All modern houses have desktop computer or laptop. Some people need it for games, others for work or study. In any case, photographs, some important records, contact information of people, required addresses etc. And the place where all this information is stored is a hard drive.

Not without reason, experienced programmers say that in a situation where there is an error in the computer hard drive, its formatting is a real disaster. After all, formatting is fraught with the loss of all information. But this is the case if appropriate measures are not taken. But if you notice some errors and malfunctions in the disk in time and correct them, then you can avoid this global catastrophe

The main causes of HDD problems are “bad” sectors – sections of disk space that are somehow damaged.

They are divided into physical and logical. The latter appear due to software errors and can be corrected, while physical ones cannot be corrected. In the latter case, you will have to replace HDD.

Such damaged areas can appear on both magnetic and standard SSD drives.

Causes of bad sectors and errors

Hard drive failures depend on the type of damaged areas:

1. brain teaser“broken” - displayed when there is malware or viruses, as well as when sudden shutdown power supply or power cable during recording;
2. physical“broken” - found on a completely new product. Then you need to contact the manufacturer with a request to replace the product.

IN magnetic storage devices“broken” sectors can appear as a result of wear of the moving parts of the device, when foreign bodies get into the disk mechanism, or from a simple fall to the floor. In the latter case, the magnetic head of the disk is scratched, which leads to errors.

SSD drives give errors because they have tried to write any information to them many times.

Checking the hard drive for bad sectors is quite possible. Windows has an application called "chkdsk" (check disks). You need to open the folder on your desktop or in the Start menu "My computer" by clicking on the drive to be scanned. By using context menu select “Properties” - “Tools”. Under the phrase “Check” there will be a button, by clicking on which you will be able to see the number of “broken” sectors.

During the test, the computer will eliminate errors in logical “broken” sectors, as well as mark areas with physical damage.

Attention! You can run the scan system manually, but if Windows independently detects “bad” sectors, the utility will launch itself when the system starts.

Checking utilities

Some software does not have built-in verification. For such cases there are special programs, helping to identify “broken” sectors and errors and, if possible, correct them.

"Victoria"

It is a popular software for searching damaged areas. Besides in various ways analysis and reassignment of problem areas, has a function for searching for damaged contacts in a cable, as well as a function for assessing the performance of the hard drive. The only “disadvantage” of the program is the lack of official assemblies. Therefore, experts recommend using it separately from the OS.

"HDD Regenerator"

This utility uses its own methods to restore “bad” sectors (a combination of high and low signals) and supports any drive connection interfaces.

The downside is the high cost of the license ($90).

One of the best and multifunctional utilities for checking a device for damaged areas. Has the following functionality:

• restores and reconfigures sectors;
• fixes partition tables;
• recovers files and creates them backups;
• selects files in the table;
• copies data from remote partitions;
• creates backup copies of data.

This utility uses several methods to identify problems, as well as the ability to track SMART attributes and cleaning hard disk.

Important! The program supports all versions of Windows, but it does not scan/test the drive where the OS is installed.

With it you can scan one or several hard drives at the same time.

"Seagate Seatools" for Windows

The application supports all modern Windows systems. It can be used to do both basic and advanced testing. Simpler than "Seagate Seatools" for DOS, but less powerful.

Crashes in Windows work, emergency shutdown of computer power, experiments with control software disk space, the consequences of virus penetration - these and other problems can lead to automatic startup standard utility Windows Chkdsk, designed to fix errors file system hard drives. Incorrectly completed operation of the operating system with files leads to file system errors, and sometimes even damage to the file system. In emergency cases, the Chkdsk utility turns on itself before starting Windows, scans disk partitions and corrects errors. However, the fact that there are problems with the file system may not make itself felt when normal use computer and only show up when you try to manage disk space. So, for example, trying to shrink a disk partition regular means Windows, we may receive the following notification: “The volume selected for compression may be damaged. Use Chkdsk to troubleshoot the problem, and then try shrinking the volume again."

