I am documenting my actions here in the event they might help someone else.

First, I have Windows Vista Home Premium Operating System (WVHPOS). This problem applies more to a Hard Disk Drive (HHD) more than to the Windows version, but the process might very slightly from version to version of Windows. But ,the guts of the solution should remain the same. I hope.

A little history. I had been getting frustrated in seeing this Event Id 7 in my Event Viewer. This was/is my C: we are talking about. YEA ! Reformatting the HDD seem to have little effect. The symptoms, beyond the fact of the Event Id 7 appearing in the Event Viewer, were that files seemed to disappear. Not files that I might have accidentally deleted. Most of them, I have never even heard of. At boot up, Windows would be asking for a CHKDSK to be run. Sometimes, Windows just ran CHKDSK on its own. Sometimes, after a CHKDSK, a folder would appear at the Root level (C:\) named found.000. The next time one appeared, it was named found.001, etc. I hoped Vista wasn't planning on creating 999 of them. They were access restricted, (what's new). If you don't have Vista, you probably don't know what I'm talking about. I think this found folder thing is new to Vista.

That should do it for bring everyone up to date. If not, Post me a query. Somehow, I was directed to Mirskiy Solutions Hard Drive Test Pilot v2.6 at Mirskiy Solutions - Software design, Web Site design, Marketing, Downloads, and more.. (If I'm not giving someone credit, I'm sure you will remind me.) I downloaded and installed this Pilot. First, I ran it against a presumed good drive. Sure enough, no problems found. Now, with bated breath, I ran it against my C: drive.

The Pilot reported an "error"...nothing more. It didn't try to fix the error (booo), it just reported it. It didn't identify the problem or suggest a solution. It just said "error". OK, I ran another CHKDSK (smart!), then reran the Pilot....Some results! "error". Checking the Event Viewer, produced, sure enough, Event Id 7 listings.

How am I to resolve this dilemma?
Where's Peter Norton, when you need him?

I returned to the Event Viewer, and click on the Event Online Help link, at the bottom of the Event Properties.
It sent me to ... http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sup...disk&LCID=1033

This link sent me to ... Help and Support That link sent me to ... https://support.microsoft.com/common...208&showpage=1.

I contacted the Microsoft people (via their web email system), because the RESOLUTION on After Formatting a Logical Disk, Event Id: 26 or Event Id: 7 Is Recorded in the System Log said ... "A supported hotfix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that this article describes. Apply it only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. To resolve this problem, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the hotfix."

I probably didn't enter they heavenly domain via the correct method, but any port in a storm. I am now awaiting their response in order to obtain the hotfix necessary to cure my C: drive. Hopefully!

Stay tuned, same time, same channel, for the next episode of this mystery of mystery.

Later...

It looks like I have been chasing my tail. According to an email from MS...

"I would like you to know that the Hotfix referred in the KB Article is applied for Windows NT Server, Windows Advanced Server."

It seem MS doe not think individual users are worth their time, unless we wish to pay for it. So, my Event Id 7 solution will have to wait.

Again according to MS, "You may try to resolve the problem on your own using the no-charge self-help resources..."

Well, folks...My self- help solution will be to procure a new C: drive.

I wonder how many times I'll be able to reinstall Vista before MS blocks my Key? At this rate, I might find out real soon.

I can't recommend SpinRite enough, it takes a while to work it's magic but it's definitely worth it. though it is a little expensive.

What it does it checks the hard drive for bad blocks and tries to recover any data on those blocks and move it to a safe place and then blacklist those blocks or try to fix them and copy the data back.

Here are a few videos showing SpinRite in action

GRC | Hard drive data recovery software  

Also check your PM

PM? What does a Prime Minister have to do with anything?

Private messages. Not Prime Minister.

Well guys, it's time for the next installment of the Mystery of the Code 7 Event.

I am not ready to give up on my HDD just yet. However, during a recent reboot cycle, Vista lost my Profile. Like back to square one without actually reloading, but not quite. That did it. I have to do something, but what? ..... At this point, I am ready to try anything. I've got an external 250G drive. I'll make it my C: drive. Daa, nope. MS will not allow Windows to be installed on an external drive. Drat! Now, what? I got a brilliant idea!! Well, to be fair, all ideas are brilliant, but I'm writing this so forgive the oxymoron.

My friend, Mr. Lebowski, was kind enough to put me on to a product called SpinRite. (It fixed your HDD, right!) (Wrong!) It's like, if you put it in a deep enough hole, even a frog can't jump out. That's where my HDD was. In a hole so deep even SpinRite could not rescue it. But, it did show me where the real bad spots were. Right at the front/top of the HDD. Well, that made it easier. It is a 250G HDD. I could afford to loose part of it. Kind of like cutting of a finger to save an arm. So, I reloaded Vista. When I came to the point for selecting which Partition to load Vista onto, I first "Deleted" all of the Partition on the drive. Then, to be on the save side, I created a 25G Partition, which would normally be Drive C:. Then, I created a second Partition of 50G...Drive D:. I gave the rest of the HDD to Drive E:. Now, pay attention. This is where the idea comes in. I "Deleted" Partition 0 ( Drive C: ) Therefore, Partition 1 became Drive C:. This, hopefully, will put all of the really bad spots out of the reach of Vista in no-mans land. So, now I have a 50G C: drive and a 175G drive D:.

Now we just have to wait and see. Last time I reloaded Vista, it corrupted within two days. So, guys. The wait is not to long now.

Stay tuned for the, hopefully, final episode. Soon to be released at a theater near you...