chkdsk error message/memory usage

[cool09]

This weekend File Explorer was slow accessing folders in my internal and external drives so I researched troubleshooting. (I have a docking station with 2 external hard drives.)

1. I ran SFC Scan to Repair Corrupt System Files in internal drives and found corrupt files and it successfully repaired them.
2. Then someone suggested I run chkdsk /r in Command Prompt. I did that and got the message: “chkdsk can not run because the volume is in use by another process”.
3. I ran chkdsk from boot screen. I typed “chkdsk C: /r” in Command Prompt and ran it. I looked at Event Viewer and It said it completed Stages 1, 2 and 3 and after Stage 4 completed there was a message that said “File datafication completed. Unspecified error occurred (75736e…500). Failed to transfer logged messages to event log with status 6”.
4. I did a clean boot and I really couldn’t find any services that were slowing down my PC.
5. I ran chkdsk /r again and checked Event Viewer and it said "chkdsk was executed in scan mode. Checking file system on C:, Stage 1: Was not able to send command for self-healing due to lack of memory".

So I looked at Memory usage in Task Manager->Processes . Firefox is using the most memory and it’s listed about 15 times! (I attached a screenshot of Processes.)
What does this mean? I have too many webpages open in Firefox? (I have a ton of webpages open in Firefox.) If I close as many webpages as I can in Firefox will this lower my Memory Usage? Skype is also using a bit of memory - I don’t know what it is - I never use it nor Microsoft Edge. Can I uninstall these 2 services?

And I don’t know if I ran chkdsk /r properly. Last few days File Explorer has been working 100% but I still want to know if I have any bad sectors on my PC drive.

[ATTACH type=“full”]13403[/ATTACH]

[Bruce]

Let’s get your complete PC specs and your drive SMART values.
Get Speccy; Speccy - Download Builds
In Speccy, click File > Publish Snapshot (hit Yes if prompted to proceed with publish) > Copy to Clipboard > Close.
Now you can paste that link into your next post.

Is Speccy safe?

Only 18% of memory is being used, I wouldn’t be worried about that.
More worrying is your drive errors and the Speccy report will expand on that.

[cool09]

I got SMART values but typing wmic in Command Prompt. PC is ASUS (can’t find the Model Type).

[ATTACH type=“full”]13404[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH type=“full”]13406[/ATTACH]

[cool09]

Sorry, I didn’t run Command Prompt properly. This time I typed “wmic diskdrive get model, status”.

[ATTACH type=“full”]13407[/ATTACH]

[phillpower2]

You need to provide the Speccy url that was requested, the screenshot in reply #3 is unfortunately of no help.

[Bruce]

This is what we need you to do.

In Speccy, click File > Publish Snapshot (hit Yes if prompted to proceed with publish) > Copy to Clipboard > Close.
Now you can paste that link into your next post.

This will give us so much more than the screenshot.
Especially the SMART values of your drive.

[cool09]

Sorry. I read that to check SMART values in WIndows 10 you type “wmic diskdrive get model, status” in Command Prompt and that’s what I did.
Anyway, I ran Speccy and followed your instructions and here is the link :

http://speccy.piriform.com/results/fgYbPiIxe7wvJeMfO0LEqJT

[cool09]

Can I uninstall Skype and Microsoft Edge? I don’t use them at all. And iTunes Service runs at Startup and I really don’t use that app much so can I disable it from running at Startup?
My concern is Firefox. I don’t know why it’s taking up so much Memory. I have tons of webpages open in Firefox - is that using up all my memory? I’m not going to change browsers - I like Firefox very much. Firefox is up-to-date as are all my Windows applications.
Another thing: I tried to upgrade BIOS from ASUS website and it didn’t recognize PC Serial Number so I called Customer Support and they didn’t recognize it either. I took S/N from the back of my PC. And I don’t know what Model it is: Windows System Information doesn’t list a Model and I looked for PC Model in BIOS and it wasn’t listed. Customer Support told me to look at bottom of my PC - there’s nothing on bottom of my PC! They concluded that my PC is out-of-warranty and I have to send it to a technician of ASUS for a fee of $85 to upgrade BIOS. The PC is only a few yrs old! (They were absolutely of no help - they kept interrupting me and didn’t listen to what I told them.)
Someone in another forum gave me very simple instructions to upgrade my motherboard BIOS and I’m going to do that.

