Disk check command chkdsk c. If the problems are more serious...

Windows malfunctions, emergency shutdown of the computer, experiments with disk space management software, the consequences of viruses - these and other problems can lead to the automatic launch of the standard Windows Chkdsk utility, designed to correct errors in the file system of hard drives. Incorrectly completed operation of the operating system with files leads to file system errors, and sometimes even damage to the file system.

In emergency cases, the Chkdsk utility turns on itself before Windows starts, scans disk partitions and corrects errors. However, the fact that there are problems with the file system may not make itself felt during normal use of the computer and only become apparent when trying to manage disk space. So, for example, when trying to shrink a disk partition using standard Windows tools, we may receive the following notification: “It is possible that the volume selected for compression is damaged. Use Chkdsk to troubleshoot the problem, and then try shrinking the volume again."

In this case, disk check will not start automatically. How to run Chkdsk manually in Windows 7, 8.1 and 10? How can I use Chkdsk to fix disk errors if this problem is the reason the operating system is unable to boot?

Inside Windows, the Chkdsk utility can be launched in several ways.

1. Run Chkdsk using Windows GUI

To run Chkdsk, in the system explorer on drive C, right-click and open “Properties”.

In the disk partition properties window that opens, go to the “Services” tab, and in it click the “Check” button (or “Run check” for Windows 7).

In versions of Windows 8.1 and 10, if everything is in order with the disk file system, in the window that appears next, we will see a notification that checking is not required. But if you wish, you can start checking the disk with the Chkdsk utility by clicking “Check disk”.

If the system suspects file system errors, this window will contain a button to start scanning and repairing the disk.

For Chkdsk to work relative to drive C, you must restart the computer. You can do this immediately or delay running the scan until the next reboot.

After restarting the computer, we will be able to observe the operation of Chkdsk.

In Windows 7, launching Chkdsk is slightly different: to the preinstalled option of automatic error correction, you can add another possible option - checking and repairing bad sectors of the hard drive. When activating this option, it is worth considering that in this case Chkdsk may take longer to run.

As with Windows 8.1 and 10, in version 7 the system drive C cannot be scanned within a running operating system. To start the scan, the computer must be restarted. Click “Schedule disk check”.

When checking a non-system partition of a disk, if it is used by some programs, the situation is simpler than with the system partition. In the window with a notification that the disk is currently in use, you just need to click the “Disconnect” button to, accordingly, disable this partition for the duration of the scan.

2. Run Chkdsk using the command line

To run Chkdsk using the command line, first, accordingly, launch the latter.

In the command line enter a command like this:

In this command, instead of drive C, each time we substitute the letter of the desired partition on which the scan is required. If Chkdsk needs to check the system partition C, as with the GUI, you will need to restart the computer. When a message appears in the command line about the impossibility of locking the specified drive, you need to enter “Y”, then restart the computer.

In addition to the /f parameter, which is responsible for correcting disk errors, Chkdsk can be run with the /r parameter, designed to search for bad sectors and restore data. As a result of Chkdsk running with this parameter, hard disk clusters with unreadable sectors will be listed as damaged (bad blocks) and their functions will be transferred to a new cluster. Therefore, it is recommended to run Chkdsk with the /r parameter only when the usual error correction - running the utility with the /f parameter - does not bring the necessary results. Using the same drive C as an example, the command would look like this:

3. Running Chkdsk on a non-booting Windows

If Windows freezes at a certain point in the boot process, one of the possible causes of this problem is file system errors. In this case, you need to run Chkdsk by booting from the rescue media. As such, you can use regular installation media with versions of Windows 7, 8.1 or 10. With its help, we will launch the Chkdsk utility inside the command line. At the first stage of starting the system installation process, press the command line launch keys – Shift+F10.

In the command line that opens, before running the Chkdsk command, you need to clarify which letters define the disk partitions. This is easy to do using a notepad. I launch it with the command:

Click the notepad menu “File”, then “Open”.

In the explorer that opens, remember the new drive designations. As a rule, in Windows 8.1 and 10, the C drive partition (as it exists inside the running operating system) is listed as D, since the letter C is assigned to the first technical partition of the system. And all other sections are shifted by one letter of the alphabet.

Having decided on the letters of the disk partitions, close Notepad, then, returning to the command line, enter a command like this:

As with Chkdsk inside Windows, you must first try to fix disk errors by running the utility with the /f parameter. And only if the problem is not solved, only then run the command with the /r parameter, as indicated in the previous paragraph of the article.

