaTools for DOS and Windows - How to Use

Use Option Two, part 1.

Though Seatools can test all the brands of HDD, it performs the repair action for the Seagate brand HDD only

My disk is Hitachi, so that's not going to help me repair the problem. I even emailed Hitachi, and got a response from someone who clearly knows even less than I do, suggesting I defragment the disk! He did suggest however that "For netbook, it is possible to have external CD drive, that you plug through the USB (you can find those easily in third party company or online)", which has me wondering if it would be possible to run the Hitachi WinDFT from a USB, and get it to check the drive where the OS is? There's a lot of ifs there!

I still haven't checked Crystal Disk Info or Partition Wizard, but briefly looking at them, they seem to be more tools for scanning, rather than repairing. Is that true?

thanks again for the advice. It's really appreciated.