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How to Use CHKDSK Command to Check Disk Error in Windows

CHKDSK command, shorten of Check Disk, is used to scan for and fix hard drive disk errors in Windows. Check Disk utility can scan the disk volume and its sectors for logical file system errors and bad sectors. Today, I’d like to talk about how to use CHKDSK command in your Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista and XP.

How to Check Disk Error with CHKDSK Command Line in Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista and XP

When you encounter hard disk problems, you may be asked to use command line like CHKDSK C: /f to check disk errors. And let’s take a close look at how to run the check disk command.

Run CHKDSK in Command Prompt as Administrator

1. Open Command Prompt (Admin) in your Windows. (Note: Except for Windows XP, you can easily launch Command Prompt via the searching box.)
2. Type into the command line CHKDSK [volume[[path]filename]]] [/F] [/V] [/R] [/X] [/I] [/C] [/L[:size]] [/B] [/scan] [/spotfix]. For example, CHKDSK C: /r. (I’ll discuss the format below.)
3. Hit the key Enter.

Then the Check Disk utility will scans through the hard drive disk to find and fix errors.

About the Format of CHKDSK Command Line

In the check disk command line, “volume” means the specific drive or volume you’re going to check, like C:, D:, F:, etc. You can type into the “path” and “filename” of a certain file if you want to check files with fragments on FAT/FAT32 system.

For more information about the letters in the command line, type CHKDSK /? into the Command Prompt dialog box and hit the Enter.

Common CHKDSK Command Line

1. CHKDSK

This command line is used to scan your drive in read-only mode. When it finishes the scanning, errors will be reported but won’t be repaired.

2. CHKDSK /F

This command is used to check and fix the current drive. Sometimes, you might need to perform a restart.

3. CHKDSK C: /F

You can use this command to repair logical file system errors during the scan, but this won’t scan for bad sectors on drive disk.

4. CHKDSK C: /R

If you want to repair errors and scan for bad sectors, then you can use the /R switch. This command line implies the /F and /P command. That is to say, the CHKDSK will scan for the logical file system errors as well as the bad sectors. (You can also type into CHKDSK C: /R /F)

5. CHKDSK C: /X

If you don’t want a scheduled check run when you boot the PC, you can use this command to cancel the check. This command line forces the volume to dismount first if necessary and it also implies the /F option.

The check disk command line can be used to solve many system errors, for example, BSoD. And you may be interested in these related posts:

How to Open Disk Cleanup in Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP
How to Fix Corrupted System Files with SFC /scannow in Windows
How to Enter Event Viewer in Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP
Fix 0x000007A KERNEL_DATA_INPAGE_ERROR in Windows 10
How to Fix DPC_Watchdog_Violation Error in Windows 10
Top 6 Ways to Fix INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE in Windows 10
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That’s it. If you have any questions on CHKDSK, just reach for the comment section below.

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