The VolumeDirty flag is set

The VolumeDirty flag indicates Windows considers the file system on that volume potentially inconsistent and schedules a check. It can also cause repeated scans and contribute to poor disk performance until the issue is resolved.

Use these steps to diagnose and clear it:

1. Check which volumes are dirty
   1. Open an elevated Command Prompt (Run as administrator).
   2. For each drive letter (example C:, D:), run:

            fsutil dirty query C:
            fsutil dirty query D:
      

      If output is Volume X: is dirty, Windows believes that volume needs checking.
2. Let CHKDSK run at boot For each dirty volume:
   1. In the elevated Command Prompt, run:

            chkdsk C: /f
      

   2. When prompted to schedule at next restart, choose Yes and restart.
   3. Allow the disk check to complete fully. Interrupting it can keep the volume dirty.
3. If the volume stays dirty every restart A volume can be repeatedly flagged dirty even when CHKDSK finds no issues, due to OS bugs or metadata issues. On affected systems, a fix is provided via an update rollup. Install the relevant cumulative updates for the Windows build in use so that any known issues with the dirty bit handling are resolved.
4. Re-check the dirty bit After CHKDSK and updates:

      fsutil dirty query C:
      fsutil dirty query D:
   

   The output should now be Volume X: is not dirty.
5. Performance considerations
   • While a volume is dirty, Windows may run background checks or CHKDSK at boot, which can reduce perceived performance.
   • Ensure all storage-related updates and drivers are current after clearing the dirty bit.

If the dirty bit persists and performance remains degraded even after CHKDSK and updates, further investigation of the storage hardware (SSD/HDD health, cabling, controller, firmware) is recommended.

References:

• fsutil dirty
• FSCTL_IS_VOLUME_DIRTY control code
• An NTFS volume is flagged as dirty after each restart, and CHKDSK can find no issues in Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2
• New Diskpart.exe commands to reset volume attribute flags on failed snapshot volumes in Windows Server 2003
• What to do about a critical warning for a storage device