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CHKDSK showing same error even after fixing (Windows 7 SP1)

Super User Asked by Jstation on November 4, 2021

I have a 6TB data hard drive (SATA mechanical) on my Windows 7 SP1 (64-bit) computer. It isn’t my boot drive. I just use it to store data files.

This morning my computer froze and showed blue screen of death (I was testing experimental software). It then rebooted.

After the reboot, I let it settle down then did the usual CHKDSK on all drives.

CHKDSK D: showed this result:

C:Windowssystem32>chkdsk d:
The type of the file system is NTFS.
Volume label is DATA.

WARNING!  F parameter not specified.
Running CHKDSK in read-only mode.

CHKDSK is verifying files (stage 1 of 3)...
  955904 file records processed.
File verification completed.
  3679 large file records processed.
  0 bad file records processed.
  0 EA records processed.
  0 reparse records processed.
CHKDSK is verifying indexes (stage 2 of 3)...
  1056164 index entries processed.
Index verification completed.
  0 unindexed files scanned.
  0 unindexed files recovered.
CHKDSK is verifying security descriptors (stage 3 of 3)...
  955904 file SDs/SIDs processed.
Security descriptor verification completed.
  50131 data files processed.
CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal...
100 percent complete. (754974720 of 754974952 USN bytes processed)
Examining Usn Journal file record segment.
  754974952 USN bytes processed.
Usn Journal verification completed.
Windows found problems with the file system.
Run CHKDSK with the /F (fix) option to correct these.

   5723036 MB total disk space.
   5152491 MB in 789170 files.
    344292 KB in 50132 indexes.
         0 KB in bad sectors.
   6133411 KB in use by the system.
     65536 KB occupied by the log file.
 577760848 KB available on disk.

      4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
1465097471 total allocation units on disk.
 144440212 allocation units available on disk.

So I promptly ran CHKDSK D: /F /V to fix the problem. The results are shown below.

C:Windowssystem32>chkdsk d: /F /V
The type of the file system is NTFS.
Volume label is DATA.

CHKDSK is verifying files (stage 1 of 3)...
  955904 file records processed.
File verification completed.
  3679 large file records processed.
  0 bad file records processed.
  0 EA records processed.
  0 reparse records processed.
CHKDSK is verifying indexes (stage 2 of 3)...
  1056164 index entries processed.
Index verification completed.
  0 unindexed files scanned.
  0 unindexed files recovered.
CHKDSK is verifying security descriptors (stage
  955904 file SDs/SIDs processed.
Cleaning up 1 unused index entries from index $SII of file 9.
Cleaning up 1 unused index entries from index $SDH of file 9.
Cleaning up 1 unused security descriptors.
Security descriptor verification completed.
  50131 data files processed.
CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal...
100 percent complete. (754974720 of 754977872 U
Repairing Usn Journal file record segment.
  754977872 USN bytes processed.
Usn Journal verification completed.
Windows has made corrections to the file system

   5723036 MB total disk space.
   5149491 MB in 789170 files.
    344292 KB in 50132 indexes.
         0 KB in bad sectors.
   6133411 KB in use by the system.
     65536 KB occupied by the log file.
 580832844 KB available on disk.

      4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
1465097471 total allocation units on disk.
 145208211 allocation units available on disk.

So CHKDSK reports that the problem is now fixed. So I run CHKDSK D: again to make sure and it reports exactly the same problem as if nothing has been fixed.

I have tried this loop 4 times now – I run CHKDSK D: and it reports problems. So I run CHKDSK /F /V and it says problems are fixed. But when I run CHKDSK D: again, it reports the same problems it did originally. And into a loop it goes.

I am running CHKDSK from an elevated command prompt. I have also tried it from Safe Mode and got identical results. I have rebooted several times and same results.

Note that the first time I ran CHKDSK /F /V, it said it cleaned up around 167 unused index entries. However, every time I have run it since, it always reports that it cleaned up 1 unused index entry. So clearly, it was able to fix all but one of the unused index entry errors but is unable to fix just one of them.

So I have 3 questions:

  • Am I able to fix the problem I have here?
  • CHKDSK D: /F /V is showing the ‘Cleaning up…’ lines after the
    ‘Security descriptors’ bit. Does this mean the error is in the
    security descriptors and if so, is that serious and should I be
    worried about it?
  • I am due to replace the hard drive in about a month. If I copy all
    the files over using a straight-forward Windows Explorer copy and
    paste, then the problem with the unused index entry should not copy
    over to the new drive, is this correct? If the files copy over, then
    I can just assume that they must be intact and running CHKDSK on the
    new drive shouldn’t report any unused index entries after the copy.
    Is this correct?

CHKDSK does not create a FOUND folder and does not seem to store any .chk files. It does not report any other errors other than ‘Cleaning up unused index entry. So I don’t know but to me it doesn’t sound like any files are missing or corrupt.

Many thanks.

One Answer

This sounds like a hardware failure.

When you run CHKDSK, CrystalDiskInfo, or any other software, typically the best it can do is to report on data and metadata transmitted to it by the physical disk and its controller.

CHKDSK can fix data allocation or structural problems with the formatted data on your disk, but it can't fix physical device failure. (The exception is if an isolated part of your physical disk goes bad, and CHKDSK is able to recognize this and exclude the bad part of the disk from the parts used for your data. The fact that you keep seeing errors again after CHKDSK reports fixing your disk indicates that it's probably worse than that.)

Sure, physical tests do exist, but they may not be conclusive (as a failing device is likely to produce inconsistent results from one test to another). And a full, low-level physical test would probably be destructive of data, so you wouldn't want to run such a test on a drive containing data you need.

Bottom line: back up your data quick! And start looking at drive replacement options—you may not get the luxury of waiting a month as you plan before needing a new disk.

As to whether there will be problems backing up data from this disk, it will depend on the exact details of the failure. With luck, you'll get most of your data, but the longer you leave it, the greater the risk that more and more of your data will be lost.

Answered by Reg Edit on November 4, 2021

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