In this case, disk check will not start automatically. How to run Chkdsk manually in Windows 7, 8.1 and 10? Like with using Chkdsk fix disk errors if this problem is the reason the operating system is unable to boot?

Inside Windows, the Chkdsk utility can be launched in several ways.

1. Run Chkdsk using Windows GUI

To run Chkdsk, in the system explorer on drive C, right-click and open “Properties”.

In the disk partition properties window that opens, go to the “Services” tab, and in it click the “Check” button (or “Run check” for Windows 7).

In versions of Windows 8.1 and 10, if everything is in order with the disk file system, in the window that appears next, we will see a notification that checking is not required. But if you wish, you can start checking the disk with the Chkdsk utility by clicking “Check disk”.

If the system suspects file system errors, this window will contain a button to start scanning and repairing the disk.

For Chkdsk to work relative to drive C, you must restart the computer. You can do this immediately or delay running the scan until the next reboot.

After restarting the computer, we will be able to observe the operation of Chkdsk.

In Windows 7, starting Chkdsk is slightly different: to the preset option of automatic error correction, you can add another possible option - scan and repair bad sectors hard drive. When activating this option, it is worth considering that in this case Chkdsk may take longer to run.

As with Windows 8.1 and 10, version 7 system disk C cannot be verified within a running operating system. To start the scan, the computer must be restarted. Click “Schedule disk check”.

When checking system partition disk, if it is used by some programs, the situation is simpler than with the system partition. In a window with a notification that the disk is in this moment is used, you just need to click the “Disable” button to, accordingly, disable this section for the duration of the test.

2. Run Chkdsk using the command line

To run Chkdsk using the command line, first, accordingly, launch the latter.

In the command line enter a command like this:

In this command, instead of drive C, we each time substitute the letter of the desired partition on which the scan is required. If Chkdsk should check the system partition C, as when working with graphical interface, you will need to restart your computer. When a message appears in the command line about the impossibility of locking the specified drive, you need to enter “Y”, then restart the computer.

In addition to the /f parameter, which is responsible for correcting disk errors, Chkdsk can be run with the /r parameter, designed to search for bad sectors and restore data. Based on the results of Chkdsk working with this parameter clusters of hard disks with unreadable sectors will be listed as damaged (bad blocks) and their functions will be transferred to a new cluster. Therefore, it is recommended to run Chkdsk with the /r parameter only when the usual error correction - running the utility with the /f parameter - does not bring the necessary results. Using the same drive C as an example, the command would look like this:

3. Running Chkdsk on a non-booting Windows

If Windows freezes at a certain point in the boot process, one of the possible reasons This problem is file system errors. In this case, you need to run Chkdsk by booting from the rescue media. As such, you can use the usual installation media With Windows versions 7, 8.1 or 10. With its help, we will launch the Chkdsk utility inside the command line. At the first stage of starting the system installation process, press the command line launch keys – Shift+F10.

In the command line that opens, before running the Chkdsk command, you need to clarify which letters define the disk partitions. This is easy to do using a notepad. I launch it with the command:

Click the notepad menu “File”, then “Open”.

In the explorer that opens, remember the new drive designations. As a rule, in Windows 8.1 and 10, partition of drive C (as it is inside the running operating system) is listed as D, since the letter C is given to the first technical section systems. And all other sections are shifted by one letter of the alphabet.

Having decided on the letters of the disk partitions, close Notepad, then, returning to the command line, enter a command like this:

As with Chkdsk inside Windows, you must first try to fix disk errors by running the utility with the /f parameter. And only if the problem is not solved, only then run the command with the /r parameter, as indicated in the previous paragraph of the article.

In cases where Windows is unable to boot, you can pre-burn an emergency Live disk with a selection of various tools to restore the operating system. Among these, for example, is AdminPE based on WinPE. Its image for recording on a disk or flash drive can be downloaded from the official website of the project Adminpe.Ru. Using AdminPE, you can launch a command prompt and enter the Chkdsk launch commands discussed above. But in this Live disk, the Chkdsk utility has its own interface and is launched using a script. The shortcut to launch the utility is placed directly on the desktop.

