DISC CLEANUP

[kinghelfer]

..On Advice from CG i have been using the disc cleanup in the system tools, it worked fine a couple of times but now just doesnt seem to do anyhting at all - even if i leave it for hours and go out! I think i,m using windows 2000 and have the smallest memory possible so i,m told...
Any ideas...?¿?

[Greg39]

Kingy,

It depends really..... Is it just running for ages (Hard disk LED flashing away) or is it just locked/frozen and needs rebooting, or is it just sat there happily with no disk LED flashing and no lockups? Might be worth checking the system audit log from the administrator tools (Start > program files > admin tools > event viewer). This may give an insight into any error are being encountered when the utility is run.

I'm assuming you never get the results window back showing which files are candidates for removal? Might also be worth running the disk error-checking utility in case it is encountering an unreadable area of disk (right click on the C drive from within "my computer" then select the tools tab and from there the disk error checking util.

[kinghelfer]

Kingy,

It depends really..... Is it just running for ages (Hard disk LED flashing away) or is it just locked/frozen and needs rebooting, or is it just sat there happily with no disk LED flashing and no lockups? Might be worth checking the system audit log from the administrator tools (Start > program files > admin tools > event viewer). This may give an insight into any error are being encountered when the utility is run.

I'm assuming you never get the results window back showing which files are candidates for removal? Might also be worth running the disk error-checking utility in case it is encountering an unreadable area of disk (right click on the C drive from within "my computer" then select the tools tab and from there the disk error checking util.

...It just sits there , no LED flashing no lockups, tried to check what you said but i,m not getting what you describe - cant see admin tools but have tools, and no event viewer or anything that sounds like one.
clicked on C Drive too and doesnt seem to be a tools tab or error check util.....

[Greg39]

Ok, check admin tools is enabled (start >settings >Taskbar& start menu..should get a tick list of selected options, check "Display admin tools" is ticked (I'm assuming it might not be given you cannot find it).....


Also, it would seem I missed a step on the C drive checking ...from right clicking on the C drive, then left click properties (bottom of context menu that appears) then you get awindow containing the tabs of which tools is one.... sorry....memory not what it was.

[kinghelfer]

Ok, check admin tools is enabled (start >settings >Taskbar& start menu..should get a tick list of selected options, check "Display admin tools" is ticked (I'm assuming it might not be given you cannot find it).....

Also, it would seem I missed a step on the C drive checking ...from right clicking on the C drive, then left click properties (bottom of context menu that appears) then you get awindow containing the tabs of which tools is one.... sorry....memory not what it was.

..OK have enabled admin tools in taskbar menu - thanks. had a look at event viewer and couldnt realy see what to look for so started the disc cleanup - LED lit up - usual " Doing something" noises then window saying disc cleanup was not possible.
checked drive and started it only to get notice saying not possible as exclusive access to drive not available......

[Greg39]

In terms of what to look for in the system audit log, look for red crosses or yellow exclamation marks on the left hand side. The others should be standard informational messages about process started and quitting, and occasionally stalling!


So assuming no other applications are running (shut them down if they are), I would suggest a system restart/reboot and do nothing other than run the disk cleanup. If it still says exclusive access not granted, then I would suggest rebooting into safe mode (I think it is F8 during the restart when the BIOS announcements (those intital message about the BIOS name, memory size etc etc appear on screen), before the Windows 200 splash screen appears.

http://kb.iu.edu/data/aire.html (how to boot into safe mode link)

then once up and running, login and run disk cleanup..

After this completes, reboot / restart as normal.

If this doesn't do it, I assume you are a user with admin rights etc otherwise you wouldn't have been able to run it previously???

[kinghelfer]

In terms of what to look for in the system audit log, look for red crosses or yellow exclamation marks on the left hand side. The others should be standard informational messages about process started and quitting, and occasionally stalling!


So assuming no other applications are running (shut them down if they are), I would suggest a system restart/reboot and do nothing other than run the disk cleanup. If it still says exclusive access not granted, then I would suggest rebooting into safe mode (I think it is F8 during the restart when the BIOS announcements (those intital message about the BIOS name, memory size etc etc appear on screen), before the Windows 200 splash screen appears.

http://kb.iu.edu/data/aire.html (how to boot into safe mode link)

then once up and running, login and run disk cleanup..

After this completes, reboot / restart as normal.

If this doesn't do it, I assume you are a user with admin rights etc otherwise you wouldn't have been able to run it previously???

...i take it you include internet explorer in all application?¿? i,m going to close everything and try the disc clean up, then if nothing ,try to start in safe mode...i dont think for one minute i have admin rights to anything here......thanks btw.....

[Greg39]

In terms of what to look for in the system audit log, look for red crosses or yellow exclamation marks on the left hand side. The others should be standard informational messages about process started and quitting, and occasionally stalling!


