Every Sunday I perform housekeeping on my PC. For the last couple of months I have been unable to complete a scandisk or defrag as I keep getting the error message "Scandisk /defrag has restarted 10 times due to the system changing do you wish to continue" If I sit and watch what is going on every couple of seconds they stop and start from scratch with a message " system settings changed start again" I cannot get past 10% on defrag and abot half way on scandisk.There is never anything else running when I try this. Any ideas as to why this is happening and how to stop it would be very much appreciated. Keith_R

Did you check the MSKB? http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;222469

Have you tried scandisk and defrag in safe mode? Defrag can actually move more files around in safe mode than it can in normal mode. Plus, when you boot into safe mode, your computer only loads up what it needs to boot, so that means less to interfere. To get into safe mode, press F8 during system boot, usually right before the first splash screen appears, then simply choose safe mode and wait.

I find going to Safe Mode a PITA, and why should you have to do that now when you didn’t have to before? Something is different, and I take issue with “There is never anything else running when I try this.” ScanDisk/Defrag don’t finish precisely because something else is running, usually an anti-virus program. Did you install a new AV program or reconfigure your old one? The next time this happens, press Ctrl-Alt-Delete to see what else is running. Or go to Start-Run-MSConfig-Startup tab to see what’s loading at startup. For the wisdom of the ages on this very issue, go here.

I went to the Microsoft help site and followed their instructions for Scandisk and defrag. I have tried both in Clean Boot and Safe Mode with the same results. Maybe it is time for another full re-install. Keith_R

Why resort to the most drastic measures before trying simple ones? Here's the principle: Ockham's razor -- A rule in science and philosophy stating that entities should not be multiplied needlessly. This rule is interpreted to mean that the simplest of two or more competing theories is preferable and that an explanation for unknown phenomena should first be attempted in terms of what is already known. (AHD4)

keithR. I have had exactly this trouble lately. Nothing was different in safe mode so in desparation I switched off the computer at the power instead of the usual shutdown proceedure. In doing that, when it is booting up again, the system does a scandisc before anything else is running. It then can carry out a scan. Then you sign in. Later I tried a maintenance wizard but again it couldn't defrag because the scandisc wasn't working. I then discovered after many hours and going on several sites for answers that there were 130 spies in here and one subseven trojan! I have rid the system of all these now by spybot, ad aware etc. It sounds to me as if you have some spies somewhere. the latest Ad aware 1.5 personal is amazing and came upi with 118 of the spies and got rid of them. I can now do a full scandisc and defrag