chkdsk starts on each attempted boot-up

[robroyxdry]

My original HD crashed. Restored backup on new drive. Some corruption on backup. Ran chkdsk /r from repair/restore windows CD. This finished and indicated all repaired and restored. Rebooted and windows (Dell 2400 desktop OS XP 2)) gave me choice of starts. I choose safe mode. Bootup proceeded to user logon screen, I hit ok, and then,instead of continuing bootup, it proceed to close itself down. Went back to CD boot, ran chkdsk again; Clean bill of health. Rebooted ("normal" bootup), started alright, but before logon screen appears, here comes the blue screen stating "dirty volume H:" and goes into chkdsk. Goes through whole process (half-hour or so), indicates no problems, starts new reboot, looks normal, then same place in process does it all over again and the circle starts all over. There is one major problem with this scenario. There is NO "H:" drive or partion or directory on the computer. The only items connected to the computer are the "C:" hard drive and the "D:" CD drive (confirmed by a "DIR" on the recovery CD). Where does it keep finding "H" to tell me it's dirty? I can't get to Windows to try to use "fsutil dirty query"or to disable chkdsk at start-up.
Help please.

[Bob_180_Bob]

Looks like you have a problem with the windows instalation, try a windows repair and see if that fixes your problem.

To Repair Windows XP from your XP CD…..

1. Re-start PC with XP CD in drive (Have your serial number handy)
2. As your PC starts press “F12” for boot menu (Or what your PC may ask for)
3. Scroll to and select “boot from CD.”
4. At prompt “Press any key to boot from CD” Press “Any key”
5. In the Windows XP Setup window, Press “Enter” to set up windows XP, (Don’t worry, this is a repair only, not a fresh install.)
6. At next window, Press “F8” to accept license agreement
7. Wait until windows displays your current version of XP and asks “To repair the selected windows XP installation press R”
8. Press “R”
9. Enter serial number when prompted.
10. Wait for files to be copied (PC will indicate 39 mins, it will take a lot less.)
11. When asked to adjust Regional language options, click “Next” as it is still set.
12. PC will re-boot.
13. If you have AVG Free, copy serial number to a file as you will lose it on repair. After repair a window will pop up asking how you want to treat AVG, Click repair and when prompted enter serial number.
14. Check to see if problem still exists.

[robroyxdry]

Bob,
Thanks for your well defined response. Did what you laid out so clearly and the way it processed it sure looked like it would resolve it. But, (that's the word I know I don't like to see), when it was finished and went into re-boot, exactly the same thing occurred at the same time and place, same message; "checking file system on H: the type of the file system is NTFS. The volume is dirty" It goes into the CHKDSK process of verifying, etc.
Still don't know where it gets "H" from. Recovery CD's all see only "C:" and "D:" Appreciate your response though. Any other ideas would be gratefully received.

[starfireone]

It sounds like to me that the harddrive that crash had two partitions on it. C: and H:. Your Restored backup on new drive process is unable to restore any files that were in your backup from drive H:. So now chkdk is continuing to repair a drive that no longer exist.
If you want to use your Restored Backup data to the new harddrive you are going to have to create two partitions on your new harddrive first before doing the Restored Backup process.

The above is what it sounds to me is what is going on. Do you think that maybe you had the old drive that crashed partitioned
for two drives?

[Bob_180_Bob]

Try, do a CD boot, type "Msconfig" (no quote marks), "OK" and click "Start up" tab look to see if chkdsk is shown there. if not and I dont think it will be click "Boot ini" tab, put a check in "boot log", Click "apply" and "OK" then reboot and try again. If the prob is still there check log and post it here. also Go to:- www.majorgeeks.com/download3155.html download and run Hijack this. “Do not try to do any repairs yourself.” Save the report and send it with your next post along with any error logs.

[robroyxdry]

Sorry for the delay in responding. Here is an updated status for both Bob and Starfire. Bob, after the same "dirty" message reappeared following repair of Windows, but before I tried your next suggestions, I went back into the XP CD and ran chkdsk /R. When I restarted. the "dirty" message did not appeared and I got past the logon, but only got as far as an "unable to open Awgina.dll". Copied the file from my desktop, rebooted desktop in"Safe Mode" (not easy to do on my Dell, f8 works about 1 out of 10, and I have pretty fast fingers). Once in safe mode, I was able to go in the registry and reassign "C:" (my original Windows designation) instead of "H:". Note to Starfire, you were close: no prior partitions, but "H:" was the hard drive in an enclosure kit, where my backup was and somehow my computer's brain became addled. Anyway, after many teases of getting closer and closer (why do I feel this computer is sadistic?), I am up and running, albeit with almost every program I have showing up on"Desktop". But thanks to both of you for your responses. Truly Bob, I was afraid that I would a new install from the XP cd if I selected "Enter" rather than "R", until you said it was ok. However, I have one related problem. Although everything to date appeared to be running from "c:", the puter could not find 'msconfig" under "Run". Went into the registry, always with great trepidation, and found it. One small problem..it shows "H:\Windows|PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\MSConfig.exe" instad of "C:\etc.
Any idea how I can change "H" to "C"?
Again, thanks for all the help.

[Bob_180_Bob]

Sorry, it is well beyond me. You say that "H" was just a carryover from an old backup drive, yet, not only can it be found, it has data on it??? (H:\Windows|PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\MSConfig.exe)
To me, that is impossible. Maybe one of the wizz kids here can give you more info but I dont know how it could happen and therefore how to change it back.
The only explanation I can come up with is that your PC is seeing "C" as "H" in some situations and reporting the data on "C" as being on "H".
If no one else relpys to this post, make a new post stating what is happening now and some one will help you.