CHKDSK (Check Disk) is a built-in command-line tool that scans and fixes errors in your hard drive’s file system. Learn how to schedule chkdsk to run automatically on restart in Windows 11 and 10.
Almost every Windows user has seen the chkdsk screen at least once where it proceeds to scan your file system and automatically fix any errors it found. Generally, this happens when the system crashes or on sudden power failures. However, when needed, you can also schedule a chkdsk scan on any drive so that it scans it on the next restart. For example, if you feel like your system is slow, unable to open certain apps, or producing odd errors from time to time, running a manual chkdsk scan will often fix the problem. In fact, running a scheduled chkdsk scan is one of the first things you should do as part of the troubleshooting process.
Let me show you how to schedule a chkdsk scan to run on restart in Windows 11 and Windows 10 in simple steps.
Before You Begin
- Administrator rights are required to schedule a chkdsk scan.
- The steps are tested to work on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Schedule Chkdsk Scan To Run on the Next Restart
We can schedule a chkdsk scan using the admin Command Prompt shell. Here’s how to do it.
- Open the Start menu.
- Search for “Command Prompt“.
- Select the “Run as administrator” option.
- Run the
chkdsk C: /x /f /rcommand. - Type “Y” and press the “Enter”.
- With that, you’ve scheduled a chkdsk scan.
- Restart your system to run the chkdsk scan.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
First, open the Start menu by clicking the “Windows key” on the taskbar. Next, search for “Command Prompt” and select the “Run as administrator” option. This opens the Command Prompt shell with admin rights.
In the Command Prompt window, run the following command. By default, the below command will scan your C drive. If you wish to scan another drive, replace C: with the letter of the drive you want to scan. For example, D:, E:, etc.
chkdsk C: /x /f /r
Here’s a brief explanation of what the command and its flags do:
- chkdsk: Invokes the chkdsk utility.
- C:: Sets the drive to scan. You can replace this with the drive letter of your choice.
- /x: Forces the target drive to dismount first. That way, all open handles are closed for better scanning.
- /f: It tells the chkdsk utility to fix any errors it found.
- /r: It tries to locate bad sectors and recover readable information.
After running the command, type “Y” when prompted for confirmation and press “Enter“.
That’s it. You’ve scheduled a chkdsk scan on the next restart. You will also see the “This volume will be checked the next time the system restarts” confirmation message. At this point, close the Command Prompt window and restart your computer to run the scan.
Once the scan is complete and your system restarted, you can find chkdsk logs in the Event Viewer.
Cancel Scheduled Chkdsk Scan
Just as you can create a schedule for chkdsk, you can also cancel it. This is helpful when you don’t have time and want to restart your computer as soon as possible. Follow this guide to learn how to cancel a chkdsk scan in Windows 11 & 10.
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That is all. It is that simple to schedule a chkdsk scan. If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