In cases where Windows is unable to boot, you can pre-burn an emergency Live disk with a selection of various tools to restore the operating system. Among these, for example, is AdminPE based on WinPE. Its image for recording on a disk or flash drive can be downloaded from the official website of the project Adminpe.Ru. Using AdminPE, you can launch a command prompt and enter the Chkdsk launch commands discussed above. But in this Live disk, the Chkdsk utility has its own interface and is launched using a script. The shortcut to launch the utility is placed directly on the desktop.

In the drop-down list to check the disk, select the desired disk partition. Next, activate the checkboxes for restoring damaged sectors and forcibly disabling a partition (volume). Let's check the launches.

AdminPE's tools include a number of other utilities for working with hard drives, as well as the well-known programs Hard Disk Sentinel and Victoria.

CHKDSK- abbreviation for the phrase check disk(disk check). This is an application that is present by default in operating systems like Dos and Windows. It is necessary to check hard drives for errors and then be able to correct any errors found.

It can be launched from Windows or through the command line. The second will be discussed in more detail in this article.

So, let's say you already have a command prompt running with administrator rights. When you enter the chkdsk command without parameters, information about the status of the current disk will be displayed.

The command is entered as follows:

Chkdsk [volume:][[path]filename] ]

Everything that is enclosed in square brackets are command parameters that we can enter, either together or separately, depending on our needs and wishes.
It is worth examining the parameters and their purpose in more detail.

Options

Parameter [volume:]

Specifies the drive letter (required with a colon), mount point, or volume name.

Parameter [[Path]filename]

This parameter specifies the location and name of the file; in the case of working with several names, the names of all files are indicated. For these commands you must use wildcards - * or ?.
The degree of fragmentation of the file(s) will be checked.

Parameter

This option is capable of specifying error correction on a locked drive. If the disk has not been locked, a request to check the next time you boot is displayed.

Parameter

The /v parameter displays the names of the files (directories) being scanned.

Parameter

This parameter is used to detect damaged sectors and restore the readable part.

Parameter

Can only work with the NTFS file system. If necessary, it can initiate volume shutdown. Any descriptors already loaded will be invalid.

Parameter

It works the same way with NTFS. This option performs a less thorough check, which has a positive effect on the execution time of the chkdsk command.

Parameter

Like the previous two, it only works with the NTFS file system. Just like the previous option, it can reduce the running time of the chkdsk command, but by skipping cycles in the folder structure.

Parameter

It works the same way with NTFS. If no size is specified, the parameter displays the current size. But if you enter [:size], the log size will be set.

Parameter

Help on the command line.

Example of using parameters

You need to check the disk in drive H. Fix those found in Windows. The command will look like this.

The Chkdsk (Check Disk) system program is designed to maintain hard drives, in other words, to correct errors on them. This event is necessary for the stable operation of your PC and for the safety of valuable files on the disk.

Before answering the question: “How to run chkdsk?”, Let's take a closer look at this built-in utility.

Chkdsk (Chekdisk) is a tool for correcting disk errors, which is also intended for diagnosing a hard drive (HDD) for errors in the file system.

You've probably seen it more than once when, after a sudden power outage, before Windows boots up, the following screen appears:

Often, some inexperienced users confuse the Chkdsk screensaver with the blue screen of death, but this is not true, although they are similar. If you see a screen like this before loading Windows, don’t be alarmed, it’s just the Chkdsk program running.

In operating systems from Windows NT to XP, this utility can also check the hard drive (HDD) for the presence of physically damaged sectors (bad sectors). Damaged sectors are marked by the system as non-working, after which data is not written to them, and therefore not read.

Chkdsk is undoubtedly a very useful program, and the file system on your hard drive would have a very hard time without it. The automatic launch of this utility may indicate not only failures in the file system, but also damage to the disk itself. So sooner or later you should think about backup copies of files that are valuable to you.

How to run Chkdsk: two ways

This program can not only launch automatically; if your OS is operating normally, you can always run Chkdsk manually in order to check your hard drive for errors. This is necessary when your computer starts to become unstable and a blue screen of death appears from time to time.

So, the 1st method (graphical):

Open “My Computer”, right-click on the drive you want to scan, and then select “Properties” -> “Tools” -> “Run scan”.

In the window that appears, check both checkboxes and click the “Launch” button.

Now all that remains is to wait for the verification to complete. If you want to check the system drive C: (or the one on which you have Windows installed), a message may appear that the scan will be scheduled the next time the system is rebooted. This is normal and there is nothing wrong with it.

