Hard drive errors should be taken very seriously.
Chkdsk vs SFC : A Comparison
What is the difference? Check Disc (chkdsk) scans for the integrity of the file system while SFC checks the integrity of the system files. So, what is the difference? Put simply, in a city called Computer, chkdsk aims towards maintaining the integrity of the roads while SFC aims at maintaining the flawless traffic. Thus, chkdsk is more related to the structural problems while SFC is more concerned with the functional problems. In any functional unit in the world, including the human being, anatomy and physiology are so closely bonded together! Performance is at the pick when both these function faultlessly.
Hard Disc and Bad Sectors
A dark disc is like a brain of a computer with clearly segregated clusters of files with their assigned roles. It is constantly subject to physical, non-physical (logical) and electrical impressions and impacts. The logical impacts include malware attacks, too. If the impact is massive enough to disturb the integrity of the file system on the hard drive (NTFS and FAT32) to corrupt the system and render a part of it non-functional, the Windows decides to run a chkdsk command. Such areas are called bad sectors. Just like, when a storm rages through a town, certain areas of the town become inaccessible. Quick checkdisc is a routine procedure integrated with the normal boot process of the Windows. It is so profoundly essential. When you must have noticed Windows doing a self-planned disc-check while starting the OS with a message like this: Windows is scanning C drive…. 20% complete …. 30%.... 40%.... One should not disturb this operation. Checkdisc will try to repair the file structure and recover the corrupt data to some extent.
1. From the File Explorer – Here the bulk of the process will be done by the Windows with a single click.
2. From Command Prompt: Here, you can take control of various aspects of the chkdsk process using various parameters targeting specific drive or process. This option is especially useful when you are unable to start Windows in a normal way.
Similar to SFC, chkdsk also takes place on two levels – offline and online, so it is imperative that your internet should be active during the procedure.
Running chkdsk from File Explorer
If the Windows think that the scan is not necessary, you will get following message:
Nonetheless, Scan option is still present if you insist and go ahead with the scan. But if errors are found, Windows will give you two options: Restart right away or schedule the error fixing on the next restart. The Windows will fix the errors during the restart process.
Running chkdsk Using a Command Prompt or Power Menu
Procedure in detail:
1. Close all the running programs.
2. Select 'safe mode with networking' option. Activate your internet connection.
3. You will need administrative access to run the command, also known as elevated command prompt.
Right click on the Start button to open Power User Menu > select Windows PowerShell (Admin) (or Command prompt) and open it
OR
Click Start button > type cmd > right click and select run as Administrator
OR
Open command prompt from Windows Recovery
Environment (safe mode)
4. Now considering that you want to debug 'C' drive, you can run various parameters as commands as follows depending upon your interest and availability of time:
i. Type just chkdsk C: This is the command just to check the file system on drive C. Since there is no parameter associated, it takes hardly 2 minutes to scan the health of the C drive. If no issues are found, no further action is required. But if problems are detected -
ii. chkdsk C: /f - This command will fix errors on the drive C but it won't clear bad sectors.
iii. chkdsk C: /r -This command will fix the errors as well as try to recover info from the bad sectors. This command is same as- chkdsk C: /f /r
iv. chkdsk C: /b – This command runs only in NTFS. /f and /r are included in in it.
v. For a chkdsk to run, the volume should be locked and dismounted. Don't bother about what these terms mean, if your drive is locked and needs dismounting, the screen will give you the following error: “Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Would you like to schedule this volume to be checked the next time the system restarts? (Y/N)” Simply click on Y and chkdsk will happen during the next reboot.
vi. If you receive this error: “Errors found. CHKDSK cannot continue in read-only mode.” Change your command to chkdsk C: /f /r
vii. If you receive this error message: “Cannot lock current drive.” Run the command: chkdsk C: /f /r /x
viii. If your OS has fallen into the bad habit of running chkdsk on every boot after you were operating on C drive - type this command: chkntfs /x c: If you are not sure which drive it was, run this command: chkntfs C: and the command prompt will reveal whether C drive was scheduled for scan during boot. Do this for other drives as well and verify.
Chkdsk can take a considerable amount of time depending upon the disc size. Few users have even commented that chkdsk has done more than good for them and many report that it could be a hit or miss!
The article A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO FIX COMMON PROBLEMS AND ERRORS IN WINDOWS 10 contains the following tutorials:
Previous Tutorials:
1. Introduction to Troubleshooting, Safe Mode and Event Viewer
2. Deleting Junk Files
3. Running a Malware Detection Scan Program
4. Repairing damaged files by SFC & DISM scans
Next Tutorials:
5. Keeping Drivers and Device Manager Updated and Error-Free
6. Enabling and Creating SYSTEM RESTORE
7. Reviving Windows Using a Recovery Flash Drive
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