[Bruce]

Uninstall Skype - yes.
Uninstall Edge - no, part of Windows.
Disable iTunes - yes.

Again, your screenshot only shows 18% of memory being used - why are you worried about it?
I don’t think your File Explorer slowness was memory related.
Is it always slow, or just after startup, or just when looking at a certain folder, or only when looking at an external USB device?

Your E:\ drive is down to 3%.
H:\ drive is down to 7%.
B:\ is 7%. F:\ is 7% - The SSD these two partitions are on has a temperature exceeded alert.
And C:\ is at 6%. This one has many SMART errors.

None of them is good and could easily explain the slowness as Windows has to micro-manage cache, temp, and swap files. Plus the errors!

Looks like the rig is about 3 years old, so yeah, most likely out of warranty - but check your purchase date and warranty info.

If it was mine, I’d be getting a new SSD for my C:\ drive and reloading a fresh copy of Windows, then transferring my files over, then installing my required software.

[cool09]

Again, your screenshot only shows 18% of memory being used - why are you worried about it?

Because I had problems running chkdsk /r. I got error message after running chkdsk in Event Viewer telling me chkdsk was “not able to send command for self-healing due to lack of memory”. So I don’t know if chkdsk ran or not.
I ran chkdsk from boot yesterday and Stage 4 took forever. I went out for an hr. and came back and restarted my PC and checked Event Viewer and it told me Stages 1, 2 and 3 ran (with no errors found) but Stage 4 didn’t complete.
I have to research how to get Stage 4 to complete. I want to know the status of my hard drive.. Over the last couple mths chkdsk ran automatically a couple times at Startup and I don’t know why.
Looks like the rig is about 3 years old, so yeah, most likely out of warranty - but check your purchase date and warranty info.

My brother bought the PC for me and I don’t know the purchase date and anything about the warranty. ASUS customer support didn’t recognize my Serial Number which I took from back of PC and I can’t find the Model. I wanted to upgrade BIOS at ASUS website and it didn’t recognize my S/N.

[Bruce]

CHKDSK not completing is a sign of a faulty drive.
CHKDSK auto running at startup is Windows finding errors on the drive and trying to fix them.
At least the boot drive should be replaced, the others will be up to you.

[phillpower2]

CHKDSK not completing is a sign of a faulty drive.

Or a drive that has had some of the data overwritten because of lack of free storage space available for such things as file swaps etc.
For Windows to be able to run efficiently and to be able to update you need to have between 20 and 25% of the partition or drive available on a HDD and an SSD between 10 and 15% as free storage space at all times, if you don`t you risk Windows becoming corrupt or not being able to update which puts you at risk of malware attack.

Data only storage devices should not be allowed to get any lower than 10% of free storage space of the full capacity of the drive/partition on the drive, this also to avoid data corruption.

[COLOR=rgb(184, 49, 47)]Please note that storage devices can physically fail if the amount of free storage space is allowed to drop below the required 10 or 20/25% minimum.

Just a fyi, Windows should always be installed on either its own drive or on a separate partition on a larger drive, this reduces the amount of free space that is required to be kept available + it makes creating a regular back a whole lot easier, Windows will also boot up quicker on its own partition as it does not need to install drivers for any third party programs.

A 256GB SSD or separate partition on a larger capacity drive should be the minimum capacity allowed for.
Equally as important is being prepared for the need to upgrade to another OS, Windows 10 is nearing its end of life and extended support will cease on October 14th, 2025, when the time comes you will only have to worry about upgrading or clean installing Windows to the C: partition as opposed to needing to reinstall all of your programs and data if they were kept on a separate partition on the same drive.[/COLOR]

[Bruce]

@cool09 - any update?

[Bruce]

Closing - recent activity but no response.
To request a re-open, go to Members > Staff Members, click a Staffer then Start Conversation and quote thread name.

[Bruce]

Re-opened at OP request.