What does the "autocheck" in the default data of the registry value HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\bootexecute (Data is: autocheck autochk *) do? There's no autocheck.exe on a current (checked XP, Win7, Vista) standard Windows install, so it can't be launching an executable(?) I know what autochk does.
4 Answers
It's an arbitrary name associated with the boot-time command autochk *.
The BootExecute value is a REG_MULTI_SZ, i.e., it can contain multiple separate strings. However, if you double-click it in the Registry Editor you will notice that the default value is not three separate strings, autocheck, autochk and * but rather a single string autocheck autochk *.
Each string in BootExecute contains an arbitrary descriptive name followed by the command to execute.
From here. "autocheck" tells windows to run "autochk *" after previous illegal shutdown :)
By default, its value is "autocheck autochk *" - this tells Windows to run Autochk on any drive whose dirty bit is set
Autochk is standard Windows native application. AFAIK, is always present in fresh install of Windows XP.
Explain from Microsoft:
1The Autochk (Autochk.exe) utility is a version of Chkdsk. For more information about Autochk, see the Windows XP Professional Resource Kit. To do this, visit the following Microsoft Web site: Troubleshooting Disks and File Systems
Imho, this runs some internal system checks. For example, when there is a folder C:\Program\, windows warn about it (because it interfere with C:\Program Files\).
