Get tech confident for less
Get 12 months of tech support and buying advice for only £34.30, that's a 30% saving. Together we’ll show your tech who’s boss.
Join Which? Tech SupportOffer ends 16 Jun 25. Cancel anytime.
By clicking a retailer link you consent to third-party cookies that track your onward journey. This enables W? to receive an affiliate commission if you make a purchase, which supports our mission to be the UK's consumer champion.
How to use CHKDSK (Check Disk) to repair a hard drive
If your hard drive is playing up on your laptop or desktop PC, see our expert
guidance on how to check for errors
Windows has a handy feature called CHKDSK (Check Disk) that you can use to analyse hard drive errors and run repairs automatically. It can be a lifesaver for dealing with (non-physical) faults on your hard drive.
A glitchy or corrupted hard drive can create a moment of panic. The potential for lost files is heartbreaking, and hard-drive failure is one of the top reported computer faults.
Below, our experts explain how to run CHKDSK on Windows for both older spinning hard drives and SSDs. But remember, CHKDSK won't help if you're dealing with a physically damaged hard drive (after dropping your laptop, for example), but it can be great for correcting minor errors.
- Tech Support – stay on top of your tech and get unlimited expert 1-2-1 support by phone, email, remote fix and in print.
- Already a Tech Support member and need help? You can book an appointment with our friendly Tech Support team.
How to run CHKDSK in Windows 10 and Windows 11
To start, open a new File Explorer window (click Windows key + E), then select This PC.
Right-click on the drive that you wish to scan – most commonly, this will be your C: Drive or D: Drive. Next, click Properties.
The Properties window for the selected drive will now open. Here, click the Tools tab and then choose Check under the Error checking section.
If your PC thinks everything is running smoothly, it'll show a window stating that you don't need to scan the drive at all. However, if you'd prefer to run a CHKDSK scan, you can proceed by clicking Scan drive below this.
You can't do any damage to your PC by running this scan.
The CHKDSK function will begin its checks. Depending on the size of your selected drive and the amount of data on it, this process could take anything from a few minutes to half an hour.
If all is well, you'll receive the good news that the drive scan has been completed and no errors were found. However, if the CHKDSK scan does find errors, it will attempt to fix what it can.
Windows 10 is ending security support in October – here's how you can prepare
Alternative: run CHKDSK from a Command Prompt
There's another simple way of initiating a CHKDSK process – you can do so directly from a Command prompt window.
To do this, open Command prompt by selecting the Windows key and typing Command, then right-click the Command prompt that appears at the top of the search window. Select Run as administrator.
This brings up the Command prompt box, where you'll see the cursor blinking at the end of the line that says C:\WINDOWS\system32>.
Directly after that, type CHKDSK, then a space, and then the letter of the drive you want to check, followed by a colon. Your main hard drive will almost always be the C: drive, so to check that, type CHKDSK C: and then hit Enter.
The program will then run and check your drive for errors, and fix any that it finds.
Looking for a new HDD or SSD? See our expert pick of the best external hard drives
Join Which? Tech Support
Get tech confident for less
Get 12 months of tech support and buying advice for only £34.30, that's a 30% saving. Together we’ll show your tech who’s boss.
Join Which? Tech SupportOffer ends 16 Jun 25. Cancel anytime.
Which? Tech Support can help you keep you on top of your tech. Our experts explain things clearly so that you can resolve issues and feel more confident using your devices.
Get unlimited 1-2-1 expert support:
- By phone Clear guidance in choosing, setting up, using and resolving issues with your home tech devices.
- By email Outline the issue and we’ll email you our answer.
- By remote fix We connect securely from our office to your home computer and resolve issues while you watch.
- In print Which? Tech magazine, six issues a year delivered to your door.
You can join Which? Tech Support.
News, deals and stuff the manuals don't tell you. Sign up for our Tech newsletter, it's free monthly