How to Run CHKDSK on Windows 11: Find & Fix Disk Errors

Use this command from File Explorer or the command line tool

Windows 11 » How To

Milan Stanojevic

Windows Toubleshooting Expert

How To

5 min. read

Updated on October 23, 2025

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Running CHDSK commands on Windows 11 will help you find out important information about your hard drive, and in today’s guide, we’re going to show you how to use it on Windows 11.

How do I scan and repair drivers in Windows 11?

How do I scan and repair drivers in Windows 11?

1. Use chkdsk from CMD

Press Windows key + X and choose Windows Terminal (Admin). You can use Command Prompt or PowerShell since the command works in both command line tools.
Once the command line starts, type chkdsk C: and press Enter. Of course, you can use any other drive letter instead of C.
The scan will now scan your PC for disk errors and let you know if there are any damaged sectors on your drive.

2. Use chkdsk from File Explorer

Open File Explorer, and navigate to This PC.
Locate the drive you wish to scan. Right-click the drive and select Properties from the menu.
Navigate to the Tools tab and click on the Check button.
Click on Scan drive to start the scan.
Disk integrity check will now start.

This method is simpler than using chkdsk in command line, and this is why many prefer it.

3. Use chkdsk from the W11 installation disk

Boot your PC from the installation media.
Click Next, and then choose Repair your computer.
Select Troubleshoot.
Next, navigate to Advanced options.
Lastly, click on Command Prompt.
Run the chkdsk /f command.

List of CHKDSK commands

The following are the most commonly used commands to run chkdsk in the command line:

chkdsk /f – will scan and try to repair the bad sectors
chkdsk /r – will scan and try to recover data from damaged sectors

Chkdsk parameters and exit codes

What do chkdsk parameters mean?

/f	used to fix bad sectors
/r	locates the bad sectors and recovers readable information
/v	displays the name of each scanned file
/x	forces the drive to dismount
/i	performs a less vigorous check (only on NTFS drives)
/c	doesn’t check cycles within the folder structure (only on NTFS drives)
/I[:<size>]	changes the size of the log file
/b	clears the bad clusters and scans all allocated and free clusters for errors (only on NTFS drives)
/scan	runs an online scan (only on NTFS drives)
/forceofflinefix	it’s used with /scan to bypass online repair and queue defects for offline repair (only on NTFS drives)
/pref	it’s used with /scan in order to allocate more resources in order to complete the scan faster (only on NTFS drives)
/spotfix	runs spot fixing on the volume (only on NTFS drives)
/sdcleanup	it cleans unnecessary security descriptor data (only on NTFS drives)
/offlinescanandfix	it performs an offline scan and fixes the drive
/freeorphanedchains	frees orphaned cluster chains (only on FAT/FAT32/exFAT)
/markclean	marks the volume clean if no corruption was detected (only on FAT/FAT32/exFAT)
/?	displays the list of all supported parameters

Some of these commands will need to lock your drive. In case there are any issues, we have a guide on what to do if chkdsk cannot lock current drive.

What do chkdsk exit codes mean?

0	the scan found no errors with your drive
1	the errors have been found and fixed
2	performed disk cleanup or didn’t perform it because /f parameter wasn’t used
3	couldn’t check the disk or fix the errors; errors weren’t fixed because /f was not specified.

FAQ

What does CHKDSK do on Windows 11?

CHKDSK scans and repairs file system errors and bad sectors, helping maintain the health of your hard drive.

Can CHKDSK fix slow performance issues?

Yes, by repairing file system errors and bad sectors, CHKDSK can improve your system’s performance.

Does running CHKDSK affect my files?

Running CHKDSK is safe but may prompt you to fix any detected errors, which could lead to minor changes in file systems. Always back up important data.

How long does CHKDSK take to complete?

The duration depends on the size of your drive and the number of errors. It can range from a few minutes to several hours.

Using chkdsk on your PC is important since you want to diagnose and fix hard drive problems before the file loss occurs. However, if chkdsk is stuck on your PC or CHKDSK is not working with Vanguard, we have a special guide to fix it.

To learn how to effectively fix issues, be sure to learn the difference between CHKDSK, SFC and DISM on your PC.

To understand why CHKDSK.exe runs every boot and how to resolve it, check out this CHKDSK.exe runs every boot guide.

This is a great tool if you want to run hardware diagnostics on Windows, so be sure to know how to properly use it.

How often do you use chkdsk on your PC? Let us know in the comments below.

More about the topics: chkdsk, Windows 11

Milan Stanojevic

Windows Toubleshooting Expert

Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He's a PC enthusiast and he spends most of his time learning about computers and technology. Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he's one of the Troubleshooting experts in our worldwide team, specializing in Windows errors & software issues.