I'm a 1st time user, downloaded the new version 1-27-12, ran it and set to wipe 3 passes (overnight). In the morning, I found this:
"The volume does not contain a recognized file system. Please make sure that all required file system drivers are loaded and that the volume is not corrupted."
I searched the forum and didn't find any information about this. What do I need to do?
Thanks for your help and for the great product from what I've heard.
Can you give more info please such as your operating system and service pack and whether any external drives were attached.
Did you do a clean and a registry clean before wiping?
I take it you are talking about a free space wipe?
Windows 7 Home Premium and Service Pack 1
It was my first time so I'm not positive but I went through the settings and did everything available as far as I know. Then I set it to wipe the free space with 3 passes when I went to bed. It said it would take over 7 hours. The message window was displaying in the morning.
I have no idea what it meant and did a search online and in the forum and didn't fine any information.
Thank you.
When you say you went through the settings and did everything available do you mean you ticked everything or just left everything as it was when you installed it ?(default settings)
So you are now unable to boot?
Are you able to do a system repair using your Windows 7 disc, or the system repair disc you made when you got your machine (if you made one)
Failing that are you able to boot into safe mode options by pressing F8 when you turn on your machine and select system repair?
I wasn't really having a problem but ran across ccleaner, downloaded it and ran it as a precaution to clean things up. I mean I installed ccleaner, told it to analyze, then allowed it to remove all the extra files. Then I set it to wipe the free space with 3 passes and went to bed.
I woke up and saw the window "The volume does not contain a recognized file system. Please make sure that all required file system drivers are loaded and that the volume is not corrupted."
I closed it and came here to search for what that meant and to see what I need to do or why I got that window. My computer seems to be working fine but I use it a lot and wanted to clean the junk off of it.
Well glad to hear you are able to use your computer okay, usually that error message isn't a good one.
Did you have any usb's or external drives plugged in at the time you did it?
No although there is a very slim possibility that I had my little stick drive/mp3 player in charging that I use everyday and charge for a while occasssionally but I don't think so. That was 2 nights ago now so I'm not possitive.
Is there anything I should do from here? Like run it again? I don't know a lot about these things and don't want to lose my computer, right now in particular.
Thanks so much for your responses!
For a start, one pass is usually considered enough.
Make sure you have nothing else plugged in.
Use ccleaner default settings.
Have you made a system repair disc? (if not, do it)
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2083-system-repair-disc-create.html
Also consider making a system image either using the built it Windows 7 facility or one of the many free ones. (the Windows 7 one is very easy to do)
I am not suggesting these things as being necessary for running ccleaner, but they will help you out of a jam for most serious problems that can happen with pc's and laptops.
Zero pass wiping is more than enough for me.
i.e. I do NOT do this as standard practice.
Wipe Free Space NEVER gives any extra Free Space.
The principle effect of a Wipe Free Space is to prevent RECUVA or similar tools from ever recovering what has been deliberately OR accidentally deleted.
Potential Benefit of Wipe Free Space :-
1. Should you wish to RECUVA etc a missing file the Wiped files will be long gone and Recuva will only find and show the more recently deleted files.
2. Prevent any-one else from discovering your old secrets.
3. Nothing else that I can think of.
Disadvantage :-
What is done is done - No Do-Overs
I will take your advise and it is appreciated. Thank you.
I do not know what happened, or how lucky you were.
I suggest you only LOOK at Drive Wiper, taking no other actions.
Against Wipe you get the choices of "Free Space Only" or "Entire Drive (All data will be erased)"
Against Security is the Overwrite control which you set to 3 passes
Against Drives are check-boxes for all the drive letters that can be seen.
Do not now press the Wipe button.
When you previously pressed the Wipe button it should have either proceeded to Wipe Free Space,
OR if you had selected "Entire ..." then before action it should have required you to type the word ERASE.
If your Windows partition, probably shown as (C:), had been checked,
then CCleaner is designed to avoid erasing any data or doing any harm, though it may wipe free space.
ANY other Drive letters will, if the box was checked, receive "appropriate" treatment.
You should use Windows Explorer to look at any other drive letters.
If they contain no files they were probably erased.
If Windows was pre-installed there is a high possibility that you had a "recovery" partition instead of a Windows Installation Disc.
When Windows self-destructs ( a habit I fear it will never shake off ) then the Recovery partition should make it "good as new".
H.P. use D:\ for their recovery partition, and that would be a valid target for CCleaner to ERASE.
Alternative suppliers could have chosen to refrain from allocating a drive letter - in which case CCleaner would not have seen or touched it.
A Windows Installation Disc is, in my view, better than a "recovery" partition because it does not include unwanted trial software.
If you have no Installation Disc, and if there is no Recovery Partition, you may need to get or make an installation Disc.
I suggest you accept Hazelnut's advice - creating a System Repair Disc and making system images.
There have never been legal sources for a XP download.
I believe Windows 7 Installation downloads are free and legal,
but I will leave it for a moderator to answer if you need a link.
Me too. I ran a wipe unused disc on my laptop Then I plugged in a flashdrive. I started on a three-pass wipe, decided that was excessive so cancelled the procedure in the normal way. Then I either properly unplugged the flashdrive or just pulled it out. Trying it again I get the message other posters mention, and the flashdrive is flashing.
I don't have time for technical problemsclike this. I threw the new and good flashdrive away.
@hermespan,
so do you have an issue you would like other members to offer advice with or were you just getting something off your chest ?!
feel free to open your own thread if you want to take this further.