unable to read the security descriptors data stream error

[videocheez]

I recently reformatted my windows xp home comp. I have two external 250 GB Maxtor 5000xt USB drives attached as Fand G. After getting everything started back up, I discoverd that my drive letters had swapped. No big deal. The drive that is now labeld G: has a lot of programs and data that i need to access. I can view files on this comp, listen to mp3's etc... but I run into problems when trying to copy files from G to write to other drives on the comp. Sometimes I'm successful and other times the computer really hangs up and gives write fail errors. When i run chkdsk, it gets to stage three and gives the following message, "unable to read the security descriptors data stream error"
Check disk has effectively not been successful therefore i cannot defrag the drive. I suspect that the drive is highly fragmented but windows says that i cannot defrag until after chkdsk runs.
Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

VC

[ViRaL1]

I realize you may not have the extra storage space so this MAY not be an option. I'd try copying everything off temporarily and then doing a full format. Other than that I'll have to think on it more.

[videocheez]

I realize you may not have the extra storage space so this MAY not be an option. I'd try copying everything off temporarily and then doing a full format. Other than that I'll have to think on it more.

I would definetly try your suggestion if I could move the damn files. I have the plenty of space available. Many files will not move. Some of the little files can move but the big stuff locks up partway through a xfer.
I have been searching for this problem and seems like it has something to do with security and permissions.
Is there a way to do some kinda quick format that doesn't erase everything.

Thanks in advance,

VC

[ViRaL1]

Try moving as many of the smaller files off the drive and see if that helps in getting through scandisk. Is Scandisk running on the drive at bootup or only after you've logged on to Window$? Sometimes externals don't show up where they can be scanned until after the OS is completely loaded.

[videocheez]

Scan disk will automatically run ater 4 or 5 reboots and everytime I recieve the same failure notification, "unable to read the security descriptors data stream error "

I have been researching this problem and it looks like it may have something to do witht the NTFS permisions.
Does this sound familiar to anyone cause I does't to me.

Thanks in advance,

VC

[gitreel]

Do you have norton antivirus installed?

[videocheez]

Do you have norton antivirus installed?

Yes I do. Why do you ask?

[gitreel]

I had a situation kinda like that where I could not do either system restore or chkdsk. I uninstalled and did an custom reinstall of norton antivirus and it fixed it.

[videocheez]

Hmmm. This is new information to me and I am willing to try anything so thanks for the suggestion. I shall give it a try tomorrow.