In the drop-down list to check the disk, select required section disk. Next, activate the checkboxes for restoring damaged sectors and forcibly disabling a partition (volume). Let's check the launches.

The AdminPE toolkit includes a number of other utilities for working with hard drives, as well as well-known programs Hard Disk Sentinel and Victoria.

Have a great day!

I have already raised the topic of hard drive maintenance, namely I wrote. Today we will talk about another tool for ensuring stable operation Your computer and the security of your valuable data.

We will talk about a tool for fixing file system errors on disk and for . As many have already guessed from the title, we will talk about the utility Chkdsk.

General description of the program's capabilities

After crashes, unsuccessful shutdown of the computer, electrical problems, etc., before booting Windows, sometimes you can observe the following picture:

It happens that some users confuse this phenomenon with, but this is not it (even though the design here is also blue). This window means that the built-in Windows a utility called Chkdsk(Check Disk - disk check), which is engaged in searching and (or a floppy disk) for file system errors that could arise during unexpected failures in the operation of the computer or the disk itself. This small utility will be discussed in this article.

In addition to the properties described above, this joy (in operating systems Windows NT, Windows 2000 and Windows XP) can also check the surface of the hard drive for the presence of physically damaged sectors (so-called bad sectors). The found sectors are marked as damaged, and the system no longer tries to read from these sectors or write any information to them.

Actually, the presence of this program is infinitely useful because without it, after failures, the hard drive and file system would have a very hard time. Usually, automatic start It may indicate failures not just in the file system, but also in the hard drive itself, which should prompt you to think about valuable information and preparation for replacing the above-mentioned device.

How to run and use Chkdsk to check

It happens that you have suspicions about unstable work hard drive (this could be a well-founded suspicion), and the utility Chkdsk did not start automatically. Then you can run a disk check yourself. There are two ways to do this.

First (graphic):

Open " My computer", click right click mouse on the disk that we want to check, then select " Properties" - "Service" - "Run check".

In the next window, check both boxes and press the button " Launch".

And we wait for the end of the check.

In case you are checking the section with Windows, you may receive a message stating that verification cannot be performed. This is normal and the check will be scheduled for the next startup, i.e. will be performed when the computer is restarted.

Option two (via console):
Select " Start" - "Execute" - "cmd" - "OK".
A console will appear in front of us where we enter the command:
chkdsk with: /f
Where chkdsk is the command itself, c: is the drive letter we want to check, and /f is the parameter that specifies how to fix errors on the drive. Accordingly, if you need to check another disk, for example D, then specify:
chkdsk d: /f .
As is the case with graphical solution, if you are checking the system partition, you may receive the error: "The Chkdsk command cannot be executed because the specified volume is in use by another process. Should you check this volume the next time you reboot the system?" In this case, press Latin on the keyboard Y(don’t forget to switch the language) and press the button Enter and then, during the next computer boot, the utility chkdsk will check the specified disk for errors and fix them.

Afterword

Chkdsk, despite all its usefulness, you should not run it too often, or rather, it is recommended to touch it in case of serious failures in order to restore the file system and restore normal operation hard drive to ensure information security. If you really want to run it just “for prevention” (c), then it’s better not more than once every six months.

As usual, if you have questions, I’m ready to answer them in the comments, or .

Process hard checks disk for the presence of bad sectors, is a search for erroneous records and bad sectors located on the drive.

Some of these problems can cause information loss - in most cases, beyond recovery.

Therefore, every user should be aware of their occurrence - both in order to try to correct errors on the disk, and for Reserve copy important information elsewhere.

The principle of formation of bad sectors

Over time, the owner of almost every HDD has to deal with problem sectors.

The principle of their appearance is as follows:

• During the production of disks, sectors are created, with the help of magnetization of which information can be written to the drive.

