How to run Chkdsk - Command line

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How to run Chkdsk - Command line

Chkdsk.exe is actually a command-line application and can be run from the command shell. (Details on using the command line are given at http://commandwindows.com) There are a number of switches that can be used to modify its functions. The syntax of a command is

Chkdsk [volume[[path]filename]]] [/F] [/V] [/R] [/X] [/I] [/C] [/L[:size]]

Table I gives a description of the various terms and switches in the command.

Table I. Description of Windows XP Chkdsk command items

Switch	Description
[volume]	Specifies the drive letter (followed by a colon), mount point, or volume name.
[filename]	FAT/FAT32 only: Specifies the files to check for fragmentation.
/F	Fixes errors on the disk. Does not scan for bad sectors.
/V	On FAT/FAT32: Displays the full path and name of every file on the disk. On NTFS: Displays cleanup messages if any.
/R	Locates bad sectors and recovers readable information (implies /F).
/X	NTFS only. Forces the volume to dismount first if necessary.
/I	NTFS only: Performs a less vigorous check of index entries.
/C	NTFS only: Skips checking of cycles within the folder structure.
/L[:size]	NTFS only: Changes the log file size to the specified number of kilobytes.

(Windows Vista also has a switch /B for re-evaluating bad clusters on a volume.)

Although Chkdsk can be run with no switches, the most useful application is to use either the /F or /R switches. This corresponds to the two options in the graphical interface discussed above. Note that running with the /R option can be quite lengthy. If there are unusually large numbers of files, the /F option can also take many hours. The /R switch includes the functions of the /F switch.

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