IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you
modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore
the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the
registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry
SYMPTOMS
After you apply Systems Management Server Service Pack 3 (SP3) to Microsoft
Windows NT clients, Chkdsk runs every time the client is rebooted, even if
Windows NT had previously been shut down correctly.
Additionally, when CHKDSK runs at system startup, you may also receive the
following error message:
Cannot open volume for direct access
STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Systems Management Server
version 1.2. This problem has been corrected in the latest U.S. service
pack for Systems Management Server version 1.2. For information on
obtaining the service pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base (without the spaces):
S E R V P A C K
WORKAROUND
WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may
require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve
problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own
risk.
To work around the problem, edit the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\rchelp
Set the Start value (reg_dword) to 2 (the default is 1).
This has the effect of changing the startup value from "System" to
"Automatic", starting it later in the boot process, which solves the Chkdsk
problem.
Chkdsk will still work normally when you start the computer and the Systems
Management Server Remote Control functionality is retained.
To automate the deployment of the fix, create a text file with a REG
extension. It should consist of the following lines:
REGEDIT
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\rchelp]
"Start"=dword:00000002
Run the following command at each computer to implement the fix. Note that
the user who is logged on must have the appropriate permission.
regedit path\filename.REG
You can run the command as part of a logon script or distribute it as a
Systems Management Server job, or a similar process.
NOTE: This behavior also occurs in Systems Management Server 2.0 SP2. Following the installation/upgrade to the SP2 client components, client computers may begin exhibiting the same behavior.
For additional information, click the article number below
to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
235771 BUG: Rchelp.Sys Can Cause CHKDSK to Run Continuously