Issue Command From .BAT/.CMD File As Administrator?

Just migrated to a Windows 7 box.

A recurring task is to run CHKDSK on my backup drives before I dismount
them for offline storage and before I mount them for use.

I know the part about having to run it as admin, but when I open up an
elevated .CMD window and issue CHKDSK E:, it just sits there as if it is
hung. Then after a few minutes, it returns "The type of the file system
is RAW. CHKDSK is not available for RAW drives."

[Drive] | Properties says the file system is NTFS.

I was going to say "Ditto Computer | Manage | Disk Management", but now
that I've started Disk Management, it seems to be hung... and stays hung
even when I restart it without the offending drive mounted.

"Hopefully a reboot will cure that.... "

Oops... now Windows says "Installing update 1 of 99...."

I didn't ask for that. In fact I explicitly set Windows Update to
download, but NOT install anything until I tell it to.

"Oh well...."

Waited five minutes, and no change - still installing update #1. Took a
deep breath, and hit the manual reboot switch.

System came back, apparently none the worse for wear, and indeed
Computer | Manage | Disk Management says that the format is NTFS.


From what I've read so far, it sounds like somebody has flipped a bit on
the drive's boot sector or something.

I can live without the data - it's just backups and I have half-dozen
drives that I rotate.

But before I go and re-format this thing, I thought I'd see what
somebody who knows that they're doing thinks...


Also, does anybody else complain about Windows Updates? I've been
blind sided again and again by this thing and I'm tempted to drive a
stake through it's heart. Maybe resurrect it every couple of months
to catch up.

"Installing update 1 of 99..." doesn't cut it when you're working on
something and need to do a quick reboot.... It's even worse when you do
a ShutDown because now you're hostage to the process - having to wait
around until it finishes and the machine can be booted.

Or is there something in Windows that just keeps on giving...
--
Pete Cresswell

---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
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Hi, Pete.

PATIENCE!!!

Yes, I know computers have spoiled us and we have become accustomed to
having things happen INSTANTLY! But, sometimes they don't. And some things
take a LOT longer than others. And, yes, we all feel like hostages now and
then.

But, as you should have learned by now, aborting a lengthy process only
"kicks the can down the road". (Wish our US Congress would learn this
lesson!) And sometimes, the abortion happens right in the middle of a
crucial step and leaves the computer in an unstable condition, even after a
reboot.

Your best way out of the dilemma is exactly the one you don't want to do:
WAIT! Wait for hours, if necessary, and sometimes it is. Your five minutes
is not nearly long enough! That's why automatic updates happen at 3 am, by
default, while the computer is probably not doing anything that would be
disturbed by a long process. I prefer to update manually at least once a
week, picking a time when I can let it run as long as it needs to.
Sometimes it goes quickly; on Patch Tuesday it can take an hour or more
including reboots and more than one "30% Complete; Do Not Turn Off Your
Computer". If you don't frustrate your computer, you will be less
frustrated, too.

For Disk Management, an easier, shorter way to start it is to press the
WinKey (or Run), type "diskmgmt.msc", and press Enter. You'll get the same
DM screen, but without the MMC (Microsoft Management Console) overhead so
you won't feel like you are working through a keyhole. And, yes, you'll
have to wait for several seconds (seems like a half-hour if you have many
disk drives) while it finds all your hardware. Then Maximize the screen and
expand the Status column - and you'll have to do this each time you start DM
because it refuses to remember these settings.

Chkdsk can also take a long time, although it usually doesn't. And I don't
know why it's reporting your NTFS partition as RAW. With the dependable
disk drives of today, it is seldom necessary to run Chkdsk; why do you run
it so often? Have you had many disk errors? Rather than use the Command
Prompt window, you can choose Properties | Tools | Error checking in Windows
Explorer. You might need to replace that HDD if it gives you frequent
errors. Or at least, save your data somewhere and reformat the partitions
on that disk and see if you get more dependable results.

But the main thing is: Patience!

Oh, one last thing: You might as well ditch that self-serving message from
Avast. It doesn't prove a thing. See, I've never had Avast on my computer
at all but I can make it say:

---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus
protection is active.
http://www.avast.com

So it proves nothing and just clutters up your posts - and makes you look
like a Newbie. :{

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX

Microsoft Windows MVP (2002-2010)
Windows Live Mail 2012 (Build 16.4.3508.0205) in Win8.1 Pro


"(PeteCresswell)" wrote in message
...

