Err Msg: CHKDSK Detected Minor Inconsistencies on the Drive...

 Last reviewed: September 8, 1997
Article ID: Q109524
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows NT operating system version 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5, 3.51, and 4.0
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 3.51, and 4.0

SYMPTOMS

In Windows NT, if you check your hard disk drive with CHKDSK in Read Only mode and it has files currently open or in use by Windows NT, one of the following error messages may appear: 

   CHKDSK detected minor inconsistencies on the drive.
-or- 

   Errors found, F parameter not specified
   Corrections will not be written to disk.
   \WINNT\SYSTEM32\RAS\DEVICE.LOG entry has a bad size
This message does not indicate that the drive or the sectors are defective. CHKDSK cannot check the validity of the files that are open by Windows NT. Therefore, CHKDSK reports that it has detected minor inconsistencies.

CAUSE

In the above error message, "minor inconsistencies" refers to a state where redundant information stored in different places is "out of synch." This is a natural and expected condition whenever there are open files on the volume that have undergone modification. The redundant information is not brought into synchronization until the files are closed. Typically, this error message occurs when CHKDSK is run against the volume containing Windows NT system files (including active user profiles and the pagefile). If you also receive a message indicating that CHKDSK /f cannot run because the volume is in use by another process, that is a confirmation that there are open files on the volume.

WORKAROUND

You can usually safely ignore this error message even if the message appears without there being open files, because it is only the redundant information that is out of synchronization. The only side effect you may see as a result of this message is an incorrect reading of free disk space or something similar.

Additional query words: prodnt
Keywords : ntutil kbtool
Version : WinNT:3.1,3.5,3.51,4.0
Platform : WINDOWS

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Last reviewed: September 8, 1997
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