Windows is running a program in the background while you are trying to run these applications. Even if it looks as though you have closed everything, there can often be a background task (such as a virus checker) that has its teeth into Windows. Scandisk will not run unless it?s sure it can run solo.
You don?t have to run Scandisk from Windows. You can always shut down and restart in DOS and type scandisk from the DOS prompt to correct any errors. If you have a high number of errors on your disk, you should consider getting it fixed or replaced under warranty. If Scandisk completes successfully, you are now ready to defragment your hard disk.
If you are still getting the error message when you run Defrag, then you may need to run it from Safe mode (Defrag for Windows 95 won?t run from the DOS prompt). When your machine boots, hold down the F8 function key until you get the boot menu. Choose Option 3 for Safe mode.
- Tony Locke