windows scan disk on veracrypt encrypted disk disable?

[kito kitic]

hi all.
I've been using VC for some time now on w10. I'm very happy with it.
the other day I obviusly didn't disconnect properly HDD from the machine or I had a crash, can't remember.
anyway now everytime I mount VC volume from my external HDD I get the message from win scandisk that I should check the disk etc. I also get the warning from VC that this could go wrong...
How can I disable this message to appear cos it seems that everything works fine.
should I run the scan? I don't want to mess up this drive.
thanks.

[Adrian Kentleton]

If there's been some rough dismount of a drive, Windows sets a 'dirty bit' to warn that there was a problem, and it won't go away until you check/correct the file system (or you use a hex editor to change it - not advised!).

Particularly if formatting is NTFS, it's unlikely these rough dismounts cause problems, as you've discovered (and as I normally discover). However, it can't be guaranteed.

When this happens to me, I make sure I have a backup of my data first ('cos I'm paranoid!), and then run chkdsk from a command window. Type chkdsk /? for all the options. Say your volume is mounted at E:, then I suggest you just run chkdsk E: first, which will report situation, but not fix any errors found; if it reports no errors, go ahead and run chkdsk E: /f which will again report it found no errors, so no fixes applied, but also clear the dirty bit.

If errors found on first scan, it would be wise to backup data first, before running with the /f option.

[kito kitic]

thank you. I'll try like this.

[kito kitic]

I did it. went exactly like you wrote. didn't find anything on the first run/scan and then /f switch removed the "dirty bit".
what is the difference of doing it like this from command p insted going thrue menu when it asks while mounting in VC? is it safer? I prefer your way, just interested.
thank you.

[Adrian Kentleton]

There's no difference in what actually happens, I just think that it is more easy to make a mistake from the GUI. That is, in the GUI, the 'fix' option is the default, which you have to deselect; in command mode, it's an option you have to positively specify, otherwise you just get a 'read-only' scan which makes no changes, and thus cannot make the situation worse. This is particularly important when operating on encrypted data.

[Enigma2Illusion]

@adriankit

I am curious where you find that Windows VeraCrypt GUI is defaulting to fix mode for the chkdsk?

When I right click on a mounted volume in the VeraCrypt GUI for Windows platform, I get a dropdown list of which two list selections are chkdsk utilites that VeraCrypt calls Check Filesystem (this is read-only) and Repair Filesystem.

[Adrian Kentleton]

@enigma2illusion

Mea Culpa; I was referring to running Check Disk through the Windows GUI route (Properties > Tools > Check Now). It would never occur to me to do this through the VC GUI, so I misundrstood @kito kitic's query.

The point still stands: it's easier to make a mistake, even through the VC GUI route, by selecting the wrong option (inadvertantly move mouse down/up as you left click - particularly on an integrated touchpad - the number of times I've deleted a file I intended to rename, for example, are legion!).

I also think the VC GUI options are unhelpful, and need more explanation. The 'Check' option should have an explanatory message, about ensuring no apps/files are open since results are misleading otherwise; it launches a command window, the output gobblygook to many in any case. The 'Repair' warning needs a suggestion to 'Check' first, and how to interpret its output. (In my opinion, it should be impossible from within VC to do the former without having done the latter first, given the risk to encrypted data of file system 'repairs'.

And, if VC is going to launch third party apps to solve problems, you might as well run them directly, particularly since you can get help using the /? switch.

[Enigma2Illusion]

You have a point about VeraCrypt GUI not providing a better explaination regarding Check and Repair Filesystem options. Also I would like to see both options provide a Yes/Cancel proceed option for the Check or Repair Filesystem.

However, I disagree with your suggestion that VeraCrypt should not allow Repair Filesystem option until you first run the Check Filesystem option since this doubles the amount time it takes to repair a known problem with a corrupted filesystem.