CHKDSK Not Working in Windows 11/10/8/7? Fix It Now!

Updated by

Tracy King 

Updated on May 16, 2024

Five Methods to Fix CHKDSK Not Working in Windows 10/8/7:

Method 1.  Use CHKDSK alternative software
Method 2. Run System Restore
Method 3. Correct registry data
Method 4. Disable hybrid boot in Windows 10
Method 5. Repair autochk.exe

The Check Disk utility, namely CHKDSK when you use the command form, is usually associated with hard drives. It's designed to scan your hard drive to find and fix problems. Mainly, CHKDSK takes effect in two scenarios: One is to scan the integrity of the file system and attempt to fix any logical file system errors that it finds; The other is to look for bad sectors, and it is able to repair soft bad sectors or mark hard bad sectors so they won't be used again. CHKDSK is functional most of the time. However, some of you might see CHKDSK not working in Windows 10, 8, or 7 as well.

Users who come across the problem of not being able to run CHKDSK or CHKDSK commands fail to repair errors on a hard drive, USB flash drive, or memory card, read on, and give each method a try.

How to Fix CHKDSK Not Working in Windows 11/10/8/7 [ 5 Methods]

Are you having a similar problem on your computer, hard drive partition, or storage devices that the CHKDSK checking process hangs with nothing repaired? Are you unable to run a startup disk check by the scheduled CHKDSK command on your PC? Relax! Powerful & effective methods are available here to help you fix the CHKDSK not working issue in Windows 10/8/7 with ease now.

Method 1. Fix CHKDSK not working error with CHKDSK alternative software

When CHKDSK fails to work on your PC hard drive, partitions, or storage devices, you can apply a CHKDSK alternative software for help. Here, you may try a highly recommended free CHKDSK alternative software - EaseUS Partition Master to check and fix internal errors for free in the Windows system, hard drive partitions, and external storage devices. 

Download it for free and follow the steps below to run a CHKDSK checking process on your storage devices or partition hard drive with EaseUS Partition Master.

Step 1. Right-click the target partition that has a problem.

Step 2. Choose "Advanced" > "Check File System".

Step 3. Confirm if you want to hide the partition or not.

Step 4. In the Check File System window, check the "Try to fix errors if found" option.

Step 5. Click "Start" to check errors on your partition.

Method 2. Run System Restore to fix CHKDSK command not working issue

When you fail to run CHKDSK with the cmd command on your PC, you may try a system restore to restore the system to a previous state/point to get this issue fixed. Follow the below guide to get your problem fixed now:

For Windows 10/8 users:

• Open Control Panel > Tab System and Security > Click System.
• Tab System Protection> Click System Restore in the System Properties window.
• Click Next when the System Restore window shows up > Select the restore point you want to use to fix the CHKDSK not working error.
• Confirm the restore point on Confirm your restore point window and tap Finish.
• Click Yes to start the System Restore now.

Note: Once the System Restore process starts, it cannot be interrupted. And if you have essential personal files stored in the system drive, please backup them in advance.

For Windows 7 users:

• Go to Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools.
• Click on System Restore > Click Next.
• Choose the restore point that you want to use to fix the CHKDSK not working error > Click Next.
• Click Finish on the Confirm your restore point windows to begin System Restore > Click Yes to start restoring the system to the previous state.

After finishing the system restore process, restart your computer to keep all changes. Then, you can run the CHKDSK command to check and fix system errors or internal errors in the hard drive, partition, or storage devices in your PC now.

Method 3. Correct registry data to fix CHKDSK not running error

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog, type regedit.exe, and hit Enter to open the Registry editor.
2. Navigate to the below location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session ManagerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager.
3. On the right pane, double-click the BootExecute string and make sure the value data is set to 'autocheck autochk*'.

