CHKDSK, short for “Check Disk,” is a command-line utility in Microsoft Windows designed to verify the integrity of file systems and detect, as well as repair, various disk-related errors. It plays a crucial role in maintaining system stability and preventing data loss by addressing issues such as file system corruption and bad sectors. However you can directly download and run a portable windows application that also can check for error in drive – chkdsk utility.
The Check Disk utility, also known as chkdsk (since that’s the command you use to run it) scans through your entire hard drive to find and fix problems. It’s not a terribly exciting tool — and running it can take some time — but it can really help prevent bigger problems and loss of data in the long run. Chkdsk performs a couple of functions, depending on how it’s run:
- Chkdsk’s basic function is to scan the integrity of the file system and file system metadata on a disk volume and fix any logical file system errors that it finds. Such errors might include corrupt entries in a volume’s master file table (MFT), bad security descriptors associated with files, or even misaligned time stamp or file size information about individual files.
- Chkdsk can also optionally scan every sector on a disk volume looking for bad sectors. Bad sectors come in two forms: soft bad sectors, which can occur when data is written badly, and hard bad sectors, which can occur because of physical damage to the disk. Chkdsk attempts to fix these problems by repairing soft bad sectors and marking hard bad sectors so they won’t be used again.
How to Run Chkdsk
Running the Check Disk tool from the Windows desktop is easy. In File Explorer, right-click the drive you want to check, and then choose “Properties.”
In the properties window, switch to the “Tools” tab and then click the “Check” button.
In Windows 10 and Windows 11, Windows may inform you that it hasn’t found any errors on the drive. You can still perform a manual scan by clicking “Scan drive.” This will first perform a scan without attempting any repairs, so it will not restart your PC at this point. If the quick disk scan reveals any problems, Windows will present that option to you.
After Windows scans your drive, if no errors were found, you can just click “Close.”