Scan disk stopping due to something writing to the disk

[blockers]

Hi.

I am trying to fix my sisters laptop, but am lost with this problem. The lappy is running windows ME (i know.... )

Once the computer has booted, just before the log into windows screen it starts to run scan disk, saying that the computer has not been shut down correctly, even if it has. So it starts running scan disk. However it never finishes it, always goes back to the beginning without any explanation. So i ran scan disk once logged into windows. It came up with the error that some thing was writing to the hard disk so it is unable to complete the scan. I have tried uninstalling a few programs that i thought may be causing it, such as norton, and got rid of as much junk as possible. However it still creates the same error.

Short of a format, and getting a proper os on there is there anything that i can try?

Thanks.
Will.

[ExceededGoku]

You cannot scan disk a partition that is in use by Windows (such as the disk you are talking about). You will have to get the scan disk to work on boot somehow, there are programs out there but I cannot remember any of them. TBH I would just do a format and be done with it, these sorts of problems usually lead down to slow downs, etc.

[teachmech]

Can you select safe when on boot and then try running scandisk.

Try downloading diskkeeper lite from somewhere like majorgeeks.com and try that in safe mode.