The Check Disk Utility, typically referred to merely as “chkdsk,” can diagnose and restore issues along with your drives. Chkdsk has many features, however operating chkdsk /f /r in an elevated Command Prompt is an efficient catch-all command.
Any time you’ve gotten onerous drive errors—or even unusual conduct you won’t at first affiliate with a tough drive—Check Disk could be a lifesaver. Here’s how to use the Chkdsk instrument that comes with Windows 10, Windows 11, and different variations of Windows
What Is CHKDSK, and What Does It Do?
The Check Disk utility, often known as chkdsk (since that’s the command you utilize to run it) scans by means of your whole onerous drive to discover and repair issues. It’s not a really thrilling instrument—and operating it could possibly take a while—however it could possibly actually assist forestall larger issues and lack of information in the long term. Chkdsk performs a few features, relying on the way it’s run:
- Chkdsk’s fundamental perform is to scan the integrity of the file system and file system metadata on a disk quantity and repair any logical file system errors that it finds. Such errors would possibly embody corrupt entries in a quantity’s grasp file desk (MFT), unhealthy safety descriptors related to recordsdata, or even misaligned time stamp or file measurement details about particular person recordsdata.
- Chkdsk also can optionally scan each sector on a disk quantity in search of unhealthy sectors. Bad sectors are available two kinds: comfortable unhealthy sectors, which might happen when information is written badly, and onerous unhealthy sectors, which might happen due to bodily harm to the disk. Chkdsk makes an attempt to repair these issues by repairing comfortable unhealthy sectors and marking onerous unhealthy sectors in order that they gained’t be used once more.
That could all sound very technical, however don’t fear: you don’t want to perceive the ins and outs of the way it works to know when it’s best to run it.
You might want to run chkdsk each few months as a part of routine upkeep together with utilizing a S.M.A.R.T. instrument for drives that assist it. You must also take into account operating it any time Windows has shut down abnormally—reminiscent of after an influence loss or system crash. Sometimes Windows will mechanically run a scan throughout startup, however most frequently you’ll have to do it your self. Even in case you’re simply having unusual issues with apps not loading or crashing that you just haven’t been ready to resolve one other manner, you would possibly take into account checking the disk.
For instance: I as soon as had an issue the place Outlook abruptly began crashing on me shortly after loading. After a variety of troubleshooting, a chkdsk scan revealed I had unhealthy sectors the place my Outlook information file was saved. Fortunately, chkdsk was ready to get better the sectors in my case, and every thing went again to regular afterward.
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If chkdsk does encounter issues—particularly onerous unhealthy sectors—that it can’t restore, information can develop into unusable. It’s not very probably, however it could possibly occur. For that purpose, it’s best to all the time be sure to have a very good backup routine in place and again up your PC earlier than operating chkdsk.
The chkdsk instrument works just about the identical in all variations of Windows. We’ll be working with Windows 10 on this article, so the screenshots could look barely completely different in case you’re utilizing Windows 11, however chkdsk performs the identical, and we’ll level out the place any procedures differ. We’ll additionally speak about operating it from the Command Prompt, in instances the place you possibly can’t even boot into Windows.
How to Run Chkdsk
Running the Check Disk instrument from the Windows desktop is simple. In File Explorer, right-click the drive you need to test, after which select “Properties.”
(*10*)
In the properties window, swap to the “Tools” tab after which click on the “Check” button. In Windows 7, the button is known as “Check Now.”
(*11*)
In Windows 10 and Windows 11, Windows could inform you that it hasn’t discovered any errors on the drive. You can nonetheless carry out a handbook scan by clicking “Scan drive.” This will first carry out a scan with out trying any repairs, so it is not going to restart your PC at this level. If the fast disk scan reveals any issues, Windows will current that choice to you. If you need to drive it, although, you’ll have to use the command immediate to run chkdsk—one thing we’ll be overlaying a bit later within the article.
After Windows scans your drive, if no errors had been discovered, you possibly can simply click on “Close.”
How to Check Up On or Cancel a Scheduled Disk Check
If you’re unsure whether or not a disk test is scheduled to your subsequent restart, it’s straightforward sufficient to test on the Command Prompt. You’ll want to run Command Prompt with administrative privileges. Open the Start Menu after which sort “cmd.” Right-click the end result after which select “Run as administrator.”
Note: This works identically in Command Prompt, PowerShell, or Windows Terminal so long as it’s launched as administrator.
At the immediate, sort the next command—substituting the drive letter if mandatory.
chkntfs c:
If you’ve gotten scheduled a handbook test of the drive, you’ll see a message to that impact.
