How To Use CHKDSK To Repair/Fix A Hard Drive?

The CHKDSK is a command that is used to trigger the Check Disk utility on Windows OS. This is a built-in tool provided by Microsoft to all Windows users to scan and repair most of the hard disk errors. It can also check external storage devices like USB Pen drives and Flash disks connected to your PC.

What Are The Main Functions OF The CHKDSK Tool?

The CHKDSK tool performs a few important functions on the Windows PC, like –

1. File System Integrity: It scans for logical errors on your disk, like bad file links, corrupted file tables, etc.

2. Bad Sectors: This tool can scan the physical surface area of your hard disk and identify damaged areas.

3. Repair Errors: The Check Disk tool can repair corrupted files and folders, as well as address other issues, such as preventing system crashes and data loss.

When Should You Use CHKDSK?

The CHKDSK command can be used anytime, but here are a few situations when you must use this tool.

• The Windows PC experiences unexpected shutdowns.
• If the files and folders become inaccessible due to corruption.
• There seems to be certain clicking sounds coming from the hard disk.
• If the user receives errors such as “Windows detected a hard disk problem”.
• BSOD errors related to disk such as “UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME, NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM, or INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE”.
• USB drives, SD cards, or external HDDs not being recognized properly or showing file corruption.

What Are The CHKDSK Commands?

Many CHKDSK commands can be used to carry out various scans and functions on your hard disk. Here are the most commonly used ones for repairing and fixing your drive.

chkdsk /f 

This command helps fix structural issues within the file system and directory.

chkdsk /r 

This command looks for corrupted parts of the physical hard drive or bad sectors and tries to recover the data.

chkdsk /x 

This command dismounts a drive so that it can be checked and fixed. 

chkdsk /v 

This command shows the path and name of all files while running a check.

Also Read – Fix – Disk Structure Is Corrupted and Unreadable Error

How To Use CHKDSK To Repair A Hard Drive?

The Check Disk (CHKDSK) is an inbuilt Windows tool that can fix file system errors as well as bad sectors on your hard disk to a certain extent. Here are the steps to use this tool.

Method 1  – Use Command Prompt As Administrator

1. Press Win + R to open the RUN box, and type CMD.
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open the Command Prompt in Admin mode.
3. Once the Command Prompt window opens in elevated mode, copy and paste the following command, followed by the Enter key.

chkdsk C: /f /r /x

* `/f` – Fixes any errors it finds.
* `/r` – Locates bad sectors and recovers readable data.
* `/x` – Forces the drive to dismount before checking (if needed).

4. When you run the CHKDSK command on drive C, you will get the following prompt –

 “CHKDSK cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Would you like to schedule this volume to be checked the next time the system restarts? (Y/N)”

5. Type “Y” and then hit the Enter key.
6. Reboot your PC and wait for the process to finish.

7. After the system restarts, you will find a summary on your desktop. If not, then you can check the Even Viewer logs.
8. Press Win + X to open the Power menu and choose Event Viewer.
9. Next, navigate to Windows Logs, followed by Application.
10. Look for Wininit or Chkdsk entries.

Method 2  – Use The Graphical User Interface Method

1. Press Windows + E to open the File Explorer.
2. Make a right-click on the drive you wish to scan.

3. Choose Properties from the context menu and go to the Tools tab.

4. Locate the Error Checking section and click on the Check button.
5. You might get a prompt message stating “You don’t need to scan this drive”. However, click on the Scan Drive option.

6. If the scan locates errors on your hard drive, then you will get an option to repair your disk.

7. You will receive a message to reboot your PC, and then you have to click Yes.
8. Wait for the process to complete, and it will fix the disk and restart normally.

Method 3  – Use The CHKDSK Repair Script Method

1. Open the Notepad app on your Windows PC.
2. Copy and paste the following script into the Notepad app.

@echo off :: CHKDSK Repair Script color 0A echo ============================= echo CHKDSK – Disk Repair Utility echo ============================= set /p drive=Enter the drive letter to scan (e.g., C, D, E):  echo. echo Running CHKDSK on drive %drive%: echo. chkdsk %drive%: /f /r /x echo. echo ============================= echo CHKDSK process complete. pause

3. Click on the File tab and choose Save As. In the new box, change “Save as type” to “All Files”. In the File Name section, type the following.

chkdsk_repair.bat

4. Make a right-click on the file you saved and choose “Run as administrator” from the context menu.
5. You will now be prompted to enter the drive letter of the disk you wish to check and begin the process.
6. If you have selected drive C, then it will prompt you to schedule the scan at the next restart.
7. Save your work and reboot the PC.

Bonus Feature – Use Advanced System Optimizer To Optimize Your PC

Checking the disk for errors is a small part of the Computer optimization process. You must optimize your PC regularly so that it delivers enhanced performance at all times. A complete optimization of the PC cannot feasibly be carried out manually, and hence we would like to recommend a software. We have been using the Advanced System Optimizer to optimize our PCs for a couple of years now and have not experienced a slow, sluggish PC with freezing and lagging issues. Here is a list of some of the optimization features included with Advanced System Optimizer.

Disk Management. This app contains various modules like disk defragmenter, disk checkup, and analyze files on your disk.

Junk Remover. All PCs contain junk and temporary files that can slow down your computer’s performance. Advanced System Optimizer can help remove all the unwanted files.

Privacy & Security. This amazing software can help users to encrypt important files with a secured password. It also allows users to delete cookies and browsing history to erase all the online traces. The secure delete module allows users to delete a file permanently from your disk making it beyond recoverable by Disk Recovery software.

Optimization Modules. Another important feature of Advanced System Optimizer is the various modules that help optimize your PC by freeing up RAm and boosting performance. You can also improve your gaming experience by creating a sandbox mode for your game.

Backup & Recovery. This app allows users to backup the important system files and restore them when required. You can also take a backup of your personal files as well.

Conclusion

We hope the above guide has helped you understand all about Check Disk and how to use it to repair and fix your hard drive. We would to hear all about your experience and suggestions in the comments section below.

Also Read – Fix – Repairing Disk Errors, This Might Take an Hour to Complete