2nd method (via command line):

This method of launching Chkdsk is needed when there are errors on the disk and file system, but the program does not start when Windows boots.

Click the Start menu -> Run (or the key combination “Windows + R”). In the window that appears, enter the chkdsk command with the following parameters:

Disk: - partition/drive letter /f - a special parameter for the program that specifies the correction of errors on the disk.

You should get the following command (in this case the C: drive is indicated, but you can choose another one, depending on what partitions your hard drive is divided into):

or something like this

The specified drive must be locked for the scan to begin, so the following message may appear:

“Chkdsk cannot check for errors because the selected disk is being used by another program. Should I check the next time the system boots?
Yes/No".

Select the “Yes” option and press Enter. Now, as soon as you turn off or restart your computer, Chkdsk will begin scanning the specified disk.

It should be noted that the /f parameter is not the only one, there are others. But, as a rule, they are used quite rarely. To familiarize yourself with all the features of the Chkdsk program, visit the Windows Help and Support section, because... they are secondary.

The only thing worth mentioning is the /r parameter, which can be useful. It allows you to detect bad sectors on a disk and restore that part of the information that can still be saved.

Example command with the /r parameter:

Now you know exactly how to run chkdsk. However, you should not check the disk for errors every day; it is recommended to do this only after serious failures in the system. If you carry out preventive measures with your hard drive, then do it no more than once every three months.

Windows operating systems are equipped with internal tools for emergency troubleshooting and subsequent troubleshooting. If the user does not have the opportunity to use additional software, and standard OS tools do not help, you can use the chkdsk command. The command and the utility it runs have shown excellent effectiveness in solving Windows crashes.

Launch via Disk Properties

If the OS is stable enough, the utility can be launched in windowed mode. On different versions of Windows there are practically no differences in launching from “Disk Properties”:

The system will prompt you to restart your PC. During boot, a system disk check will run. If the user has checked the appropriate boxes, Windows will fix damaged files and sectors.

Run from the command line

The command line is activated either by the Win+R key combination, or in the start menu, where there is a search bar (you need to enter the query “cmd”). You only need to run the command line as Administrator.

In the black window that opens, enter the command “chkdsk C: /F” and press the enter key.

• C: - the name of the disk to check, can be changed;
• /F – type of operation that the utility will perform.

If launched from the command line, the scan begins immediately, without restarting the PC.

How to start if Windows won't boot

Some critical errors, unsuccessful updates and operations lead to the fact that the operating system cannot fully turn on. Neither safe mode nor running the latest working version helps. In this case you should:

1. Connect a boot disk or USB flash drive with Windows to the computer;
2. Enter the BIOS and set it to run not from the hard drive, but from the connected media;
3. Start the device;
4. In the OS installation menu that opens, find the “System Restore” button, click;
5. Click “Next” when the program prompts you to use OS recovery tools;
6. Click “Command Prompt” in the window that opens.

When the command line opens in front of the user, you need to use the algorithm from the previous section - enter the chkdsk command and wait for the system to be diagnosed / troubleshooted.

CHKDSK options

The /F value is not the only possible command parameter:

• /F – diagnoses and corrects failures on the specified disk;
• /V – displays a message about cleaning or the full path for each file on the disk;
• /R – search and restore damaged sectors of the hard drive;
• /X – forced disk disconnection;
• /I – lowering the criticality of file evaluation during diagnostics;
• /B – re-evaluation of clusters assessed as damaged;
• /spotfix – spot fixing of errors;
• /sdcleanup – collection and removal of unnecessary files;
• /offlinescanandfix – offline scan, correction of errors in the specified disk;
• /markclean – marks the disk as clean if no errors were found during the scan.

It is not necessary to run the utility several times if the user needs to perform different functions. The command might look like this: “chkdsk C: /F /R”. Utility parameters are added and removed as necessary.

How to remove CHKDSK startup at OS startup

If the utility has completed its functions, but continues to start every time you boot the PC, you can disable it in the Windows registry:

1. Open the registry editor, enter “regedit” in the Start menu search;
2. Go to the path “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager”;
3. In the right part of the window, find the “bootexecute” parameter, double-click on it;
4. Enter the value autocheck autochk /k:C *, save.

Modern computer technology is quite complex and malfunctions occur from time to time. The hard drive (HD) is not immune to this. There are two types of breakdowns:

• software – when recorded information is damaged;
• hardware – when defects appear on the surface of magnetic disks. The head loses the ability to read a block of data in some places, this causes failures.