If Windows has scheduled an automated test of the drive, you’ll see a message letting you realize that the amount is soiled, which simply means it’s been flagged with potential errors. This serves as indication that Windows will run a test the subsequent time it begins. If no automated scan is scheduled, you’ll simply see a message letting you realize that the amount isn’t soiled.
If a disk test is scheduled for the subsequent time you begin Windows, however have determined you don’t need the test to occur, you possibly can cancel the test by typing the next command:
chkntfs /x c:
You gained’t get any type of suggestions that the scan has been canceled, however it is going to have been. This command really excludes the drive from the chkdsk command for the subsequent begin. If you do restart to discover {that a} scan has been scheduled, Windows can also be variety sufficient to offer you about ten seconds to skip the scan if you’d like to.
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How to Use the ChkDsk Command
If you’re keen to use the Command Prompt (or you’ve gotten to as a result of Windows gained’t boot correctly), you possibly can exert slightly extra management over the disk-checking course of. Plus, in case you’re utilizing Windows 10 or Windows 11 , it’s the one manner to drive automated fixing or unhealthy sector scanning into the combo. Open up the Command Prompt with administrative privileges by hitting Windows+X and choosing “Command Prompt (Admin).” You’ll be utilizing the chkdsk command. The command helps quite a few non-obligatory switches, however we’re principally involved with two of them: /f and /r.
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Note: You also can use PowerShell or Windows Terminal if you’d like. The course of is equivalent. Just just be sure you launch them as administrator.
If you simply use the chkdsk command by itself, it is going to scan your drive in read-only mode, reporting errors however not trying to restore them. For this purpose, it could possibly often run with out having to restart your PC.
If you need chkdsk to try to restore logical file system errors through the scan, add the /f swap. Note that if the drive has recordsdata which might be in use (and it most likely will), you’ll be requested to schedule a scan for the subsequent restart.
chkdsk /f c:
If you need chkdsk to scan for unhealthy sectors as effectively, you’ll use the /r swap. When you utilize the /r swap, the /f swap is implied, that means that chkdsk will scan for each logical errors and unhealthy sectors. But whereas it’s not likely mandatory to explicitly write chkdsk /f /r, it additionally gained’t damage something in case you throw each the /r and /f switches on the command on the identical time.
chkdsk /r c:
Running chkdsk /r offers you essentially the most thorough scan you possibly can carry out on a quantity, and when you have a while to spare for the sector test, we extremely suggest operating it at the least periodically.
Important Chkdsk Commands
There are, in fact, different parameters you should use with chkdsk . So, for the sake of completeness—and your geeky enjoyment—right here they’re:
C:>chkdsk /?
Checks a disk and shows a standing report.
CHKDSK [volume[[path]filename]]] [/F] [/V] [/R] [/X] [/I] [/C] [/L[:size]] [/B]
quantity Specifies the drive letter (adopted by a colon),
mount level, or quantity identify.
filename FAT/FAT32 solely: Specifies the recordsdata to test for fragmentation.
/F Fixes errors on the disk.
/V On FAT/FAT32: Displays the total path and identify of each file
on the disk.
On NTFS: Displays cleanup messages if any.
/R Locates unhealthy sectors and recovers readable info
(implies /F).
/L:measurement NTFS solely: Changes the log file measurement to the required quantity
of kilobytes. If measurement isn't specified, shows present
measurement.
/X Forces the amount to dismount first if mandatory.
All opened handles to the amount would then be invalid
(implies /F).
/I NTFS solely: Performs a much less vigorous test of index entries.
/C NTFS solely: Skips checking of cycles throughout the folder
construction.
/B NTFS solely: Re-evaluates unhealthy clusters on the amount
(implies /R)
/scan NTFS solely: Runs a web based scan on the amount
/forceofflinefix NTFS solely: (Must be used with "/scan")
Bypass all on-line restore; all defects discovered
are queued for offline restore (i.e. "chkdsk /spotfix").
/perf NTFS solely: (Must be used with "/scan")
Uses extra system assets to full a scan as quick as
attainable. This could have a detrimental efficiency impression on
different duties operating on the system.
/spotfix NTFS solely: Runs spot fixing on the amount
/sdcleanup NTFS solely: Garbage gather unneeded safety descriptor
information (implies /F).
/offlinescanandfix Runs an offline scan and repair on the amount.
/freeorphanedchains FAT/FAT32/exFAT solely: Frees any orphaned cluster chains
as a substitute of recovering their contents.
/markclean FAT/FAT32/exFAT solely: Marks the amount clear if no
corruption was detected, even when /F was not specified.
The /I or /C swap reduces the period of time required to run Chkdsk by
skipping sure checks of the amount
Hopefully, Chkdsk will repair no matter onerous drive issues you could have, and you may return to utilizing your laptop usually.