Is Partition Wizard Broken?

I am having validation errors on my work2 partition.

This is a 5GB partition, on my si0680ide.device.
Formatted with FastFileSystem 52.5 (DOS7), using 2,048 bytes per block.

I have been using this fine, until the last couple of days, when the validation errors started.

If I use sys/utilities/partitionwizard to try to repair the problem, I get the following message - "Could not inhibit partition, close all open files on the partition" waiting for me to select the YES option.

I get the same response if I run partition wizard from the OS4.1 CD.

The partition just sits there, not validated.

The only way to get round this is to actually boot from the OS4.1 CD, going through all the install selection process, to workbench and running partition wizard from there. Then I get the "You have started a fix-in place operation" message, and when selecting "Yes" the repair operation proceeds. On completion the partition status is read-/writeable.

I can run programs from Work2, I can read files from it, but as soon as I try to write a file back to it, the partition becomes invalidated.

@Swoop

I had a similar problem with SFS on my AmigaOne. When I first installed OS4.1, I used SFS on my System partition. It kept invalidating, trying to write different data to the same block. I reinstalled OS4.1, repartitioning my hard drive, all according to the manual. SFS still invalidated, trying to write all data to one block whenever I tried to save anything. When I switched back to FFS, the problem dissapeared for a while. It invalidated, but did so less often and did not try to write everything to the same block. I found this SFS behavior strange, because I thought SFS was supposed to be more stable, and less prone to invalidation.

My guess is as good as yours, but I would suspect faulty RAM. After, I had switched back to FFS, I ran memtester to check on another problem. I had faulty memory. I bought some new memory, successfully running memtester on it. I reinstalled OS4.1 again using FFS for my System partition. I have not had any HD problems since. My advice to you is to run memtester.

-The Phantom "?"

@interrogative

Quote:
The thing is, it just seems to be that partition, which is my main work partition that becomes invalidated, and only over the last few days.

I was thinking about trying sfs but from your comments, I am not sure if that will solve my problem either.

I have currently, renamed my back up partition, and I am up and running.
I am going to re-format the offending partition and restore to it to see if that corrects the problem.

I don't know if it is a hardware or software problem, but I will certainly give memtester a try.

I was just very surprised that Partition wizard appeared to be "broken" when run from an installed system, but worked correctly when run from the install CD.

@Swoop

I can run programs from Work2, I can read files from it, but as soon as I try to write a file back to it, the partition becomes invalidated.
SFS has it's own defragger. What would happen?