• Reading and writing information on (especially if the disk is hit or dropped), and sometimes also influence computer viruses lead to a gradual deterioration of its structure.
• Bad sectors begin to appear on the surface of magnetic disks - areas in which information is stored incorrectly or not recorded at all.

It is possible to eliminate bad sectors, but the system does not automatically perform such actions - the user will have to manually run the scan and repair.

If there are few bad sectors, they are replaced by reserve areas.

When damaged HDD blocks appear, their addresses are reassigned to sectors from the reserve, and no data loss occurs.

Signs of a problem

Among the main signs that problem sectors have appeared on the disk and need to be restored are: The following are worth noting:

• The computer freezes while loading the operating system;
• failure to start the OS - in most cases, the download only reaches a certain point (for example, the Windows logo or the “Welcome” sign) and stops;
• unreasonable and frequent computer reboots;
• errors in the operation of the system, expressed in the inability to launch applications, closing windows and slow response to user actions.

The list of utilities that can be used to solve the problem is quite large.

They are divided into two main groups– those that are already built into the operating system (for example, Windows), and applications from other manufacturers.

The latter can also be divided into paid programs and more popular among domestic users free versions.

Using Windows Tools

To correct errors and bad sectors, Windows OS already contains .

The advantages of using it include the ability to restore areas damaged during operation or as a result of infection of the system with viruses.

Another plus– possibility of launching in two ways, in normal mode or .

The utility is capable of checking any physical and logical drives, however, there are slight differences in working with inactive areas and system areas.

Thus, the stages of checking and restoring a regular partition (which does not contain system control files and the OS itself) will be as follows:

1 Going to the window "My computer".

2 Right-click to open properties of the selected disk.

3 Select a tab "Service".

4 Pressed check disk button.

5 Put checkbox next to check bad sectors.

System volumes on which Windows is installed are scanned differently.

Starting the utility launch coincides with the steps for a regular partition, but when you try to check the disk, a message appears on the screen stating that it is impossible and asking you to do this after a reboot.

After a reboot, the system does not boot - instead, a system check is performed HDD partition, the progress of which can be determined by the information displayed on the screen.

And you can run Hitachi Drive Fitness Test not only from Windows, but also in mode if problems with the disk have already made it impossible to boot the system.

Seagate Seatools

The Seatools utility is free application, whose capabilities include:

• detection of HDD structure violations, including bad sectors and write or read errors;
• fixing bad sectors or overwriting them with zeros, so that in the future the system ignores damaged areas;
• Windows OS problems;
• damage to the system bootloader;

The application works most effectively with Seagate drives.

The average time to fix detected errors (together with the verification process), depending on the size of the partition, can reach 4 hours.

The advantages of the program include its free distribution and the provision of a detailed report.

HDD Health

The free HDD Health program features the ability to receive while checking bad sectors the following information:

• HDD manufacturer and firmware;
• current storage temperature;
• general condition device structure, including whole and damaged sectors;
• a number of other useful attributes.

The utility is distributed free of charge by Panterasoft.

At the same time, the disk health assessment is carried out only using S.M.A.R.T indicators and is less effective than checking the disk with other applications.

Victoria

In a good way is free program"Victoria".

During the scanning process, the user can obtain information not only about disk sectors, but also about all partitions (volumes) of the computer and the connectors to which they are connected.

The utility does not require installation, but should only be run as Administrator.

Rice. 9. HDDScan disk troubleshooting program.

Among additional information – temperature control of all disks that are connected to the PC. In addition, the test results are generated in the form of a report and can be saved in a separate file.

Regardless of your operating system (Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8), go to Computer (My Computer, This Computer), right-click on the drive you want to check, select " Properties".

In the properties window, go to the " tab Service" and click the " button Run check".

Check both boxes

Automatically fix system errors.

Scan and repair system sectors.

and press " Launch".

If you check system volume(the drive on which the operating system is installed, usually drive C) you will see the message " Windows cannot verify the hard drive that is currently in use", click " Disk check schedule".