So assuming no other applications are running (shut them down if they are), I would suggest a system restart/reboot and do nothing other than run the disk cleanup. If it still says exclusive access not granted, then I would suggest rebooting into safe mode (I think it is F8 during the restart when the BIOS announcements (those intital message about the BIOS name, memory size etc etc appear on screen), before the Windows 200 splash screen appears.

http://kb.iu.edu/data/aire.html (how to boot into safe mode link)

then once up and running, login and run disk cleanup..

After this completes, reboot / restart as normal.

If this doesn't do it, I assume you are a user with admin rights etc otherwise you wouldn't have been able to run it previously???

...i take it you include internet explorer in all application?¿? i,m going to close everything and try the disc clean up, then if nothing ,try to start in safe mode...i dont think for one minute i have admin rights to anything here......thanks btw.....

Hi Kingy,

Yes IE sure is an application (a computer program/software in other words)...sounds like a good, plan. Let me know how it goes.

[kinghelfer]

In terms of what to look for in the system audit log, look for red crosses or yellow exclamation marks on the left hand side. The others should be standard informational messages about process started and quitting, and occasionally stalling!


So assuming no other applications are running (shut them down if they are), I would suggest a system restart/reboot and do nothing other than run the disk cleanup. If it still says exclusive access not granted, then I would suggest rebooting into safe mode (I think it is F8 during the restart when the BIOS announcements (those intital message about the BIOS name, memory size etc etc appear on screen), before the Windows 200 splash screen appears.

http://kb.iu.edu/data/aire.html (how to boot into safe mode link)

then once up and running, login and run disk cleanup..

After this completes, reboot / restart as normal.

If this doesn't do it, I assume you are a user with admin rights etc otherwise you wouldn't have been able to run it previously???

...i take it you include internet explorer in all application?¿? i,m going to close everything and try the disc clean up, then if nothing ,try to start in safe mode...i dont think for one minute i have admin rights to anything here......thanks btw.....

Hi Kingy,

Yes IE sure is an application (a computer program/software in other words)...sounds like a good, plan. Let me know how it goes.

...closed everything down - still no disc cleanup - restarted in safe mode - disc cleanup started out promising but no progress bars in the display and LED eventual did nothing more than the odd dim flicker, restarted again and tried the disc error thingy but got the no exclusive C drive notice again, so ticked the box that said try to fix it on restart, restarted again and tried disc cleanup and nothing......

[Greg39]

hmmmm....

If CG has a separate login on the system it may be worth using that one and seeing if that works.

To my mind it's either a permissions issue (Admin rights to run the utility), a corrupt user profile (try another user / create another user) something active on the drive not allowing the ultity to run uniterrupted or a physical drive problem.......

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=812248 or is this similar?

Other thoughts would include any hardware or software changes since it last run successfully?

[kinghelfer]

hmmmm....

If CG has a separate login on the system it may be worth using that one and seeing if that works.

To my mind it's either a permissions issue (Admin rights to run the utility), a corrupt user profile (try another user / create another user) something active on the drive not allowing the ultity to run uniterrupted or a physical drive problem.......

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=812248 or is this similar?

Other thoughts would include any hardware or software changes since it last run successfully?

....started up today and it went into the disc check that i tried yesterday, it was taking a while so i left it for a couple of minutes and when i returned it had started up normaly with no error reports. Tried diisc cleanup and same old story.
I clicked on the link you left and it describes the symptoms exactly but i,m a bit shy of trying something like the fix for it as i,m not that literate in the procedure and i dont want to f*** things up, end up down at PC world and finaly in a cell with Paul Gadd (Joke people,Joke...)
so it looks like thats the problem then!!

[Greg39]

Hi Kingy,

I totally understand what you're saying, but so long as you follow the steps to backup the registry first, you will always be able to restore it back to how it was before you started. The problem comes when people fiddle with the registry and they don't understand what they are doing. So long as you stick to the "destructions", I'm sure you'd be fine. If it would help, I could PM my msn to you and "talk" you through any aspects as you do it?

Alternatively, I could dig out a freeware registry cleaner that *may* solve that particular problem.... Let me know if that would be of interest. It's a simple Graphical point and click system with no need to edit the registry by hand But it may not pick up on the error and therefore may not fix it.

Greg

[kinghelfer]

Hi Kingy,

I totally understand what you're saying, but so long as you follow the steps to backup the registry first, you will always be able to restore it back to how it was before you started. The problem comes when people fiddle with the registry and they don't understand what they are doing. So long as you stick to the "destructions", I'm sure you'd be fine. If it would help, I could PM my msn to you and "talk" you through any aspects as you do it?

Alternatively, I could dig out a freeware registry cleaner that *may* solve that particular problem.... Let me know if that would be of interest. It's a simple Graphical point and click system with no need to edit the registry by hand But it may not pick up on the error and therefore may not fix it.

Greg

..Thanks, i have reread the instruction and may well have a go at it, i,m just unfamiliar with some of the terms used and worry i might get halfway through and f*** up!

[kinghelfer]

..have backed up the registry to the desktop but i cant locate the compress old files to delete it.......

[Greg39]

Locate, and then click the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VolumeCaches

Sorry for delay...you found this bit okay ? ^^^