Just migrated to a Windows 7 box.

A recurring task is to run CHKDSK on my backup drives before I dismount
them for offline storage and before I mount them for use.

I know the part about having to run it as admin, but when I open up an
elevated .CMD window and issue CHKDSK E:, it just sits there as if it is
hung. Then after a few minutes, it returns "The type of the file system
is RAW. CHKDSK is not available for RAW drives."

[Drive] | Properties says the file system is NTFS.

I was going to say "Ditto Computer | Manage | Disk Management", but now
that I've started Disk Management, it seems to be hung... and stays hung
even when I restart it without the offending drive mounted.

"Hopefully a reboot will cure that.... "

Oops... now Windows says "Installing update 1 of 99...."

I didn't ask for that. In fact I explicitly set Windows Update to
download, but NOT install anything until I tell it to.

"Oh well...."

Waited five minutes, and no change - still installing update #1. Took a
deep breath, and hit the manual reboot switch.

System came back, apparently none the worse for wear, and indeed
Computer | Manage | Disk Management says that the format is NTFS.


From what I've read so far, it sounds like somebody has flipped a bit on
the drive's boot sector or something.

I can live without the data - it's just backups and I have half-dozen
drives that I rotate.

But before I go and re-format this thing, I thought I'd see what
somebody who knows that they're doing thinks...


Also, does anybody else complain about Windows Updates? I've been
blind sided again and again by this thing and I'm tempted to drive a
stake through it's heart. Maybe resurrect it every couple of months
to catch up.

"Installing update 1 of 99..." doesn't cut it when you're working on
something and need to do a quick reboot.... It's even worse when you do
a ShutDown because now you're hostage to the process - having to wait
around until it finishes and the machine can be booted.

Or is there something in Windows that just keeps on giving...
--
Pete Cresswell

---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus
protection is active.
http://www.avast.com

(PeteCresswell) wrote:
Just migrated to a Windows 7 box.

A recurring task is to run CHKDSK on my backup drives before I dismount
them for offline storage and before I mount them for use.

I know the part about having to run it as admin, but when I open up an
elevated .CMD window and issue CHKDSK E:, it just sits there as if it is
hung. Then after a few minutes, it returns "The type of the file system
is RAW. CHKDSK is not available for RAW drives."

[Drive] | Properties says the file system is NTFS.

I was going to say "Ditto Computer | Manage | Disk Management", but now
that I've started Disk Management, it seems to be hung... and stays hung
even when I restart it without the offending drive mounted.

"Hopefully a reboot will cure that.... "

Oops... now Windows says "Installing update 1 of 99...."

I didn't ask for that. In fact I explicitly set Windows Update to
download, but NOT install anything until I tell it to.

"Oh well...."

Waited five minutes, and no change - still installing update #1. Took a
deep breath, and hit the manual reboot switch.

System came back, apparently none the worse for wear, and indeed
Computer | Manage | Disk Management says that the format is NTFS.


From what I've read so far, it sounds like somebody has flipped a bit on
the drive's boot sector or something.

I can live without the data - it's just backups and I have half-dozen
drives that I rotate.

But before I go and re-format this thing, I thought I'd see what
somebody who knows that they're doing thinks...


Also, does anybody else complain about Windows Updates? I've been
blind sided again and again by this thing and I'm tempted to drive a
stake through it's heart. Maybe resurrect it every couple of months
to catch up.

"Installing update 1 of 99..." doesn't cut it when you're working on
something and need to do a quick reboot.... It's even worse when you do
a ShutDown because now you're hostage to the process - having to wait
around until it finishes and the machine can be booted.

Or is there something in Windows that just keeps on giving...

I would go back and verify the Windows Update settings
haven't changed. Maybe when you installed SP1, they
got changed or something.

*******

As for your hard drive, what state is it in now ?

In Disk Management, does it have the right number
of partitions, each one being the right size ? Or
is the partition information bad in some way ?

If the partition sizes look in order, then the next
step is to look at the file system present on each one.

