# I can't scan disk any suggestions? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 15, 2003, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-scan-disk-any-suggestions/182007 "2003-06-15T13:30:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dandmb50](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ba9def/32.png) [@Dandmb50](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dandmb50)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-scan-disk-any-suggestions/182007/1 "2003-06-15T13:30:29Z")
I have win98 and have always scanned disk before no problem but just noticed recently that I cannot scan disk. What happens is I close all the programs with control/alt and then delete each program, but when I start the scan disk it starts, but freezes up after about 10 minutes. I have tried it with closing the programs and also without closing them but I get the same result. Any suggestions on what it might be or how I can get around this problem? ---
**Author:** ![Dandmb50](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ba9def/32.png) [@Dandmb50](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dandmb50)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-scan-disk-any-suggestions/182007/2 "2003-06-15T13:38:29Z")
I just thought of trying to scan disk by going to safe mode. But I forgot how to get to safe mode, does anyone remember how to get to safe mode? ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-scan-disk-any-suggestions/182007/3 "2003-06-15T13:43:06Z")
[http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/1999101916343139](http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/1999101916343139) I had this problem with Windows ME recently. ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-scan-disk-any-suggestions/182007/4 "2003-06-15T13:47:14Z")
Oh, let me add one thing: When I had this problem–scandisk not running (or rather, scandisk continuously restarting while running)–it wasn’t enough for me to restart the computer in Safe mode. I noticed that my cable modem was still chatting away, and I had to[li] turn it off before scandisk would work![/li] Well, I don’t know if I _had_ to, but this step worked for me! ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-scan-disk-any-suggestions/182007/5 "2003-06-15T13:55:18Z")
Sometimes this occurs when there are too many items in the Quick Launch Tool Bar: [Microsoft Knowledge Base Article - 222469](http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;222469) Remove some items from the Quick Launch tool bar, or remove the toolbar completely. Then start your computer in safe mode, and make sure you turn off your screen saver before running Scan Disk. ---
**Author:** ![Lyllyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@Lyllyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lyllyan)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-scan-disk-any-suggestions/182007/6 "2003-06-15T14:11:06Z")
Restart in Safe Mode, then run Scan Disk. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-scan-disk-any-suggestions/182007/7 "2003-06-15T14:15:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dandmb50 \* > \*\*I just thought of trying to scan disk by going to safe mode. > But I forgot how to get to safe mode, does anyone remember how to get to safe mode? \*\* I can never remember either. Either you hold F5 down during start up or F8. Try one, if it fails, try the other. ---
**Author:** ![Lyllyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@Lyllyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lyllyan)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-scan-disk-any-suggestions/182007/8 "2003-06-15T14:26:55Z")
F8 ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-scan-disk-any-suggestions/182007/9 "2003-06-15T15:00:18Z")
It’s better to use at third party defrag program & I used System Suite 2000 for W98 & me with great success. So it does that at 10 minutes? Usually at 10 PERCENT its slows down but catches up. You should turn on DETAILS if you can then you can watch it work with a pretty graph. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-scan-disk-any-suggestions/182007/10 "2003-06-15T15:38:11Z")
One other point: having a screen saver running will sometimes make Scandisk think that the contents of the hard disk have changed; deactivate it or set it to an enormous starting value before running Scandisk. And, of course, be sure you’re completely offline, with no programs that might access the disk running, before you run it. ---
**Author:** ![Dandmb50](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ba9def/32.png) [@Dandmb50](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dandmb50)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-scan-disk-any-suggestions/182007/11 "2003-06-15T15:47:35Z")
Many thanks for all your help it appears to be working now. Something else I learned from this, it’s best to do it in safe mode since the only program open is explorer. That means you don’t have to close all the other running programs be4 you run scan disk. I shall remember for the future. Thanks again gang…