Strange problem. "Disks need to be checked for consistency", desktop settings gone?

[AcidicRage]

So I turned on my computer and everything was fine. I went AFK for about an hour, and when I came back, something happened (dun dun dun). I saw a blue screen that looked like the Windows XP setup screens and it said "One of your disks needs to be checked for consistency." I thought maybe this was just some sort of bug or usual error, so I just tried manually restarting my computer. Before the Windows loading screen appeared, that bluish screen appeared again stating "one of your disks needs to be checked, etc" again. I thought it was maybe a normal CHKDISK routine, so I tried skipping it by pressing any button to skip. When I tried to logon Windows for the next few tries, it froze several times right after entering my password.

After manually shutting down the computer and turning it back on, everything worked fine again. However, when I logged back onto Windows, ALL my desktop settings (all my files on desktop gone, background gone, icons gone, only default and some program icons were there) were erased and purged. The programs and start menu files were strangely ordered and it seemed like a lot of programs were gone or missing. I also noticed all my settings were gone on everything. Internet Explorer's favorites (doh! should have backed up) were gone and pretty much EVERY SETTING of the computer that I originally saved, were gone.

It almost looked like a new copy of Windows except there were still SOME (because I think half of them were erased from start menu) existing programs that I had installed before. They were still there, just not showing up on desktop. It almost looked/felt like if System Restore (which I had turn off) did something or my computer reverted back to a "default" desktop in which everything was new again, but old files remained; just that the user settings were gone (wtf).

Now I thought I was really screwed because I thought all my files were erased and everything else that I had. But to my surprise, all my program files and desktop files were still there. I found my desktop files to be in C:\documents & settings\name\desktop. It's just that the other settings were erased. Every program I opened like MSWord felt like it was brand new, asking me stuff like "Name and Registration". IE, itself, also reverted back to default, deleting all my cookies/favorites/etc...

After this, I begin getting some of viruses/trojans which I quickly erased. Since my original programs like HijackThis and my virus scanners were there. I quickly scanned my computer and found several ones and then deleted them. All this strange mess leads me to several questions:

1. What exactly just happened?! Was it perhaps a trojan/virus that somehow took over the computer and deleted all the settings? What trojan could possibly do this? Or was it truly a main HD failure (possible dying HD?) or bad sectors? Everything else was fine. I went AFK for awhile and came back and my computer had gone into the blue screen where it was *already* in progress of "checking disks for consistency." I have two HD's, one with all my main program files & WXP, and the other with media. Anything to rule out one problem or another?

2. Can my old desktop settings be recovered? Or ANY setings at all? If I go to my C:\Docs & settings\name\desktop, all my files are there, but it doesn't overwrite anything. For example, if I try to edit anything in my old folder desktop, it wouldn't appear in my NOW NEW desktop.

Any suggestions to try to rule out or attempt to fix? Strange problem, indeed. Thanks.

 

[Catweazle]

A fair while back now I wrote up a help desk type artoicle for a PC magazine which addressed this problem, and did so in the form of a Rap Rhyme. I suspect it's the only techie article which has ever been written in rap!

Disaster Rap!

I turned on my PC ‘cause I wanted to have fun
Wouldn’t you just know it, an error message come
It said ‘Check your consistency” and I said ‘Hey”
I do the damned same thing nearly every bloody day!

I told the thing ‘OK’ and it started to whirr and grind
When I got to the desktop not a damned thing could I find.
Then another message popped up saying a file was bloody missed
Then another and another and I started to feel pissed
So I rebooted my PC, not to be outdone
But no files on the Hard Drive, not a SINGLE BLOODY ONE!

I thought “I know what’s happened, I’ve been done by hacker kids”
“I’ll fix em, just watch me. They’ll soon be on the skids”
So I popped my CD in to format my hard drive
Install Windows, get it clean again and now it looks alive.
Downloading all those updates gonna be an awful grind
Dial-up bloody DoDo sure does take it’s blasted time.


I’m feeling pretty clever, gonna have a little brag
I’ll write to PC User, try to get into their mag.
Typed it out just dandy, every tiny little bit
I’m smiling as I send it, but what’s that…….. OH BLOODY SH*T!

My face is red, I’m sweating as I utter words obscene
Because I’m sitting here watching an empty blasted screen.
Take it off down to the workshop to see what has gone wrong
Oh dear, they just told me, the Hard Drive’s had the gong!

Here is the full article, where I've explained that the most likely cause is a failing hard drive.

 

[AcidicRage]

Alright. I better replace my HD soon. But in the mean time, I noticed another problem. Now when I save things to my desktop it will save to C:\Docs & Settings\TEMP\desktop instead of my original one (C:\Docs & Settings\name\desktop)... any way to work around this one? I still think there's something messed up. Thanks.

 

[BIGDADDY51]

Better off to download a HD utility, and check the drive BEFORE you even bother to add or change anything. Also, if viruses and trojans were present, the BEST fix is a complete reformat, because some trojans will leave a nasty little surprise in a folder somewhere, and you let it out, and reinfect your whole pc. If the drive IS bad, any effort to reuse it, will only end in failure.