The TestDisk program can scan for file system
headers. But it's not a replacement for CHKDSK
or anything. Notice how, part way down this page,
they were able to list the files at the top level
of one of the partitions. You can use TestDisk to
"preview" a disk, to get some idea whether the
file system is really toasted or not.

http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Step_By_Step

I don't actually write out the computed MBR from
that program all that often (which is the stated
purpose of the program). The program logic isn't
perfect. I've had it propose a partition table, where
two of the partition definitions overlapped, and the
program didn't even notice that error. What I do
trust it for, is finding *any* evidence that a
file system might be present. Rather than it being
"technically perfect and trustworthy".

If a particular screen in the program has no "Quit"
option, you can press control-C to exit the program.
I like that feature, when I'm feeling nervous and
just want to get out of the program.

*******

I also like this program... but there is no
Windows port sitting there. If you had a RAW partition,
this program could tell you whether it "smelled like
NTFS" or not. It uses a notion of voting. So it
can check five aspects of NTFS it expects to see
and say "NTFS 3 of 5 votes", implying that two
of the expected characteristics are damaged in
some way. If a partition type is, say,
"FAT32 5 of 5 votes", then I expect Windows
to be happy with it :-)

http://disktype.sourceforge.net/

Paul

On Mon, 11 Nov 2013 22:14:09 -0600, R. C. White wrote:
So it proves nothing and just clutters up your posts - and makes you look
like a Newbie. :{


Sort of like posting upside down and not bothering to trim the
material you're quoting, you mean?

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...

On Tue, 12 Nov 2013 07:44:53 -0500, "Stan Brown"
wrote in article
.. .

On Mon, 11 Nov 2013 22:14:09 -0600, R. C. White wrote:
So it proves nothing and just clutters up your posts - and makes you look
like a Newbie. :{


Sort of like posting upside down and not bothering to trim the
material you're quoting, you mean?

Don't forget improper quoting / attribution style as well. Mustn't
forget that...

--
Zaphod

Voted "Worst Dressed Sentient Being in the Known Universe" for seven
years in a row.

Per R. C. White:
With the dependable
disk drives of today, it is seldom necessary to run Chkdsk; why do you run
it so often?

Backup drives. You don't know you actually have backup until either
you have to restore from it or you verify that the drive is not damaged.

My experience has been that CHKDSK shows errors (although not
catastrophic) more times that I would expect.... maybe only one in 50,
but that's more than never. If a disc comes up with any sort of error,
I'll reformat it before the next use.

My offsite storage is not very sophist acted: my car, the garden shed,
and a shack down at the New Jersey shore.... so who knows what kind of
abusive conditions a drive might have to endure.

Plus, my backup drives are currently drives that have been retired from
other duties so they're not exactly pristine.

Oh, one last thing: You might as well ditch that self-serving message from
Avast. It doesn't prove a thing. See, I've never had Avast on my computer
at all but I can make it say:

I just noticed it yesterday - New version of Avast.
Couldn't find any way to change/remove it so I just turned off Avast's
checking of outgoing messages. Hopefully you won't see it at the
bottom of this one.
--
Pete Cresswell

---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
http://www.avast.com

Per Paul:
I would go back and verify the Windows Update settings
haven't changed. Maybe when you installed SP1, they
got changed or something.

After posting my little rant, I did check WindowsUpdate settings and
they were still saying that no updates would be installed until the user
specifically directs so.

Only thing I can think of is that somebody pushed a default value of
"Install updates and then shut down" into the Start | Shutdown dropdown.


As for your hard drive, what state is it in now ?

Dunno, can't get CHKDSK to run. Probably a-ok, but I still want to
know. If it has errors, I'll reformat it and make a note. If that
happens more than once or twice more, I'll just trash the drive.

In Disk Management, does it have the right number
of partitions, each one being the right size ? Or
is the partition information bad in some way ?

If the partition sizes look in order, then the next
step is to look at the file system present on each one.

After reboot, everything looks a-ok in DiskManger.

And here's the really fun part: I installed those 100 updates overnight
and this morning CHKDSK is working a-ok.

--
Pete Cresswell

---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
http://www.avast.com

On Tue, 12 Nov 2013 10:00:49 -0500, (PeteCresswell) wrote:

sophist acted

You must be using the same spell checker I use :-)

The Avast message was still there, BTYW.

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

Per Gene E. Bloch:
sophist acted

You must be using the same spell checker I use :-)

The Avast message was still there, BTYW.
Yeah, I noticed....