To combat these phenomena, the creators of Windows operating systems have developed built-in programs that help the user eliminate (in many cases) this problem.

On earlier Windows systems, Scandisk was installed. The same software was included with MS-DOS, and was last used on the Windows ME operating system.

Starting with Windows NT, Chkdsk becomes a standard utility for checking a hard disk. It is present in the OS by default and is launched by the system owner in several ways.

Its main purpose:

• diagnostics of storage media for the presence of errors: conventional disk drives, flash-drives, as well as floppy disks, which are rarely found today. The serviceability of file systems is checked;
• analysis of HD sectors, “broken” fragments are marked in a special way and the OS does not use them in the future;
• automatic general data check after a system failure - carried out, for example, after an abnormal shutdown of the PC.
  

  Reference! Chkdsk cannot work with optical discs (CDs and DVDs).

The speed at which the utility processes data depends on the size of the logical partition and the power of the PC. The most time is spent on testing the disk surface and can reach several hours.

Ways to run Chkdsk: detailed instructions

The program is launched in two main ways:

• the simplest is from the desktop, but this method has one drawback: you won’t be able to make the utility work fully. In addition, this method does not allow detailed information about the execution process to be displayed on the monitor;
• using the command line is not very convenient, but this is the only way to launch the utility with flexible settings and observe the progress of its work.

The easiest way is graphical

1. Open "My Computer".

   

2. Select the desired local disk, if there are several of them. Right-click on it until a context menu appears. Activate the “Properties” item.

   

3. And then - the “Service” tab.

   

4. Click the top button labeled “Run Check”.

   

5. A small utility window will appear. If you only want to test the hard drive, then you need to uncheck all the boxes and click the “Start” button.

   

6. The program will begin to work: the status indicator will become active (the bar will crawl from left to right), and records will appear just below indicating the number of processed files.

   

7. After finishing, a window with the result will pop up.

   

If you need to fix problems right away, it is recommended to check the “Automatically fix system errors” box. If you need to check the surface, you will have to check “Check and repair damaged sectors.”

For Windows 7 and above

In newer operating systems, after launching the installation disk:

Features of the HD test in Windows 8 and 10

In the latest Windows, HD maintenance, namely, their checking and defragmentation of volumes, will occur in auto mode (according to the previously established order).

To view information about whether any difficulties have arisen with the file system:

• open the standard “Control Panel” by right-clicking on the “Start” button;

  

• go to the “Large Icons” category in “View” mode, find and open the “Security and Service Center” option;

  

• Now you need to expand “Maintenance” and in the “Disk Status” field all the data that was received after the previous automatic system test will be displayed.

  

  

Another feature that has appeared in Windows 10 is the built-in software for checking the system database, the Storage Diagnostic Tool. To use this utility, you need:

Advice! To launch the console in Windows 10, it is recommended to use the “Windows + X” combination; a menu will pop up in which you can activate the line: “Command Prompt”.

After executing this command, the most recent report on difficulties in the system will appear in the catalog.

The standard set of HD problem description files includes a number of documents, they contain:

• Chkdsk test results and information about faults that were detected by Fsutil in standard logs (opened with Notepad);
• information from the Windows registry, which contains all the current registry settings related to the physical disks mounted on the system;
• OS event viewing log file (collected for 1⁄2 minutes if the collectEtw flag is used).

For a novice user, this information may not contain useful information, but when calling professional system administrators-consultants, they may be asked for this data (this will be required for diagnostics).

Additional Features

In versions seven to ten, you can use the built-in PowerShell:

Step 1. You can open it by calling up the menu using the hot keys “Windows + R”.

Step 2. Enter “Powershell” in the text field.

Step 3. A window will open with a dark blue background and command line options.

Step 4. Type “Repair-Volume -DriveLetter X”, where X is the name of the partition being tested. Another option is “Repair-Volume -DriveLetter X –OfflineScanAndFix”.

Step 5. If the program does not find any errors, the user will see: “NoErrorsFound”.

Otherwise, the program will display a list of faults.

How can I get everything back?

If data is restored incorrectly, some information may be lost. Then you will have to use specialized software:

• R-Studio is a paid program, but there is a trial version;
• Recuva – distributed free of charge;
• Pandora Recovery – free software;
• Hetman Partition Recovery – you can use the trial version.

However, these programs require a fully functioning hard drive. In other cases, you will have to contact specialized companies engaged in recovering lost data from broken devices.