Method 4. Disable hybrid boot in Windows 10 to fix CHKDSK not working issue

If you have enabled and used the hybrid boot in Windows 10, the CHKDSK command may not be able to work, and you have to turn it off:

1. Click Start and type CMD to open Command Prompt by hitting Enter.
2. Type powercfg /h off and hit Enter to disable the hybrid boot feature in Windows 10.
3. Reboot the PC to keep all changes in the Windows system, and then you shall be able to use CMD with the CHKDSK command again.

Method 5. Repair autochk.exe to fix CHKDSK not running issue

1. Open the File Explorer, click This PC, and access the Windows.old folder at C: \Windows.old.
2. Right-click on autochk.exe file > Open the properties to modify the ownership to your account.
3. Copy the autochk.exe file to C:\Windows\System32 folder and replace it.
4. You can also try to copy the autochk.exe file from an older Windows system version to this non-working PC and replace it.
5. Reboot PC to keep all changes.

These are the efficient ways to fix CHKDSK not working error. If you find this guide helpful, don't forget to share it with other people in need.

Why CHKDSK Not Working

Why is CHKDSK not working occasionally as expected? First, start a basic examination of the following basics of successful disk checking in Windows 10.

1. Did you run as an administrator?
2. Is CHKDSK stuck or frozen due to high disk usage on your computer?
3. Is it because CHKDSK won't run, or is it simply because the command chkdsk/f (chkdsk f/r) is not working?
4. Did CHKDSK return the exact error messages as follows?

• Windows cannot run disk checking on this volume because it is write-protected
• The file system type is RAW. CHKDSK is not available for RAW drives
• This type of file system is NTFS. Errors found. CHKDSK cannot continue in read-only mode
• ...

Typical error messages related to CHKDSK not working are usually easier to tackle. If you cannot run CHKDSK by receiving the exact error messages in the example, click the link to find corresponding solutions. What if your case is not presented in the very part? Take it easy. Follow the above five general troubleshooting methods for CHKDSK not working in Windows 11/10/8/7.

What Else Can You Do When CHKDSK Does Not Work?

Due to the fact that CHKDSK is an efficient disk checking tool to scan and fix the hard drive for file system corruption and bad sectors, it's significant to develop basic skills to fix the problem of CHKDSK not working properly sometimes. Here on this page, you've learned more than five ways to deal with the issue of a not working chkdsk/f or chkdsk f / r, and I hope at least one method has solved your problem of not being able to run the check disk at the moment.

In addition, sometimes CHKDSK works, but it takes too long to complete the process. For those who waited for hours and hours, but the chkdsk is still stuck at 10%, 11%, 12%, or 32%, you need to take further action.

Step 1. Run EaseUS Partition Master to clear up junk files.

Step 2. Run sfc /scannow to run the System File Checker.

Step 3. Execute the command Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth to repair the Windows image

Step 4. Escape and restart the CHKDSK.

In addition, you can use this tool instead of CHKDSK to check the health status of your hard disk, check for corrupted file systems, run disk surface tests, and repair bad sectors.

FAQ About CHKDSK Not Working

1. What should you do if CHKDSK is not working?

When CHKDSK doesn't work, you can first try to prevent it from running:

• Restart your Windows computer and hold down Esc or Enter to stop running CHKDSK.
• Run the Disk Cleanup utility on your computer to clean up the junk files.
• Type sfc/scannow in a command prompt window to run System File Checker.
• Restart your computer again and use Esc/Enter during startup to exit CHKDSK.
• Use the command: "Dism / Online / Cleanup-Image / RestoreHealth"

2. Why is CHKDSK not making progress?

Outdated or incompatible drivers, corrupted hard drives, and RAW drives can cause CHKDSK to get stuck without progress. You can use SFC/DISK or defragmentation, disk cleanup, etc., to fix the CHKDSK stuck problem.

3. Can CHKDSK fix bad sectors?

A bad sector is an area on a hard disk where information cannot be stored. By scanning the hard disk and providing a report, CHKDSK can correct erroneous files.