How can I customize Scandisk?

I am using Windows 98. I read an older post on this forum that there is a way I can customize Scandisk (change the number of passes, set a timeout for surface scans, etc.). In True DOS, if I type Scandisk_/custom {ENTER}, I can then run that customized configuration.

The article mentions double-clicking on Scandisk.ini (in C:\Windows\Command\Scandisk.ini). On my computer, this opens a notepad file which describes the various settings. However, it doesn't tell me how to edit them. Do I have to enter some DOS command or open another program to do this?

Can anyone enlighten me?

You edit scandisk.ini as you would any ascii file.

For example:

DriveSummary = Auto ;Auto, On , Off

If you wanted 'On' then edit to read as:

DriveSummary = On ;Auto, On , Off

That's it.

Attached is a file I posted sometime ago. I canot attach a exe file so the attachment needs to be renamed from deltarho.txt to deltarho.exe.

deltarho.exe is a self extracting installer which renames your existing scandisk.ini to scandisk.org and creates a new scandisk.ini which is customised to how I have mine set up. Basically, nothing is repaired automatically. Any errors are reported and you are promted as to whether to repair or not. The surface scan is also prompted and more often than not I'll skip a scan.

If you compare the org file and the ini file you can see the differences between them. The original ini file is well documented. My ini file is stripped of comments.

glomedia,

scandisk switches:



/all - Checks and repairs all local drives at once.

/checkonly - Checks drive for errors but will not make repairs.

/autofix - Fixes errors without asking you first. Saves lost clusters by default as files in the drives root directory. Cannot be used with /checkonly or /custom.

/custom - Runs Scandisk using the settings in [custom] section of the scandisk.ini file. Cannot be used with /autofix or /checkonly.

/surface - Automatically checks surface after other areas are tested without prompting you first. When used with /custom, will override any /surface setting in [Custom] section of scandisk.ini.

/fragment - Checks individual files for fragmentation. Must specify a drive, path and file name; cannot use any other switches.

/mono - Uses a monochrome display instead of color.

/nosave - Deletes all lost clusters found by Scandisk. Can be used with /autofix.

/nosummary - Prevents display of full-screen summary after each drive. Use with /autofix to prevent prompts for undo diskette.

Start>Run><type>scandisk.ini>ok. Scroll down to number of passes and backspace the number out and type in (5), save from the file menu,exit from same and re-boot. Works for me...

NumPasses = 1 ; 1 through 65,535 (anything over 10 is slow)

change to

NumPasses = 5 ; 1 through 65,535 (anything over 10 is slow)

By the way, you want to see the errors so you can make a choice. Even if it is ignore so you can find a answer before doing anything, as Autofix can mess up a hdd. Once was enough.

Quote:

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Originally posted by deltarho
You edit scandisk.ini as you would any ascii file.

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deltarho,

How do you edit an ASCII file? (I'm new to having a Windows operating system on my own computer, so what's "common knowledge" to you experienced users is fairly new to me.)

For instance, when you wrote If you wanted DriveSummary on, then you would edit it to read as follows:

DriveSummary = On ;Auto, On , Off

How do I get to the ASCII file to do this editing?

Ridgerunr mentioned using the start menu. (Start > Run > <type>scandisk.ini > ok.) Is this what I do to get to the ASCII file?

Thanks for clarifying... and thank you for taking the time to add that attachment. I'll check it out - as soon as I'm comfortable knowing what I'm doing. ;)

Quote:

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Originally posted by Junker
glomedia,
scandisk switches:

/all - Checks and repairs all local drives at once.

/checkonly - Checks drive for errors but will not make repairs...

---

Thanks for the reply, Junker. But my question to you is similar to the one I had for deltarho: Where do I type in these switches?

Quote:

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Originally posted by Ridgerunr
Start > Run > <type>scandisk.ini > ok. Scroll down to number of passes and backspace the number out and type in (5), save from the file menu,exit from same and re-boot. Works for me...

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Now there's a post I understand. At least I know how to use the "Start" menu. :)

(and thanks, Train, for the extra tips).

Sorry, glomedia. Scandisk.ini IS an ascii file. An ascii file is one which does not have any hidden [from being displayed] formatting characters other than, for example, a newline 'character'.

