CHKDSK

Technology & Computing abbreviation · Computer

CHKDSK
Stands forCheck Disk
CategoriesTechnology & Computing

CHKDSK stands for Check Disk, a computer abbreviation.

Windows and DOS command-line utility that scans a drive's file system for errors and, with options, repairs them and checks for bad sectors. Running chkdsk /f on the system drive schedules the scan for the next restart.

Example: Windows flagged the USB drive as corrupted, so I ran CHKDSK /f on it.

Usage notes

The tool dates back to the earliest versions of DOS. The /r switch also locates bad sectors and recovers readable data, which can take hours on large hard drives. On SSDs, CHKDSK repairs file-system structures but cannot fix failing flash; SMART tools are better for checking drive health. MS-DOS 6.2 introduced ScanDisk as a friendlier alternative for a time.

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