Fix: CHKDSK Got Stuck / Taking Forever to Load in Windows

The check disk utility program, also known as CHKDSK is a Windows system tool that verifies the file system integrity, listing and correcting errors on the disk.

These errors can be triggered by various elements, such as not shutting down your computer properly, malware, power failures during writes, removing USB devices without Safely Remove, and other factors.

By running the chkdsk command, users can repair these errors so that their systems can function properly. Unfortunately, this process can sometimes stall, and the scanning gets stuck.

Chkdsk is a useful tool that can fix corrupted files on your hard drive, but sometimes issues with chkdsk can occur.

Since chkdsk is an important tool, in this article, we’re going to cover the following issues:

• How to stop chkdsk in Windows 10 – There are several ways to top a chkdsk scan. Usually, chkdsk starts automatically while booting Windows, and there’s a short time frame that allows you to press any key and skip the scan.
• How long does chkdsk take (Windows 10) – Chkdsk scan can take up to a couple of hours depending on the size of your drive and the number of corrupted files.
• Chkdsk stuck external hard drive, SSD – Problems with chkdsk affect both internal and external hard drives as well as SSDs. If you have any problems with chkdsk, be sure to try one of our solutions.
• Chkdsk stuck correcting error in index, index entries processed, security descriptors processed, looking for bad clusters – Chkdsk process is divided into several segments, and your PC can get stuck during any of these segments.
• Chkdsk stuck unreadable – If you’re getting unreadable message while using chkdsk, the problem might be your hard drive. This message appears if your hard drive is faulty or if your files are permanently damaged.
• Chkdsk stuck stage 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 – Chkdsk has several different stages and can get stuck during any of these stages.
• Chkdsk stuck loop – In some cases, your PC might get caught in a chkdsk loop. If you encounter this problem, you must perform an SFC and DISM scan to check if that helps.

Here’s what one Windows 10 user is saying:

I got some problems of my pc, 2 days ago i got my pc automatically reboot then im went to event viewer to check it out and found error event id 1001 bugcheck […]. i try chkdsk, chkdsk /f /r c:(ssd) successfully, but on d: (hdd 2tb seagate) is stucking at 10% alr passed 3 hours (never happened before when im chkdsk my drive D: lastime)when im try to click my numlock button there is no light,what should i do?

What can I do if the chkdsk scan is taking forever in Windows 10?

1. Make sure there is an issue to be fixed

Many users have reported that the chkdsk scan process continues despite no change in the scanning advancement.

Oftentimes, when users reboot their computers, the scanning resumes automatically.

Also, take into consideration the size of the drive you’re scanning.

The chkdsk process is usually completed in 5 hours for 1TB drives, and if you’re scanning a 3TB drive, the required time triples.

As we already mentioned, chkdsk scan can take a while, depending on the size of the selected partition.

Sometimes, this process can take a few hours, so be patient. Sometimes, it might be best to leave the scan running overnight.

If you use a larger hard drive, or if you have more bad sectors on your drive, the scanning process will take longer so you’ll have to be patient.

2. Clean boot your system

Few users reported fixing this problem simply by performing a clean boot. To do that on Windows 10, you need to do the following:

1. Type System Configuration in the search box and select System Configuration from the menu.
   
2. On the Services tab >  select the Hide all Microsoft services check box > click Disable all.
   
3. On the Startup tab > click on Open Task Manager.
   
4. On the Startup tab in Task Manager right click the first item on the list and choose Disable from the menu. Repeat this for all items on the list.
   
5. On the Startup tab of the System Configuration dialog box >click OK and choose the option to restart your computer.
   

After your PC restarts, check if the issue still appears. If not, you can enable all disabled apps and services again.

If you want to know how to add or remove startup apps on Windows 10, check out this simple guide.

3. Use a recovery drive

1. Create a Windows 10 recovery drive
2. Enter the CD/USB and reboot your computer.
3. From the CD main window, run cmd by pressing and holding Shift + F10.
4. In the cmd window, type regedit to open the Registry Editor.
5. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE >File > Load Hive.
6. Go to path C:WindowsSystem32Config > select System. If a name is prompted, enter DiskCheck > press Enter to confirm.
7. Go to DiskCheck ControlSet001ControlSession Manager and select BootExecute.
8. There, change the autocheck autochk * /rDosDeviceC: line to autocheck autochk *
9. Go to the DiskCheck folder > select Unload Hive > exit the Registry Editor.
10.  Type chkdsk c: /r in Command Prompt >wait for the new process to complete.

