How to Check and Fix Disk Errors with CHKDSK

CHKDSK (Check Disk) scans for and repairs file system errors and bad sectors. Run it from an elevated command prompt. For a read-only scan: 'chkdsk C:'. To repair errors: 'chkdsk C: /f'. To also scan for bad sectors: 'chkdsk C: /f /r'. When run on the system drive, Windows will schedule the scan for the next reboot. CHKDSK results show the number of bad sectors found. A few are normal on older HDDs, but a growing count indicates a failing drive — back up immediately and plan for replacement. On SSDs, bad sectors are less common but CHKDSK /f still fixes file system errors. Alternatively, right-click the drive in File Explorer > Properties > Tools > Check (under Error checking). This provides a GUI interface for the same function. Review the CHKDSK results in Event Viewer under Windows Logs > Application, Event ID 26212, after the scan completes.