Unstable system scannow returns problems not fixed. What next?

[ehwj]

I found a very old thread and followed suggestion to post new. So here goes.
Over the last few days I have experienced a pronounced slowdown on my Lenovo Win 7 SP1 machine. Tried a lot of thing ending with running “sfc scannow” from cmd prompt with this return: “Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them. Details are included in the CBS.Log windir\Logs\CBS\CBS.log. For example C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log”

I cannot open this file even following a suggestion I found on another site which was to enter the following at the prompt:
“findstr/c: “[SR]”%windir%\Logs\CBS\CBS.log>”%userprofile%\Desktop\sfcdetails.txt”

I find a file with the name sfcdetails.txt but it is empty. AND I am lost. I am completely and totally incompetent to proceed. Can someone please advise what all this means and what I should do now?


BACKGROUND:
Don’t know how much background, if any, would be helpful, so briefly the problems developed beginning with windows (particularly while in Firefox) closing unexpectedly; then when trying to wake up PC would see a dos screen with message to the effect “to reboot and select proper boot device. . .” Then yesterday morning when I would shut down I would select F10 so I could select the proper boot device, and PC would start then go to the same “reboot and select message (“R&S”). At this point I would have to turn the PC off and back on in order to initiate a boot. Then after a few more attempts PC would come up running CHKDSK. The first time this happened CHKDSK ended with message to effect that wasn’t enough space to repair $I30 at a particular address. After a few more attempts when turn on, go to F10 and would return a blinking cursor (_). At this point I thought of a reason for this behavior and disconnected an newly attached external drive. At this point I was able to boot up properly and I thought all was well. That is not the case.

 

[Brink]

Hello ehwj,

See if doing the items in the blue note box at the bottom of OPTION TWO may be able to allow SFC to repair the files afterwards.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html

 

[ehwj]

Hello ehwj,

See if doing the items in the blue note box at the bottom of OPTION TWO may be able to allow SFC to repair the files afterwards.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html

Thanks, Brink.
Ran sfc /scannow 3 times. Each time the return was found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them. Haven't figured out how to open the log file so don't know what files are corrupt, but it doesn't make a lot of difference at this point since I this computer came with Win 7 installed. I do have some old backups if it comes to that.
I started this reply when it had taken more than 15 minutes to install the System Update Readiness Tool. Just as I typed this the install completed. I'll go ahead and post just as a progress report.

 

[ehwj]

Brink,
Installing System Update Readiness Tool did not help. Ran 3 times but still get return that could not repair the errors. As I mentioned in my previous post, I don't have a CD with Win 7 - at least I don't have the greatest confidence in. I have a recovery disk that I can try.
Before I try that I'm wondering if there is any way to run from Safe Boot?

Second concern is how do I open the log file and how do I attach it to my reply. Sorry I know I should know how to do these things, but my PC gets slower and slower. I need to figure out a way to get it all backed up to a verifiable backup before this goes to sleep forever.

Thanks again for your help.
ehwj

 

[Brink]

If you like, you could do a factory recovery on your Lenovo computer to restore it back to default. Be sure to back up anything that you do not want to lose first.

Lenovo Technical Support: how to Lenovo Laptops - Restore factory settings

If you like, you could also do a clean install instead.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html

 

[ehwj]

If you like, you could do a factory recovery on your Lenovo computer to restore it back to default. Be sure to back up anything that you do not want to lose first.

Lenovo Technical Support: how to Lenovo Laptops - Restore factory settings

If you like, you could also do a clean install instead.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html

Brink,
Can't thank you enough for your help. My Lenovo is a desktop. I think I'll go with the clean install instead. I have tried to maintain good backups over the years but everytime I have to reinstall the OS or buy a new machine I have a horrible time restoring all of my programs and files. So I am really dreading this undertaking.
Before I begin, can you help me one more time and point me to a detailed tutorial on best way to back up. The instructions only say "3. Backup your files externally by copying your named user accouny or active User folders to an external drive . . ." On the C: drive I have folders with all my installed programs and data files for many of the installed programs. I have a lot of shortcut icons on my desktop. This is an accumulation of stuff beginning in 1993. I don't know very much about Win 7 and I'm not sure what files will be replaced and what files I can restore after the clean reinstall.
I have some tools installed, including Paragon's Hard Disk Manager 12 Suite, Diskeeper 12, WinPE Recovery Media Builder.
Please give whatever suggestions you have about backing up. Reading over the tutorial I think the rest of it is straightforward. (The backup may be as well, but I am paranoid about the potential restore issues.)

 

[Brink]

For just files (documents, images, etc...) that you are backing up, then a simple copy and paste to another drive would be the easiest and most reliable way to do so.

Programs would need to be reinstalled though.

