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How to Check and Repair Windows Disk Errors (NTFS)

| IT Fixes

This guide is for small-business employees and users whose Windows computer is experiencing disk errors, file system corruption, or system file problems on an NTFS-formatted drive. Running the three built-in Windows repair tools below—in order—resolves most issues. If all three tools fail, hardware replacement may be necessary. Note: this process applies only to the NTFS file system.

Before You Begin

You will need access to Command Prompt with administrator privileges. Work through each step in order. Only move to the next step if the current one cannot fully repair the errors.

Step 1: Run System File Checker (SFC)

System File Checker scans and verifies the integrity of Windows system files and repairs them when possible.

  1. Open the Start menu, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.
  2. Type the following command and press Enter: sfc /scannow
  3. Wait for the scan to complete. Do not close the window.
  4. When finished, navigate to C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log to review the results.
  5. To filter the log for relevant entries, run this command in Command Prompt:
    findstr /c:”[SR]” %windir%\logs\cbs\cbs.log

What to do with the results:

  • If the log shows errors were repaired, the issue is resolved. No further steps are needed.
  • If you see “Cannot repair member file”, continue to Step 2.

Step 2: Run Check Disk (CHKDSK)

Check Disk examines and repairs file system errors and, optionally, bad sectors on the drive.

  1. Open Command Prompt as administrator (see Step 1).

  2. Choose the appropriate command based on your situation:

    • chkdsk /f — Fixes file system errors.
    • chkdsk /r — Locates and repairs bad sectors in addition to file system errors. This runs a deeper scan and requires a reboot to complete.
  3. Type your chosen command and press Enter. If prompted to schedule the scan on next restart, type Y and restart your computer.

  4. After the scan completes, review the results:

    • For chkdsk /f: Open Event Viewer, go to Windows Logs > Application, and filter by Event ID 26226 or search for chkdsk.
    • For chkdsk /r: Open Event Viewer, go to Windows Logs > Application, and filter by Event ID 1001.
    • You can also check logs directly at C:\System Volume Information\Chkdsk.

What to do with the results:

  • If errors were repaired, the issue is resolved.
  • If no errors were found, no further action is needed.
  • If errors remain and could not be repaired, continue to Step 3.

Step 3: Run DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management)

DISM repairs the underlying Windows image. Use this tool only if SFC and CHKDSK were unable to fully repair the errors.

  1. Open Command Prompt as administrator (see Step 1).

  2. Run the following commands one at a time, pressing Enter after each and waiting for each to finish before running the next:

    • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
    • Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
  3. When complete, review the log file at C:\Windows\Logs\dism\dism.log to confirm whether the scan and repair were successful.

What to do with the results:

  • If errors were repaired, the issue is resolved.
  • If errors persist after all three steps, hardware replacement may be required. Contact your IT provider to discuss next steps.

When All Repair Steps Fail

If SFC, CHKDSK, and DISM all fail to resolve the problem, the hard drive or computer itself may need to be replaced. Reach out to your IT provider to review the situation. Your IT provider will explain the problem and work with you to decide whether to replace the hard drive or the entire computer—the final decision is yours.

If you need assistance at any point, contact ACS here.

Common questions

What file system does this disk repair process work with?

This process applies only to drives formatted with the NTFS file system. Other file systems are not covered by these steps.

Do I need to run all three tools (SFC, CHKDSK, and DISM)?

Not necessarily. Start with SFC. If it repairs the errors, you are done. Only move to CHKDSK if SFC cannot repair the problem, and only use DISM if CHKDSK also fails. Work through the steps in order and stop as soon as the issue is resolved.

What happens if none of the repair tools fix the problem?

If all three tools fail to resolve the errors, the hard drive or computer may need to be replaced. Contact your IT provider to review the findings and discuss your hardware replacement options. You make the final decision on what to replace.