----------------------------------------
CANDIDATE FOR A PULLET SURPRISE

I have a spelling checker.
It came with my PC.
It plane lee marks four my revue
Miss steaks aye can knot sea.
Eye ran this poem threw it,
Your sure reel glad two no.
Its vary polished inn it's weigh.
My checker tolled me sew.

A checker is a bless sing,
It freeze yew lodes of thyme.
It helps me right awl stiles two reed,
And aides me when aye rime.
Each frays come posed up on my screen
Eye trussed too bee a joule.
The checker pours o'er every word
To cheque sum spelling rule.
Bee fore a veiling checkers
Hour spelling mite decline,

And if we're lacks oar have a laps,
We wood bee maid too wine.
Butt now bee cause my spelling
Is checked with such grate flare,
Their are know faults with in my cite,
Of nun eye am a wear.
Now spelling does knot phase me,
It does knot bring a tier.

My pay purrs awl due glad den
With wrapped words fare as hear.
To rite with care is quite a feet
Of witch won should bee proud,
And wee mussed dew the best wee can,
Sew flaws are knot aloud.

Sow ewe can sea why aye dew prays
Such soft wear four pea seas,
And why eye brake in two averse
Buy righting want too pleas.

Jerry Zar, 29 June 1992
Jerrold H. Zar
Graduate School
Northern Illinois University
Title suggested by Pamela Brown.
Based on opening lines suggested by Mark Eckman.
----------------------------------------
--
Pete Cresswell

---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
http://www.avast.com

On 12 Nov 2013, "(PeteCresswell)" wrote in
alt.windows7.general:

This email is free from viruses and malware because avast!
Antivirus protection is active.

This is not an email.

I hope Avast kicking back a few to you for you advertising their
products.

(PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Gene E. Bloch:
sophist acted
You must be using the same spell checker I use :-)

The Avast message was still there, BTYW.
Yeah, I noticed....

--
Pete Cresswell

---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
http://www.avast.com

There's a setting to get rid of that promo sig.

"From the avastUI Settings Active Protection
Mail Shield Settings (wrench icon)
Behavior - General section

"Uncheck" Insert note into clean message (outgoing)"

HTH,
Paul

Per Paul:
(PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Gene E. Bloch:
sophist acted
You must be using the same spell checker I use :-)

The Avast message was still there, BTYW.
Yeah, I noticed....

--
Pete Cresswell

---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
http://www.avast.com

There's a setting to get rid of that promo sig.

"From the avastUI Settings Active Protection
Mail Shield Settings (wrench icon)
Behavior - General section

"Uncheck" Insert note into clean message (outgoing)"

HTH,
Paul

Done. Thanks!... I never would have found it.
--
Pete Cresswell

On Tue, 12 Nov 2013 16:47:30 -0500, (PeteCresswell) wrote:

CANDIDATE FOR A PULLET SURPRISE

I had to clip that so I could reply! My eyes were reeling.

It must have bin even harder to right than it was to reed.

But thanks for the entertainment :-)

BTW, I see I wrote BTYW. Oh well.

And my apologies go to you British, Canadians, and other non-USA
netizens for "bin" to replace "been" :-)

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

On Tue, 12 Nov 2013 18:53:12 -0500, (PeteCresswell) wrote:

There's a setting to get rid of that promo sig.

"From the avastUI Settings Active Protection
Mail Shield Settings (wrench icon)
Behavior - General section

"Uncheck" Insert note into clean message (outgoing)"

HTH,
Paul

Done. Thanks!... I never would have found it.

They might (just *might*) have purposely made it obscure.

And I see from your sig that Paul's suggestion worked.

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

Gene E. Bloch has written on 11/12/2013 7:56 PM:
On Tue, 12 Nov 2013 16:47:30 -0500, (PeteCresswell) wrote:

CANDIDATE FOR A PULLET SURPRISE

I had to clip that so I could reply! My eyes were reeling.

It must have bin even harder to right than it was to reed.

But thanks for the entertainment :-)

BTW, I see I wrote BTYW. Oh well.

And my apologies go to you British, Canadians, and other non-USA
netizens for "bin" to replace "been" :-)


That's from a compendium of funny things school kids wrote.

http://www.funny-english-errors.com/resources/articles/pullet-surprise.html