While it is true, ensuring the security and performance of your PC’s hard drive is important. Because if it is affected and has failures, would completely alter all system stability . This could lead to loss of data, high expenses and other relevant alterations.
Therefore, it is necessary to keep hard drives under proper control and check the integrity of these drives. It is also important to repair logical errors in the file system; and this is what the CHKDSK command does.
This command is an added utility in Microsoft Windows and DOS . Being of great help to be able to solve different faults that have to do with the hard disk. So, below, we indicate in detail what this command is about, its functions and the steps to execute to access it.
Index:
What is the CHKDSK and what is this command used for?
Taking into account that “ CHKDSK ” is the acronym for Check Disk , this command can be defined as a tool that allows to analyze, repair and verify disk status or hard drives on a computer. Thus, in addition, a utility that is used to optimize the performance of the equipment , as well as its speed and its use.
In detail, it could be said that the Microsoft-owned CHKDSK command offers the functions required to be able to carefully examine the state of hard drives and, as if that were not enough, also the units of External storage that connect to the PC. Such drives could be such as: an external hard drive, a flash drive, an SD memory card, etc.
In addition to this, during the analysis process, it is worth noting that the Check Disk looks for errors in order to repair them , later. In this way, it proceeds to verify the state of the hard disk to increase the performance and capacity of the unit in question.
Which means that, in short, the CHKDSK command is used to correct hard drives , commonly. These discs are generally HDD type and are also compatible with SSD solid disk drives, as well as with removable storage drives.
Therefore, it basically allows to solve problems when the disk is running slow, the system does not recognize the drive, files cannot be moved to the disk, etc.
What are the main functions of the CheckDisck tool?
Once you understand the uses of this important Windows tool, you may have some notion of the main functions it provides. However, it is relevant to know what these functions are, specifically . Which allow to obtain valuable benefits for the effective control and performance of a computer.
These functions are:
- Scan and restore hard drives on Windows computers that only operate under versions 7, 8 and 10.
- Troubleshoot problems when the system does not recognize the unit . Like when this unit shows a RAW format, the disk works very slowly, it does not allow moving files on the disk.
- In Windows 10, it has a function to analyze and verify if there are errors on NTFS disk .
- Ensures optimal operation of hard drives via the command line.
- You can perform an offline analysis of all disks , accompanied by this parameter: CHKDSK / OFFLINESCANANDFIX. Which means you don’t need to stay connected to the Internet.
- Collect and delete the data that the scan or scan tool doesn’t use.
Thanks to these functions and many others that it contains, the CHKDSK is one of the most important and useful commands in the Microsoft operating system.
That way, it provides the following benefits:
- It is a tool that can be used by any person who does not even have relevant knowledge in computer science.
- Show users, the Integrity of the hard disk in real time .
- Completely repairs the logical errors of the hard disk of the equipment.
- Solve the physical problems displayed by hard drives in the system.
For this and much more, it is advisable to use the Check Disk command when any signal of a problem occurs in the hard disk file system . Even before using programs or tools outside the operating system.
Steps to access CHKDSK and analyze a disk to identify errors in Windows
Taking into account that to access this command you can only make a computer with Windows 7, 8 or 10; We indicate that there are three ways to enter this utility, which are:
Using the command line
- This alternative simply consists of opening CMD with administrative privileges.
- In order to subsequently enter the term corresponding to the command, that is, “ chkdsk ”
- Finally, just press the“ Enter ”key.
Using the Execute command
- Mainly, you will have to press the “ Windows ” and “ R ” keys to open the Run window.
- After this, type the term in question “ chkdsk “.
- Finally, click on the “ Accept ” button or simply press “ Enter †.
In Windows 10, you can use the search bar
- Click on the search icon (a magnifying glass, specifically) located in the lower left corner of your PC screen, right next to the Start option.
- In the bar where they indicate “ Type here to search ”, you must type the term “ chkdsk ” (in lowercase letters).
- Subsequently, select the respective option to start its execution (right click and “Run as administrator”) and that’s it.
Now, once you access this utility as an administrator, you can only see all the information it gives you regarding the disk . That is, it will indicate the type of disk and the integrity of the system, but it will not execute anything further.
Then, in order to analyze the disk and identify errors in the OS, you must proceed as follows:
- In order to review the unit you want, you have to write CHKDSK followed by the letter of the unit to study, then add: two points, a space and the necessary parameter to execute a specific action with this command . An example of it :
- After this, press the “ Enter ” key on the device and with it, the disk revision will begin or the repair of the errors thereof.
Finally, it is necessary to define the operation of the combination specified above , so we indicate the following:
- CHKDSK D : This indicates a review of the chosen disk, so that the command delivers information about its status and the integrity of the file system. As you will see, it does not execute any action because a certain parameter has not been specified.
- CHKDSK D: / f : By including this parameter “/ f”, you are indicating to the system that perform a review of the selected disk and, in addition, repair the errors that it obtains in the file system, of course, if there is a fault.