Using Windows 7, how do I run CHKDSK?

Anonymous
2011-02-27T02:35:59+00:00

I've searched throughout the Control Panel and it's submenus and options but can find no means to initiate a scan for disk errors!

I did find chkdsk.exe in the Windows\System32 folder but when I double click it, the only response is a flash of the DOS {black, command prompt} screen! Is that the correct response?!

Is there no way to run [schedule] a scan disk [for errors] as there has been in earlier versions of Windows?!

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Windows update

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Anonymous
2011-02-27T17:52:55+00:00

It's done the same way in Windows 7 as it was in earlier versions of Windows:

  1. Open the "Computer" window
  2. Right-click on the drive in question
  3. Select the "Tools" tab
  4. In the Error-checking area, click <Check Now>.

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-07-09T12:20:22+00:00

    Jim

    This what you should see:

    Bruce Chamber's instructions would have been better as:

    1. Open the "Computer" window
    2. Right-click on the drive in question
    3. Select Properties (added step)
    4. Select the "Tools" tab
    5. In the Error-checking area, click <Check Now>.

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-04-20T21:25:59+00:00

    I find the easiest way to run chkdsk is to not run chkdsk directly.  Instead, do this:

    1.  Click the "Computer" icon, right click on the hard or flash drive you want to check and/or to repair, and click on "Properties" at the bottom of the menu that appears.

    2.  Within "Properties", click on "Tools" and then, in the "Error-checking" area, click "Check now."

    3.  In the "Check disk options" window that appears, leave the box checked for "Automatically fix file system errors," check the box for "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors," and then click "Start."

    4.  In the next window, click on "Schedule disk check."  You now are through starting and scheduling chkdsk.  I am sure you noticed that you cannot run chkdsk on your C: drive while you are running Windoes.

    5.  SWo, instead, close all of your programs and restart your machine.

    6.  When your machine first starts to restart, it will run chkdsk before it starts thye Windows gui and it will take quite a while to run, depending on the size of the hard or flash drive you are checking/repairing.  I always wait to run this program on drive C: until it can run at least overnight, which still might not be long enough.  Your mileage may vary.

    I hope this helps.

    Roger T. Yokubaitis

    Houston, Texas

    ******@yahoo.com

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-10-19T16:36:18+00:00

    I am following this steps, at the end it says it will be done when I start my computer but it does not start when restart my PC.....

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  4. Anonymous
    2011-02-27T23:12:34+00:00

    Did that! If you read the question, you'd know what I found when I searched for "chkdisk" and what happened when I double-clicked the application icon.

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