An NTFS Directory May Become Corrupted

ID: Q194336

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

An NTFS directory may become corrupted, resulting in an error message appearing that states that a file or directory is corrupted. Note that this is not the only reason a user may see this pop-up message. The pop-up message will contain the following error:

Corrupt File
The file or directory <filename> is corrupt and unreadable. Please
run the Chkdsk utility.


CAUSE

NTFS incorrectly calculates the size of an internal structure. This is a very rare problem and was only found using a very specific scenario that involved creating a large number of files under the context of the SYSTEM account. While the possibility exists to encounter this problem in a number of ways, it is extremely improbable.


RESOLUTION

To fix the corruption after it has happened, run the CHKDSK utility (Chkdsk.exe). To prevent this problem from ever happening, install the latest Windows NT 4.0 service pack.

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows NT 4.0 or Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q152734 How to Obtain the Latest Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack


STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. This problem was first corrected in Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition Service Pack 4.

Additional query words: sp4 


Keywords          : NT4SP4Fix kbbug4.00 kbfix4.00.sp4 
Version           : WinNT:4.0
Platform          : winnt 
Issue type        : kbbug

Last Reviewed: April 10, 1999