Who would have thought that one of the most useful troubleshooting tools in Windows 10 – good ol ‘ chkdsk– would wrap itself in a crippling error that could obstruct the computer. Not me, that’s for sure, given the “Check disk” command is usually used to search for and repair file system errors (and related metadata).
According to the Windows 10 update KB4592438, released earlier this month, an error introduced by that update could cause some dangerous issues with someone’s computer. As described by Microsoft:
“A small number of devices that have installed this update have reported that when chkdsk / f is running, their file system may be damaged and the device may not start. “
If I were to classify typical computer problems by severity, I would say that “a troubleshooting tool that actually hinders your system instead of helping you,” would be to the top of my list. Microsoft claims to fix this problem, so make sure you’ve installed everything and everything available to you in Windows Update to make sure you don’t mind this really frustrating error. Then wait, because the official solution will launch automatically on your system.
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What if chkdsk has already banished your system?
Assuming you look at a system that refuses to start as it normally would, don’t panic. Or rather, you’ve probably already done it former panicking, so it’s good that you’ve been through most of the stress from your body already. There It is a solution to the problem, even if you can not enter Windows 10 to address it with any persistent updates. As Microsoft describes:
- The device should turn on automatically Recovery console after failing to start a few times.
- Select Advanced options.
- Select Prompt order from the list of actions.
- Once Prompt order opens, type: chkdsk / f
- Enable chkdsk it may take a while to complete the scan. When finished, type: exit
- The device should now start as expected. If it restarts in Recovery console, Select Exit and continue with Windows 10.
Once you’re back in Windows 10, you’re fine. Microsoft is implementing its solution for chkdsk the next day like that, so I would still run chkdsk until the end of the week, at least.
Also a word about it: In general, you should avoid running the specific command that triggers this error –chkdsk / f“Without taking a few precautions.” This command locates and fixes any errors it finds. If I were you, I’d just wear a normal one chkdsk [drive letter] order first to scan your system. If or when errors occur, use a tool like this Macrium Reflect to create a complete image or clone of your drive (just in case). Then try to run chkdsk / f. If you don’t have any problems after that, great. If so, you will still have your data and / or you will be able to restore the system to a more usable state.
As always, remember that you do not need to run one chkdsk / r on an SSD because it is completely useless due to the way data is stored relative to a mechanical hard drive. And if you suspect that your computer’s drive has a mechanical problem, rather than a file system problem, chkdsk it won’t help much. Instead, consider checking its operating status a SMART report.