PRB: Writing to a File Prior to Load Phase 7 Starts Chkdisk.exe

• Microsoft Win32 Device Development Kit (DDK) for Windows NT, versions 3.1, 3.5, 3.51, 4.0

SYMPTOMS

A file write operation from a device driver that is loaded prior to Autochk.exe causes Chkdisk.exe to execute. This occurs even though the last shutdown was clean.

CAUSE

The Autochk.exe utility, which performs the sanity check on a file system when the system loads, runs at the end of Phase 5 of the system load process. Any file write operation by a device driver that loads prior to the Chkdisk.exe causes the dirty bit to set in the volume control block of the drive. When Autochk.exe runs and finds the volume dirty (that is, the dirty bit set in the volume control block) it starts Chkdisk.exe, regardless of whether or not the last shutdown was clean.

This is by design.

RESOLUTION

Do not perform file IO from driver initialization routine of any drivers that is loaded prior to SERVICE_AUTO_START (Start=2).

Keywords          : NTDDKKMode
Version           : WINNT:3.1,3.5,3.51,4.0;
Platform          : winnt
Issue type        : kbprb