How to fix hard disk errors

Fixing Hard Disk Errors with Chkdsk

If you've defragmented your hard drive but still notice poor performance, you might need to fix disk errors. These errors can be caused by power outages, hardware failures, poor system maintenance, viruses, or human error. The Chkdsk tool in Windows operating systems can help. Chkdsk (Chkdsk.exe) is a command-line tool that checks volumes for problems, creates a status report, and corrects errors like bad sectors, lost clusters, cross-linked files, and directory errors. Here's how to use it:

How to Use Chkdsk to Fix Hard Disk Errors

1. Open My Computer (or "Computer" in Windows® 7 and 8):

   • Double-click My Computer.

   • Click once on the hard disk you want to check to highlight it.

   • Right-click the drive and select Properties.

2. Access Error-Checking:

   • In the Properties window, go to the Tools tab.

   • Under Error-checking, click Check Now. A dialog box with Check Disk Options will appear.

3. Choose a Check Disk Option:

   • To run Chkdsk in read-only mode, click Start.

   • To repair errors without scanning for bad sectors, select "Automatically fix file system errors" and click Start.

   • To repair errors, locate bad sectors, and recover readable information, select "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors" and click Start.

Note for Windows Versions Prior to Windows 8

If files are open on the hard disk you want to check, you might see this message:

"The disk check could not be performed because the disk check utility needs exclusive access to some Windows files on the disk. These files can be accessed by restarting Windows. Do you want to schedule the disk check to occur the next time you restart the computer?"

• Click "Yes" to schedule the disk check, then restart your computer to begin the process.

For more information about Chkdsk, visit these Microsoft websites:

• Chkdsk

• Running Chkdsk to repair file systems

By following these steps, you can effectively diagnose and fix hard disk errors, improving your computer's performance.