 

[ehwj]

If you like, you could do a factory recovery on your Lenovo computer to restore it back to default. Be sure to back up anything that you do not want to lose first.

Lenovo Technical Support: how to Lenovo Laptops - Restore factory settings

If you like, you could also do a clean install instead.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html

Honestly a reinstall or factory reset are the last things I want to do. But as this machine gets slower and slower I must do something. I wish there were more alternatives. Before I do this I must get a good backup. In the past I have thought I had a backup only to find out I really didn't. You have helped a lot already, Brink, but can you point me toward a good tutorial on how and what to backup. I have all sorts of commercial programs I have purchased over the years but some are out of date and those I have used in the past turned out not to have backed up properly so I could restore. For the most part I keep my data on the second HDD, but not all.

 

[ehwj]

Now I'm getting popup Microsoft windows saying disk defects has been detected and I need to back up. I am trying to do so. However, when I try to copy Users folder to external drive I get error message that I have to run as administrator. Ordinarily I would right click on the item in Start and click on Run as Administrator, but that doesn't work. What do I need to do.
ehw

 

[Brink]

It sounds like the hard drive may be failing on you.

While signed in to an administrator account, open the use folder first to allow access, then see if you are able to copy it.

Afterwards, you might scan the hard drive with a drive test tool (ex: SeaTools) from the manufacturer to see if it passes or fails.

 

[ehwj]

It sounds like the hard drive may be failing on you.

While signed in to an administrator account, open the use folder first to allow access, then see if you are able to copy it.

Afterwards, you might scan the hard drive with a drive test tool (ex: SeaTools) from the manufacturer to see if it passes or fails.

Status update - and it's not good.
I created a System Repair Disk and verified I can boot from it. I then attempted to create a System Image Backup which FAILED with following information:
"one of backup files could not be created (0x8078002A) because of I/O device error (0x8007045D).

I am trying to back up to a 1TB primary partition on a WD 4TB My Book external drive. I would think this size would allow 512 sector size limitation, but don't really know.

I read in other threads that WD has a work around, but I can't find it. Any suggestions on where to find the work around or on how I should proceed? I have everything backed up except the drive that windows is on.

 

[Brink]

You might see if you may be able to use Macrium Reflect Free to create an image of it.

 

[ehwj]

You might see if you may be able to use Macrium Reflect Free to create an image of it.

I'm getting ready to download Macrium.
Before I can do so,, I got a telephone call from someone claiming to be from Windows. They are calling because, they say, my machine has been sending error messages to Microsoft everytime I connect to the internet.
They directed me to error logs and ask if I could see a delete button which I can not. This, they say, is because of a virus. The first thing I did when this problem started was run Malwarebytes and it returned one trojan and quaranteened it. At that point they wanted me to allow them access to my machine and I said No. However, I got a return telephone number and there was no pressure to continue. I'm curious whether this has any chance of being true.
Hope to hear from you soon.
ehw

 

[Brink]

That is a scam to gain access to your system to steal personal information and such.

Don't do anything with them.

 

[ehwj]

That is a scam to gain access to your system to steal personal information and such.

Don't do anything with them.

Thanks, Brink. Yes, you are correct. I should have waited a few more minutes before posting. I just finished reviewing several sites involving MicroSoft support. The reports there are same as I experienced. Googled "Phone call from Windows Technical support - Microsoft."
I appreciate taking your time to reply. I'll stay on topic from now on.
ehw

 

[ehwj]

You might see if you may be able to use Macrium Reflect Free to create an image of it.

Status Update:
I ran Macrium Reflect but system image failed.
I ran Windows Backup and system image failed again.
I downloaded SyncBack Free and tried to back up the C: drive. I was able to do so, but with 156 errors.

Reviewing the Error Log it appears only one of those errors was corrupted. This was the folder, C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Security Task Manager. The error message was "Scan failed (1392): The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable."
QUESTION: How do I delete this folder? Nothing I tried worked.

Three other files could not be copied (Error 23) because of "Data error (cyclic redundancy check." These files were in my User directory.

The other error messages were one of following:

1. "Failed to copy from Source: File is locked (file name) The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process." More than 30 in this category. I can furnish directory/file path information if you want.
2. "Failed to copy from Source: Cannot copy file (5): Access is denied."
More than 100 of these errors were in C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Crypto\RSA\MachineKeys\file name

I have successfully backed up all of my data from the logical drives on this HDD.
It will take me some time to research these errors, but wanted to let you know this is where I am at the moment.
thank you again for your patient assistance.

 

[Brink]

Security Task Manager is a 3rd party program that you installed that shows comprehensible information about programs and processes running on the computer.

Security Task Manager - Windows 8, 7, XP process viewer

You should be able to uninstall the program as usual in Programs and Features to remove it and it's folder.

Have you already scanned your hard drive with the drive tool SeaTools to see if it may be failing?