Dirty bit is set

[djhplm]

I cannot defrag C:, nor can I perform a chkdsk C: /f on start up. I get dirty bit is set on the volume (0x89000015). I'm not sure what to check or what my next step should be. I hnave booted from my win 7 disc and did a repair but it did not help.

 

[Ztruker]

Click on Start then Run, type cmd and press Enter. Next type fsutil dirty query c: where c: is your boot drive. This queries the drive, and more than likely it will tell you that it is dirty.

Next, type chkntfs /x c:. The X tells Windows to NOT check that particular drive on the next reboot.

Now manually reboot your computer, it should not do a chkdsk and should take you directly to normal Windows login.

Once Windows has fully loaded, bring up another Command Prompt and enter chkdsk c: /r. Reply Y when asked if you want this to happen on the next boot. This should take you through 5 stages of the chkdsk scan and will unset that dirty bit. This can take an hour or more depending on the size of your hard drive, be patient and let it complete.

Once booted back to Windows, open another Command Prompt and query the dirty bit again by entering fsutil dirty query c: and Windows will confirm that the dirty bit is not set on that drive.

 

[djhplm]

still dirty

I went through the steps you outlined for me, exactly. Still is dirty and it will not chkdsk on reboot. I even did a sfc /scannow on c and it said it could not fix errors because of dirty disc.

 

[Ztruker]

Try running chkdsk and System File Checker (SFC) from the Recovery Console

• Boot your Vista or Windows 7 installation DVD[/*]
• When you see "Press any key to boot from CD or DVD", press Enter[/*]
• At the "Install Windows" screen, click on Repair your computer at lower left[/*]
• At the System Recovery Options screen, make note of the drive letter assigned to your boot drive (normally C and click Next[/*]
• At the Chose a Recovery Tool window, click on Command Prompt. You will be sitting at X:\Sources directory[/*]
• Run chkdsk or SFC[/*]
• If you did not note the drive letter of your boot disk, you can enter bcdedit and look at the osdevice line to see what it is.[/*]
• For chkdsk, type chkdsk c: /r and press Enter (use the letter from above if not C.[/*]
• For sfc, type sfc /scannow /offbootdir=c:\ /offwindir=c:\windows and press Enter (use the letter from above)[/*]

Let either run to completion undisturbed.

Vista or Windows 7: If you don't have a install DVD, you can download a legal copy here:
Windows 7 Direct Download Links
Download Official Windows Vista RTM with SP1 Setup Files (32-bit and 64-bit)

Make sure you get the same version you have installed: 32 or 64 bit; Home Premium, Pro or Ultimate.