If your last post was stripped of all the hidden formatting characters then the italics would go, the bold would go and so on.
If you Copied the text between the quote lines and Pasted into NotePad you'd see what I mean. If you saved that text as whatever.txt then you'd have an ascii file. You could save it as whatever.ini - you'd still have an ascii file.

When you follow Ridgerunr's tip you will have scandisk.ini loaded in Notepad. Just edit it as if you had typed the text yourself then save the edited text. It came in as Scandisk.ini so it will go out as Scandisk.ini. Notepad is a text editor but its full handle is an ascii text editor.

A lot of computing files are ascii files. Just a few are txt, ini, inf and reg. If any of them had formatting characters embedded [hidden from being displayed] as with a Word document, for example, then the routine reading them to gather information would fall flat on its face. You could create any of them in Word but you'd need to tell Word to save the text as an ascii file so that all the formatting is stripped out before saving.

So, when I said

"For example:

DriveSummary = Auto ;Auto, On , Off

If you wanted 'On' then edit to read as:

DriveSummary = On ;Auto, On , Off

That's it."

you should, hopefully, understand me now. You will notice that On has lost its 'blue'. Only the ascii bit was Copied so on Pasting it ended up being 'black'.

So, get scandisk.ini in front of you and edit it as if you had typed the text in. To put that another way edit it as you would any ascii file. Made sense this time didn't it?

OK what next?

Do as Train and Ridgerunr suggested. That is, change NumPasses = 1 to NumPasses = 5. Change any reference to 'Fix' and 'Delete' to 'Prompt' and save the edited text. You will now have a custom Scandisk.ini.

Junker's post mentioned switches. You use them to follow the scandisk command as you would /custom. The entries in the customised scandisk.ini take precedence. That is if you used the /autofix switch and a particular item in the customised scandisk.ini says otherwise then scandisk.ini rules.

Good luck;)

The Scandisk.ini file only comes into play when Scandisk is run from DOS, with/without the /Custom switch, or after a bad shutdown, when the resulting Scandisk is automatically run with that switch.
The file is not referenced when scandisk is run from Windows.

Ta much for your addendum, WhitPhil.

I'm sure glomedia won't mind me saying that labouring a point as was needed is likely to see other details getting missed out when they shouldn't.

Yeah, really, most folks don't realize that 'scandisk.exe' is a DOS program, while the windoze version is actually 'scandiskw.exe'

..... and even less realise that with the Win version weighing in at 4.8Kb and the DOS version weighing in at 140.4Kb most of the Win time is playing away.

Also note that the reason the Win version is so tiny, is because it is only a GUI shell.

All the grunt work is being done by DSKMAINT.dll.

[list=1][*]Difficult not to gather that from size differential ;)[*]Noted[/list=1]

Quote:

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Originally posted by WhitPhil
The Scandisk.ini file only comes into play when Scandisk is run from DOS, with/without the /Custom switch, or after a bad shutdown... The file is not referenced when scandisk is run from Windows.

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O.K., let me get this straight. If I edit the scandisk.ini ASCII file as per deltarho's post (thank you deltarho) in order to customize it to my liking, then to run it, I need only go into True DOS and type scandisk {ENTER}. I don't even need to add the /custom switch?

And you're also saying that after a bad shutdown, my CUSTOMIZED scandisk.ini will be run automatically? In other words, a bad shutdown is the one case where I don't have to go into True DOS to specify that my customized scandisk be run.

Am I understanding this correctly? And if that's the case, then what is the purpose of the /custom switch?

"I don't even need to add the /custom switch?"

Yes, you do. If you don't tell DOS to use the custom settings it will use the default settings plus whatever switches you set other than custom.

After a bad shutdown DOS will use scandisk.ini on an assumed consent basis. If I'm wrong on that WhitPhil will come back - he doesn't let me get away with anything :D

Right, UR!

And, for anyone interested (who hasn't seen it), this link provides an excellent explanation as to why you DO want to change the settings, and why you never want to make an initial run of scandisk with AutoFix.

I have a blind spot when it comes to acronyms and my right click Acronym Finder lookup.. is well worn.

I never see the intended use. UR number 10 was Unsatisfactory Report and number 15 was Urinal(construction plans; plumbing). Number 20 was You Are which I shall take in preference to the alternatives.

I've seen some posts on other forums leaving me wishing for a Google translation facility.

Er, TTFN

As in,

U (you)
R (are)

:)

Here is some more info you might find helpful. Go here:

http://www.tc006a8364.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/toolbox.htm