How to run CHKDSK on Windows 10/11

The CHKDSK or Check Disk tool may be the solution as hard disks can have problems. Physical damage to a hard drive is often irreparable but a hard drive can have problems with its programming. And they can be repaired. You may have to use a myriad of tools to fix it, depending on the problem, but before you can fix the problem, you'll need to diagnose it.

Check Disk Tool

Windows comes with several built-in diagnostic tools to identify a potential error in a software or hardware component. For "hard drives" hard drives, Windows has a Check Disk tool (CHKDSK). This is a command tool that you can use to scan your hard drive for errors.

The tool can be used on internal and external hard drives. If you want to run the tool on a Windows drive, you will need to run it from outside Windows, that is, you must access the command prompt from outside Windows via the troubleshooting menu.

How to run CHKDSK

To run the CHKDSK tool, you must have administrator rights on your system. You should also be aware of the commands of this tool. Commands will determine the action performed by the tool.

The sentence written to execute the commands is as follows:

chkdsk [Drive] /Switch

example

chkdsk D: /r

The normal command looks like this:

chkdsk D: /f /r /x

/f, /r, and /x are all switches and tell the tool what to do.

/f tells the tool to fix any errors it finds.
/r tells the tool to look for a bad sector.
/x tells the tool to disconnect the drive before the scan process begins.

In addition to these three keys, there are also the following keys;

/i performs a quick disk scan which is less thorough. It can only be used with NTFS drives.
/Perf allows the tool to access more system resources allowing it to run faster
/ Scanning won't disconnect the drive before checking it (can't be used with the /x switch for obvious reasons)
/v will list the name and path of each file in the drive while it is running the scan

There are a few keys that you can use with this tool and Microsoft has detailed documentation for them. Generally, this tool will not erase your data, but your system may slow down while it is running.

How to run CHKDSK on Windows 10/11 3

Conclusion

Check Disk can fix errors on the drive, but it may also fail to fix some issues. You can try other hard repair tools in place. Software issues, sometimes, can render the hard drive useless and you may have to buy a new one.

Masrawy Sat

How to run CHKDSK on Windows 10/11