How to Run CHKDSK in Windows 10

To run CHKDSK in Windows 10, open Command Prompt as administrator, type chkdsk C: /f, and press Enter. If Windows is using the drive, type Y to schedule the check, then restart your PC. CHKDSK checks the drive for file system errors and fixes them.

You can also open File Explorer, right-click the drive, and select Properties > Tools > Check.

Applies to: Windows 10 internal and external drives. You need an administrator account. Checked against Microsoft Learn on September 25, 2026.

Run CHKDSK from File Explorer

1. Press Windows key + E and select This PC.
2. Right-click the drive, such as Local Disk (C:), and select Properties.
3. On the Tools tab, under Error checking, select Check.
4. Select Scan drive. If Windows finds errors, it offers to fix them. For drive C, the fix may need a restart.

Run CHKDSK from Command Prompt

1. Select Start, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.
2. Type a command and press Enter:

• chkdsk C: checks the drive and reports problems without fixing them.
• chkdsk C: /f fixes file system errors.
• chkdsk C: /r also looks for bad sectors and recovers what it can. It’s much slower.

Run CHKDSK at startup

Windows can’t fix drive C while it’s running. When you run chkdsk C: /f or /r, you’ll see Would you like to schedule this volume to be checked the next time the system restarts? Type Y, press Enter, and restart.

The check runs before Windows loads. Don’t turn off the PC while it runs. On a large drive, /r can take hours.

If Windows won’t start at all, open Command Prompt from the recovery screen and run CHKDSK there. See how to run Startup Repair in Windows 10 for how to get to that screen.

Run CHKDSK on an external drive

1. Plug in the drive and note its letter in This PC, such as E:.
2. In Command Prompt as administrator, type chkdsk E: /f.
3. If asked to dismount the drive, type Y. Close any files open on it first.

Other CHKDSK options

• /scan checks an NTFS drive while you keep using it, without locking it.
• /spotfix quickly fixes problems that an earlier scan logged. On drive C, it runs at the next restart and usually takes seconds.
• /x forces an external drive to disconnect from open files first, then fixes it. It includes /f.
• /b rechecks sectors already marked as bad. It includes /r and is the slowest option.
• /v lists every file as it’s checked.

A quick, low-risk routine is chkdsk C: /scan first, then chkdsk C: /spotfix if it reports problems. Type chkdsk /? to see every option on your PC.

Run the same check in PowerShell

PowerShell has its own version called Repair-Volume. In PowerShell as administrator:

• Repair-Volume -DriveLetter C -Scan checks the drive while Windows runs.
• Repair-Volume -DriveLetter C -SpotFix fixes the problems it found.
• Repair-Volume -DriveLetter C -OfflineScanAndFix does a full fix. For drive C, it happens at the next restart.

Read the results

• Windows has scanned the file system and found no problems: your drive is fine.
• Windows has made corrections to the file system: CHKDSK fixed errors.
• Bad sectors: the drive may be failing. Back up your files and plan to replace it.

To see the results of a check that ran at startup, open Event Viewer > Windows Logs > Application and look for Wininit events.

If CHKDSK won’t run or gets stuck

“Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use”

Windows can’t check the drive it’s running from while it’s in use. Type Y and press Enter to schedule the check, then restart the PC.

It seems stuck at one percentage

A scan with /r reads every sector, which can take several hours on a large hard disk, and the percentage may sit still for a long time. Leave it running. Only restart if the drive light hasn’t flickered for an hour or more.

CHKDSK runs every time you start the PC

Windows has marked the drive as needing a check. Let it finish once. If it keeps running anyway, open Command Prompt as administrator and run fsutil dirty query C:. If it says the drive is dirty and CHKDSK never clears it, run chkntfs /x C: to skip the check at startup, and back up your files, because the drive may be failing.

“CHKDSK is not available for RAW drives”

Windows can’t recognize the file system at all, so CHKDSK has nothing to repair. Don’t format the drive if it holds files you need. Use a data recovery tool or service first.

Errors come back after every scan

Check the drive’s health in PowerShell with Get-PhysicalDisk | Select-Object FriendlyName, HealthStatus. Anything other than Healthy means the drive should be replaced soon. Copy your important files off it now.

CHKDSK, SFC, or DISM: which one do you need?

• CHKDSK repairs the drive and its file system: lost clusters, bad sectors, and directory errors.
• SFC (sfc /scannow) repairs damaged or missing Windows system files.
• DISM (DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth) repairs the Windows image that SFC copies its good files from.

If your PC is crashing or acting strangely, run CHKDSK first so the drive itself is sound, then DISM, then SFC.

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to run CHKDSK?

Yes. Back up important files first, just in case, and let it finish.

What’s the difference between /f and /r?

/f fixes file system errors. /r does that and also checks the surface of the drive for bad sectors.

Should I run CHKDSK on an SSD?

Yes, /f is fine. You don’t need /r on an SSD.

If your PC shows a blue screen, see how to fix a blue screen error in Windows 10.

To check Windows system files as well as the drive, see how to run an SFC scan in Windows 10.

If Windows is unstable after a disk error, try starting Windows 10 in Safe Mode. Microsoft’s reference is chkdsk. More help is on our Windows Help & Guides page.

Related: check crash logs on Windows 11.