Question about hard disc error checking

I am using a Windows 7 Professional 64 bit PC with two internal hard drives. Drive C contains only the Windows 7 OS. Drive D contains all of my data.

I would like to do error checking on drive D. From Computer/Windows Explorer I right clicked on drive D and clicked Properties, Tools, Error Checking, Check Now. The message displayed was "Windows can't check the disk while it is in use - Do you want to dismount this volume first? Note: All opened handles to this volume will become invalid. Buttons are Force a dismount and Cancel"

When error checking drive C the dismount message does not appear.

Should I click the button "Force a dismount"? What does "All opened handles to this volume will become invalid." Will something bad happen?

Thanks very much for your help.

lehnerus2000 said:

To be safe, close all running programs and other files.

After the drive D check has finished, reboot your PC and you should be OK.

Your OS drive (C) should complain that it can't be checked and it should ask if you want to schedule a Disk Check for your next reboot.
Choose "Yes" and reboot your PC.

Thanks for your help. When I get the message "Force a dismount"? Should I click to Force a dismount? What does "All opened handles to this volume will become invalid." Will something bad happen?

When I get the message "Force a dismount"? Should I click to Force a dismount?

Yes, you should. It'll do no harm except closing all the running applications.

What does "All opened handles to this volume will become invalid." Will something bad happen?

Again, it simply refers to closing all the running applications so the process can unmount the drive and perform disk error checking. Rest assured.

Hope it helps!!

Alex - thanks very much for the clarification. I really appreciate it. Bill

This is a relatively safe operation. There is no such thing as absolute safety in anything. Think of it this way: If bad things would happen when dismounting a drive why would the option be provided to support a relatively minor function as doing a disk defrag? Otherwise it would be done at next bootup, as is done with a drive containing Windows.

The system has to be designed to take into account the possibility that contact with a drive can be lost. This is a fairly common occurrence with network drives, and unlike a drive dismount there is no warning that it is going to take place.

Edit: Of course you have to exercise commonsense when doing this. Anything you were doing with files on the drive will be interrupted. Applications handle this in varied ways. It is best not to run other applications when doing this.

artmanphoto said:

I am using a Windows 7 Professional 64 bit PC with two internal hard drives. Drive C contains only the Windows 7 OS. Drive D contains all of my data.

I would like to do error checking on drive D. From Computer/Windows Explorer I right clicked on drive D and clicked Properties, Tools, Error Checking, Check Now. The message displayed was "Windows can't check the disk while it is in use - Do you want to dismount this volume first? Note: All opened handles to this volume will become invalid. Buttons are Force a dismount and Cancel"

When error checking drive C the dismount message does not appear.

Should I click the button "Force a dismount"? What does "All opened handles to this volume will become invalid." Will something bad happen?

Thanks very much for your help.

FYI: Most, if not all, hard drive manufacturers have their own software for testing which is what I use.

I realize that my answer doesn't address your question(s) directly, but, as I recall on my Western Digital drive using WD's Data Lifeguard, the test didn't request or state anything related to "dismount" or "opened handles".

As always, your mileage may vary.

Disk Check checks the file system on the hard drive for errors.

The maker's HD Diagnostic scan checks the physical surface of the HD for errors.

Taken together they provide a reliable picture of the HD's condition.

Thank you all for your good information. I appreciate it. Bill