How to Check and Scan Hard Drive for Errors in Windows 11

Occasionally, a Windows 11 computer's primary hard drive, SSD, or external hard drive may report errors, or even experience issues like an SD card not functioning. Regularly checking your hard drives or partitions for errors can help identify the specific issues, allowing you to fix them promptly and effortlessly. Disk errors can stem from various causes such as bad sectors, improper shutdowns, malware, corruption, or physical damage. Consequently, the methods to check and repair disk errors in Windows 11/10 range from simple to advanced. Let's quickly overview these methods:

Quick Overview of Check Disk in Windows 11/10 [5 Solutions]:

Here are the translations of the provided text into English:
1. #1. Free Disk Error Checking Tool
2. #2. Windows Security and Maintenance
3. #3. Windows Properties
4. #4. CHKDSK Command Prompt
5. #5. CHKDSK Alternative

Of the five, Partition Master Free is a third-party disk error-checking tool that lets users of all Windows versions download and install it to fix such errors on Windows PCs or laptops.

#1. Check Disk Error using Disk Checking Tool

tools Partition Master is a comprehensive disk and partition management tool that equips users with an extensive range of powerful and practical features, including resizing, formatting, deleting, wiping, or creating partitions.

After you download the free partition manager software, you'll clearly see a disk check function in it. This method of checking the disk is intended to identify and fix bad sectors on a hard disk partition, file system errors, and other disk issues in Windows 10, but in an automated and quick manner.

Step 1. Right-click the problematic partition.

Step 2. Choose "Tools" > "First Aid".

Step 3. Confirm whether you want to hide the partition or not.

Step 4. In the Check File System window, select the "Try to fix errors if found" option.

Step 5. Click "Start" to begin checking for errors on the selected partition.

Don't forget to share this simple guide online to help more of your friends effectively fix their disk errors online:

#2. Check for Bad Sectors on Disk in Windows Security and Maintenance

Step 2. As shown in the following screenshot, all drives are functioning correctly. If any issues are detected, the status will change and display an option to scan the drive.

Check disk errors in Windows 10 in Security and Maintenance Here is how to check disk for errors in Windows 10 via Security and Maintenance: Step 1: Press Windows + X keys together and click Control Panel on the menu. Step 2: In the Control Panel, change View by to Large icons, and then click Security and Maintenance. Step 3: Click Check now in the Error checking section.

#3. Scan Drive for Errors in Windows Properties

Step 1. Right-click on the Start button, and select "File Explorer" in Windows 11.

Step 2. Select "This PC". Right-click the HDD/SSD you wish to scan, and choose "Properties".

Step 3. Under the Tools tab, click the Check button in the Error checking section.

Step 4. Next, you can choose to Scan drive if desired, or Repair drive if errors were found.

Wait for the scan to finish. Click on the Show Details link to view the Chkdsk log in the Event Viewer.

#4. Check and Scan Drive for Errors Using CHKDSK Command To check and scan your drive for errors using the CHKDSK command, follow these steps: 1. **Open Command Prompt as Administrator:** - Press `Win + X` on your keyboard, then select "Command Prompt (Admin)" or "Windows Terminal (Admin)" if you're using Windows 11. 2. **Type the CHKDSK Command:** - In the Command Prompt window, type the following command, replacing `X:` with the drive letter you want to check: ``` chkdsk X: /f /r ``` - The `/f` switch tells CHKDSK to fix any errors it finds, while `/r` locates bad sectors and recovers readable information. 3. **Schedule the Scan:** - Since a running system cannot scan the system drive (usually C:), you'll need to schedule the scan for the next restart. Type: ``` chkdsk X: /f /r /x ``` - The `/x` switch forces the volume to dismount before checking, which is necessary if the drive is in use. 4. **Confirm the Scan:** - You will be prompted to confirm whether you want to schedule the scan for the next reboot. Type `Y` and press Enter. 5. **Restart Your Computer:** - Close the Command Prompt and restart your computer. The CHKDSK utility will run automatically during startup and scan the specified drive for errors. 6. **View the Results:** - After the scan is complete, Windows will display a report of any issues found and actions taken. If no issues were found, it will simply say that the file system is healthy. Keep in mind that CHKDSK can take a while, especially on larger drives or if there are many errors to fix. Be patient and let the process finish uninterrupted.

The CHKDSK utility is run to inspect a volume's file system and file system metadata for logical and physical issues. When run without any arguments, the chkdsk command simply displays the volume's status and doesn't fix any errors. If used with the parameters /f, /r, or /x, it will repair errors on the target disk volume.

As explained here, you should note that CHKDSK is a more robust solution compared to Methods 2 and 3. It not only checks disks in Windows 11/10 but also scans for errors and repairs them. To proceed with CHKDSK, follow these steps:

Step 1. Type cmd in the Windows 10 search box, and run it as an administrator.

Step 2. When Command Prompt launches, type the command chkdsk C: /f /r /x.

Note: if the target disk drive is not C drive, replace C: with the drive letter of other target volume.

Parameter description:

Here are the translations for the provided text: 1. chkdsk /f: Fixes errors on the disk. The disk must be locked. If chkdsk cannot lock the drive, a message appears asking if you want to check the drive the next time you restart the computer. 2. chkdsk /r: Locates bad sectors and recovers readable information. The disk must be locked. /r includes the functionality of /f, with the additional analysis of physical disk errors. 3. chkdsk /x: Forces the volume to dismount first, if necessary. All open handles to the drive are invalidated. /x also includes the functionality of /f.

By using the chkdsk command [chkdsk C: /f /r /x], you'll be able to check and scan the C drive for errors and repair file system corruption and bad sectors if any issues are detected.

#5. Check Disk for Errors and Repair with CHKDSK Alternative

Download the tool CleanGenius and install it on your computer. Let's start checking and refixing file system errors on your device.

Step 1. Click "File Showing" to proceed to the next step.

Click the "File" option, then choose "Open" to select the corrupted file you want to fix.

Step 2. Select the target device and check the box for "Check and fix file system error". Click "Execute" to begin repairing the faulty device.

Select the device and check the option to fix file system errors.

Step 3. When the repair is done, click “Here” to open and use your device.

This article presents five methods to fix disk errors in Windows 10. If you find it helpful, you can also share it with others who might need assistance by clicking the button below.

Conclusion

Based on what we've discussed in this article, there are essentially five methods to check disks in Windows 11/10. When the need arises to check a disk, we utilize a tool named chkdsk, which is a built-in Windows utility designed to verify the integrity of your hard disk and rectify various file system issues.

You can run Check Disk (chkdsk) in My Computer or Command Prompt, or use alternative third-party disk checking tools to scan and fix hard drive errors automatically.

For more detailed information on checking hard drive health, watch the video below!