I have recently be getting messages to run a check disk at the start up so i have been wondering what exactly happens during a check disk,how long it takes and what do you do in order to end it in case of an emergency.I also want to know the consequences of not doing this soon enough and what it does exactly. Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question. It just checks that every file is accurately written to the drive by making sure the file system's record matches the actual file (for example, that the logged file size and the actual size are the same). This takes a lot of time to read every file, which is why a CHKDSK process can take several hours (or more). CHKDSK scans are not necessary and should not be run unless your computer has a problem. The NTFS file system is a jounaling file system that is very resilient to errors and self-corrects as needed. It can handle delayed write failures and power outages and will schedule checks when necessary. In most cases, running a check on your own is just a waste of time (and unnecessary disk usage, which will shorten the life span of your hard drive). You can end it safely if you want, just press Ctrl-C together.

2 additional answers @CmdrKeene • 90,631 Reputation points • Volunteer Moderator 2013-06-04T01:45:20+00:00 Nope, you absolutely don't need to run check disk passes. The system will tell you if it is necessary (it will say "this drive needs to be checked for consistency." Most maintenance is automatic in Windows these days, even defrag handles itself automatically by default. 0 comments No comments Nope, you absolutely don't need to run check disk passes. The system will tell you if it is necessary (it will say "this drive needs to be checked for consistency." Most maintenance is automatic in Windows these days, even defrag handles itself automatically by default. Anonymous 2013-06-04T00:45:49+00:00 So there aren't any consequences to not doing a check disk like my computer crashing or anything?(sorry for the stupid question) 0 comments No comments So there aren't any consequences to not doing a check disk like my computer crashing or anything?(sorry for the stupid question)