Checkdisk

Checkdisk (CHKDSK.EXE) is a command-line tool that displays the file system integrity status of hard disks and floppy disk and can fix logical file system errors.

 

Every Microsoft operating system since DOS has contained a tool for repairing corrupted file or folder structures and checking for bad disk sectors. In DOS it was called Chkdsk, in Windows 9X/Me it was called Scandisk, and in Windows XP (and Vista/7) we are back to the name Chkdsk.

 

Chkdsk can be run as a command-line application or it can be run with a GUI (Graphical User Interface).

 

Method 1:

1. Open "My Computer" and right-click on the icon for the drive that is to be checked.
2. In the context menu that opens, choose "Properties".
3. Click the "Tools" tab at the top of the Properties window.
4. In the "Error-checking" section, click the button "Check now".
5. A box showing the options for running Chkdsk is then available.
6. Generally, the option "Automatically fix file system errors" should be chosen for routine checks. If serious disk problems are suspected, the option "Scan and attempt recovery of bad sectors" should also be checked. However, this may involve a period of many hours.

 

Method 2:

However, you the computer user can manually run the chkdsk command to check for problems.

1. Click Start, select Run
2. In the box, type cmd, to go to the Command prompt
3. Click Ok
4. Run the chkdsk utility by typing in the following command:
5. chkdsk c: or chkdsk c: /f /r
6. A reboot is normally required for the chkdsk program to lock the disk and run correctly (this is typical on machines that have only one volume), so simply restart the computer and chkdsk will run automatically. When it's finished, it will boot back to normal Windows.
7. On Rebooting the PC you will see the disk being checked.

 

NOTE: The /f command automatically fixes any errors encountered, the /r command locates bad sectors and recovers readable information.

 

 

This process can take quite a while depending on the size of your disk, etc., it can take up to an hour!