Can I run chkdsk on an NTFS drive from a USB stick made bootable?

[sitalchauhan]

Baslically my brother's laptop is having problems and cannot boot into windows because of a problem with the Ntfs.sys (cannot even boot through safe mode)

I have found the solution, which is to run 'chkdsk' on the NTFS hard drive. Everywhere recommends using the Windows XP install disc to go into the recovery console and run chkdsk through there.

However, my brother lives far away from myself and he does not have access to a WinXP install disc.

I was just wondering could I get him to make a bootable USB (he does not have a floppy drive) using the 'HP USB Disc Format Tool' as in this guide using his friend's working laptop:
http://www.bay-wolf.com/usbmemstick.htm

and then could he boot from the usb and run chkdsk at the command prompt?

Or will chkdsk only work on an ntfs drive when in the recovery console using a WinXP disc?


Thanks so much

[Ifusaso]

I haven't done exactly what you're talking about, but it seems like it should work. The key to if it will or not is if your program recognizes NTFS. Win 98 itself would not because the NTFS file system is NT and forward, but the 98 based program lists NTFS as a possible file system in the tutorial.

I apologize if I'm wrong and NTFS is not available, but this definately seems worth trying.

[listy]

could he not just get a bootable cd? like ultimate boot cd (iirc)

(i think it only uses free software)

[Ifusaso]

That sounds like something that would work. I don't know exactly what you're talking about, but all he needs is a CHKDSK that works in the NTFS file format. His question was if it would work on a flash drive, and the answer is yes as long as he gets a Windows NT or newer version of CHKDSK for it. The same thing would work through a CD.