Then restart your computer/laptop; during boot, the process of checking and correcting errors on the disk will begin. It will last from several minutes to an hour (depending on the partition size and physical characteristics of hard disk). When finished, the operating system will boot.

Checking the hard drive using the chkdsk utility.

CHKDSK (short for check disk - disk check) - standard application in operating rooms DOS systems And Microsoft Windows, which checks a hard drive or floppy disk for file system errors (for example, the same sector is marked as belonging to two different files). CHKDSK can also fix file system errors it finds. (from Wikipedia)

In order to run the chkdsk utility, you need to run a command prompt with administrator rights, to do this:

IN Windows XP click - "Command line"

IN Windows 7 click "Start" - "All Programs" - "Accessories" "Command line" and select "Run as administrator".

IN Windows 8.1 right click on "Start" - "Command Prompt (Administrator)".

As a result, a command line console will open.

First of all, let's find out the syntax of the chkdsk utility:

CHKDSK [volume[[path]filename]] ]

Volume Specifies the mount point, volume name, or drive letter of the drive being checked, followed by a colon.
file name Files checked for fragmentation (FAT/FAT32 only).
/F Correcting disk errors.
/V For FAT/FAT32: output the full path and name of each file on the disk. For NTFS: display cleanup messages (if any).
/R Search for bad sectors and restore surviving contents (requires /F).
/L:size For NTFS only: Set the log file size (in KB). If a size is not specified, the current size value is displayed.
/X Pre-dismount the volume (if necessary). All open handles to this volume will be invalidated (requires /F).
/I NTFS only: Less strict checking of index entries.
/C NTFS only: skip checking for loops within folder structures.
/B NTFS only: Re-evaluate bad clusters on disk (requires /R)
The /I or /C options reduce Chkdsk execution time by skipping some volume checks.

Of all the command attributes, the two most often used to check a disk for errors are /f and /r. The final command looks like this:

chkdsk C:/F/R

With this command we will check partition C, correct errors on the disk and restore information from damaged sectors (if any).

After entering this command, you will be prompted to check the volume the next time the system reboots, click Y and a key Enter.

Now you need to reboot the system, when loading you will see a window prompting a check, do not click anything, just wait 10 seconds.

Checking for hard drive errors using Victoria.

The Victoria program is designed to check for errors in hard drives with IDE interfaces and Serial ATA. The program is a completely ready-made solution for a comprehensive, deep, and at the same time the fastest possible assessment of real technical condition HDD.

First of all, download ISO image programs with official website . Unzip the downloaded archive and burn it to CD/ DVD disc how to do this is described in the article How to burn to CD/DVD . After this, boot from the burned disk, how to do this is described step by step in the article How to boot from a CD/DVD disk or USB flash drive .

After booting from the disk within 10 seconds, select the program for your device (Victoria for the computer will load by default).

The program interface will launch. Press the F2 key so that the program itself finds the disk; if this does not happen, you must do it manually. To do this, press the "P" key. The same will have to be done if there are several hard drives and you need to choose one of them. If you have hard disks With SATA interface, then in the menu that appears Select HDD port, select - " Ext. PCI ATA/SATA". Move using the cursor keys "up", "down", and select using the "Enter" key.

Next, to check the disk surface, press the F4 key. In the HDD scan menu window: select the necessary scan parameters. By default, it is proposed to scan the entire disk from the beginning of "Start LBA: 0" to the end of "End LBA: 20971520". I recommend leaving these default values. The next menu item – I recommend leaving “Linear reading”, since it is intended for the fastest and most accurate diagnosis of the surface condition. In the fourth point, I recommend choosing the mode BB = Advanced REMAP since this mode checks the disk most efficiently and corrects errors on it without deleting information.

After this, a check will start for hard mistakes disk with bad fix regions. This procedure can take from several tens of minutes to several hours. Depends on the volume and spindle speed.

When finished, remove the disc from the drive and restart the computer.

Video of checking a hard drive using the Victoria utility. Error elimination - DRSC+DRDY is missing or the screw does not remove BUSY