Automatic disk check on reboot, how to stop

If the PC was turned off in an abnormal way, the system may decide to automatically check the disk. Most often this concerns the system partition. In some cases it fails and the file system test continues after each reboot. This greatly slows down Windows startup. You will have to disable the scan manually.

Editing the Registry

Step 1. You should open the “Registry Editor” like this: “Windows + R”, enter the command “regedit”, press enter.

Step 2. Open the directory branch one by one, following the specified path: “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE”/”SYSTEM”/”CurrentControlSet”/”Control”/”Session Manager”.

Step 3. In the right zone (window) there is a “BootExecute” parameter; you need to click on it a couple of times with the left mouse click.

Step 4. You should add the value “/K:C”, click “OK”.

Step 5. Close editor.

Using a terminal

After opening the window (as an administrator), you need to enter the command: “chkntfs /x c:” (c is a logical drive), if necessary, list all the drives that are on the PC.

Now the scan will not run.

Developer errors in Chkdsk

In a number of distributions, the program may behave incorrectly:

• Windows 2000;
• Windows XP HE (with add-on pack);
• Windows 2003 (server version);
• Windows Vista (SP1).

There are problems with file access rights, which are either partially resolved using the Secedit program (XP HE and Professional), or there is a need to reinstall the OS.

Reference! If a program was installed incorrectly, and then the automatic Chkdsk test is launched, this may indicate damage to one of the RAM modules or a failure of the corresponding slot.

How to test a disk when the OS does not boot

If the OS stops starting, you should either use the installation disk or use alternative “rescue” distributions running on a lightweight version of Windows PE or Linux.

• Hiren's BootCD;
• Ultimate Boot CD;
• SystemRescueCd;
• Knoppix;
• FalconFour's Ultimate Boot CD.

They can help you restore your system or at least retrieve data from your hard drive.

Windows 10 programs you should remove right now

Most users do not use some of the programs that are supplied with the OS by Microsoft. They only take up space on your hard drive, and some also take up a significant portion of RAM. They can be ruthlessly uninstalled.

1. Xbox - not all users are connoisseurs of the world of game consoles. Although the program does not require the Xbox itself, it can be easily removed if necessary.

   

2. Phone manager - with it you can synchronize your smartphone with a PC: email programs, Skype, move photos and videos. However, not everyone needs this; if you can do without the program, then it is better to remove it.

   

3. Maps - allows you to view geographic plans of the area, but if you have a constant connection to the network, the value of the program is rather questionable.

   

   Maps is an application that is not particularly necessary if you have the Internet

4. Cinema and TV - for those who do not have too many films and videos, the program is of no practical value.

   

5. Music Groove is software that shows the user’s audio recordings and allows you to dry them directly in the program window. The usefulness of the built-in program is questionable, so it is better to remove it.

   

6. News, Finance and Sports - it is better to use well-known channels to watch news, and it is recommended to immediately uninstall these three programs that eat up Internet traffic.
7. Sway - helps create presentations, but for professionals it is too primitive a program, and is unlikely to be useful to ordinary users.

   

8. Telephone – it’s unlikely that many will need to make calls from a computer; you can delete it.
9. Getting started is an application for those who have not yet familiarized themselves with all the delights of Windows 10; other users are unlikely to need it.

   

10. People is a utility for finding people you know on the Internet. It is not known how secure the program is, but it requires connecting accounts. It is recommended to delete it, since social networks exist for communication.

    

    People - a utility for searching for friends on the network, which is not necessary and can be deleted

Ways to remove programs

First way

Standard means:

Step 1. Click the "Start" button, select the "Settings" tab.

Step 2. Activate the "System" option.

Step 3. On the left side of the menu, select the “Applications and Features” line.

Select the line “Applications and features”

Step 4. The installed programs and the amount of space on the hard drive that they occupy will appear. When you select an application, a pair of buttons will appear: “Delete” and “Move”. Using the first one you can uninstall.

Second way

If you download CCleaner, you can remove almost any application:

Step 1. You need to open the utility.

Step 2. Go to the “Service” tab.

Step 3. Using the cursor, you should select an unnecessary program, and when you click the right mouse button, a context menu will appear (or select the button on the right panel).

Step 4. You should select the “Uninstall” line and start the process.

Advice! You need to leave the “Store”, it will allow you to restore software that was mistakenly deleted or install something new.

Conclusion

Any programs for recovering data from a hard drive should be used with caution. Chkdsk is no exception, although it is a system utility. You should always have an installation disk with the operating system on hand, as well as additional tools for data recovery and anti-virus treatment of the OS.

Video - What is chkdsk and how to run it?