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Quick navigation:
- What is ScanDisk?
- Alternative 1 - Check File System in Partition Master
- Alternative 2 - What is CHKDSK?
- How to Run CHKDSK on Windows 10/8/7
What is ScanDisk? Can you run the ScanDisk command to scan and fix drive issues in Windows 10? If you want to use ScanDisk on newer Windows versions after MS-DOS, like Windows NT, Windows 9x, and Windows 3.x, you should turn to its successor, CHKDSK, which you can find in [1] Windows Properties, [2] Command Prompt, and [3] Tools in Partition Master - a third-party Partition Manager for both earlier and newer Windows operating systems.
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What is ScanDisk?
ScanDisk, also referred to as SCANDISK, is a DOS-based Windows utility used to automatically detect and repair hard disk issues and file system errors. It first appeared in MS-DOS 6.2, so ScanDisk has quite a long history. Although it could enhance hard drive performance and help maintain the Windows file system, its age led to its discontinuation in later versions of Windows, where it was entirely replaced by the upgraded utility CHKDSK (pronounced Check Disk).
Well, that means you have different ways to call this tool to do its thing depending on which version of Windows you're running.
The disk scanner can be found and run from:
- Windows 95 and 98
- Windows 3.x and MS-DOS
*Windows NT is an older operating system that didn't include ScanDisk. For the most part, you can use various third-party tools to check the integrity of disks on Windows NT.
In later versions of Windows – XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10 – ScanDisk was replaced by CHKDSK.
For more information about ScanDisk, see
- 1. ScanDisk only checks hard disks formatted with the FAT file system, such as FAT12, FAT16, and FAT32.
2. ScanDisk can recognize compressed drives and long file names.
3. ScanDisk can automatically fix cross-linked files and lost clusters.
4. You need to boot your computer into Safe Mode to run ScanDisk.
5. Windows 95 OSR2 and Windows 98 will automatically run ScanDisk if the computer was not shut down properly.
In newer operating systems after Windows XP, successors to ScanDisk and utilities such as Partition Master and CHKDSK have been developed to monitor the health of hard drives.
How to check disk errors in Disk Partition Master?
Whether you're dealing with an old Windows version or a modern computer running Windows 10, the built-in disk checking utility is usually time-consuming and not very effective. As you can see, the command-line method is somewhat advanced, and any mistake with the parameters can introduce new issues to your disk. So, have you thought of replacing the outdated ScanDisk or simple CHKDSK with some perfect alternatives?
Sure. If you're looking for a simpler, faster but more effective alternative to CHKDSK, you can use Partition Master. It's a third-party partition magic tool that can comprehensively manage hard drives and partitions to boost performance and prolong the lifespan of your hard drive. For a partition management tool, scanning and fixing hard drive errors is a piece of cake.
Step 1: Open the Partition Assistant tool on your computer. Then, locate the hard drive, right-click on the partition you want to check, and select "Advanced" > "Check File System."
(2) In the "Check File System" window, select the option "Try to fix errors if found," then click "Start."
Step 3: The software will now check the partition's file system on the disk. When it's done, click “Finish”.
What is CHKDSK?
CHKDSK begins scanning the file system on the drive and analyzing the integrity of the files, file system, and file metadata on the drive. If it finds any issues, it will attempt to fix them.
With its intuitive user interface, using CHKDSK to check, scan, and fix hard disk errors has become more straightforward. Windows users can access the CHKDSK utility in two ways, either through Windows Properties or the Windows Command Prompt.
How to Run ScanDisk in Windows 10/8/7
As mentioned earlier, the tool for scanning and checking hard disks and file-system errors on newer versions of Windows is no longer ScanDisk, but its replacement, CHKDSK.
Method 1: Run CHKDSK through Properties in Windows
Step 1. Open the File Explorer on Windows (press Windows + E) > Right-click the disk you want to check and fix > Choose Properties.
Step 2: In the Properties window, switch to the Tools tab. In the Error Checking section, click Check.
Step 3: In the Error Checking window, click Scan drive.
The scan can take anywhere from several minutes to a few hours, depending on the size of the drive. Windows will attempt to fix any errors it finds the next time you restart your computer.
Guide: How to Check Total Hard Disk Size
There are times when you need to view the total disk space on your HDD or SSD, including used and free space. Usually, we access the hard drive to check such information by...
Method 2: Run CHKDSK from the Windows Command Prompt
Step 1. Press Windows + X to open the Power User Task Menu, and then select Command Prompt (Admin). If prompted by User Account Control, click Yes.
Step 2: In the Command Prompt window, type the command chkdsk c: /f /r /x and press Enter.
- c: is the drive letter you chose to scan.
- /f tells CHKDSK to fix any errors it finds during the scan.
- /r instructs CHKDSK to locate and repair bad sectors on the drive.
- /x asks CHKDSK to unmount the drive before starting the process.
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