You can’t create a recovery drive on Windows 10? Take a look at this simple guide to solve the issue. Also, if you can’t edit your Windows 10’s registry, read this handy guide and find the quickest solutions to the issue.

Read more about this topic

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4. Disable error restart

If chkdsk got stuck, you might be able to fix it simply by pressing the Ctrl + Alt + Del shortcut to stop it.

After doing that, you need to disable the error restart. This is rather simple, and you can do it by following these steps:

1. Turn off your PC and turn it back on.
2. While the PC boots, press and hold the F8 key.
3. Now select Disable error restart from the list.

After doing that, the problem should be resolved, and you can use your PC again. Remember that this isn’t a universal solution, so it might not work on newer versions of Windows.

5. Use Disk Cleanup

If you chkdsk gets stuck on your PC, the problem might be your temporary files. Windows stores all sorts of temporary files on your PC, and sometimes chkdsk can get stuck while scanning those files.

To fix the issue, it’s advised to find and remove those files from your PC and see if that fixes the problem. To do this quickly, you need to use Disk Cleanup utility on your PC by following these steps:

1. Press Windows Key + S and enter disk cleanup. Select Disk Cleanup from the menu.
   
2. Select your system drive and click on OK.
   
3. Check the files you want to remove from the list. You can just check Temporary files and Temporary Internet Files, but other files are also saved to check and remove. After selecting the desired options, click on OK to proceed.
   
4. Wait for a few moments while Windows deletes the selected files.

Once the temporary files are removed, check if the problem is resolved. Keep in mind that this isn’t a universal solution, so even if you remove temporary files, your issue might persist.

However, once you remove these files, your PC will have fewer files to scan and repair, reducing the time it takes to perform the scan.

If you have problems deleting all your junk files, follow this guide to solve any Disk Cleanup issues and save your drive.

6. Stop the scanning process before it starts

Many users reported that chkdsk starts automatically with their PC. This is normal, especially if your PC detects file corruption or if you didn’t turn off your PC properly.

However, if chkdsk gets stuck every time, you might want to skip the scan. To do that, you must press any key on your keyboard before chkdsk starts.

Before the chkdsk starts, you’ll see a message on your screen saying Press any key to stop your scanning. To stop the scan, just press any key on your keyboard, and you’ll skip the scanning process.

It’s worth mentioning that this isn’t a universal solution, and it will not stop chkdsk from running on your PC, but it can be useful to skip a chkdsk scan.

7. Use SFC and DISM scan

If chkdsk gets stuck on your PC or it’s not working with Vanguard installed, the problem might be file corruption. Your system files can get corrupted and that can sometimes cause chkdsk to become stuck. This will also help when it’s stuck at CHKDSK is verifying Usn journal.

To fix the problem, you need to have to scan your system using the SFC scan. To do that, just follow these simple steps:

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator. You can do that quickly by opening Win + X menu and choosing Command Prompt (Admin) from the list. To open this menu, simply right click the Start Button and choose the desired option from the menu.
   
2. When Command Prompt opens, enter sfc /scannow and press Enter to run it. The scanning process will now start. SFC scan can take more than 10 minutes, so don’t interrupt it.
   

If you can’t run SFC scan, you’ll have to use DISM scan to fix your PC. To do that, follow these steps:

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator.
2. Run Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth command.
   
3. DISM command can take 20 minutes or more to finish, so don’t interrupt it.

Once the DISM scan is finished, run the SFC scan again. After doing that, all your files should be repaired, and chkdsk won’t get stuck anymore.

If you’re having trouble accessing Command Prompt as an admin, you better take a closer look at this guide.

To learn more about ckhdsk, we have a great guide on how to run chkdsk on Windows 11, so be sure not to miss it. Remember that errors can sometimes appear, and we recently covered Unable to determine volume version and state in one of our other guides.

That’s about it. After following some steps above, your chkdsk problem should be gone.

If you have any other questions or suggestions, please leave them in the comments section below, and we will surely check them out.