Once chkdsk completes, examine the summary report:
After a repair, especially with /f , chkdsk often creates large folders named FOUND.000 , FOUND.001 , etc., containing FILE0000.chk files. These are recovered file fragments. They are not automatically renamed to their original extensions. Recovering meaningful data from .chk files requires third-party tools or manual hex inspection.
This is the easiest method if your drive is still appearing in Windows. Open and go to This PC . Right-click your external drive and select Properties . chkdsk external drive
Read-only. It checks for logical inconsistencies in file system structures but does not fix anything. It reports errors like orphaned files, incorrect file sizes, or bad index entries.
Sometimes a failing external drive will suddenly appear as "RAW" in Disk Management (no file system). Running chkdsk on a RAW drive is useless—it will simply say "The type of the file system is RAW. CHKDSK is not available for RAW drives." In this case, do not run chkdsk ; use data recovery software first. Once chkdsk completes, examine the summary report: After
chkdsk X: /scan /perf
Is the external drive recognized with correct capacity? ├── No → Do NOT run chkdsk. Check cables, try another PC, or use DiskPart to clean. │ ├── Yes → Does it make unusual sounds (clicking, grinding)? │ ├── Yes → STOP. Send for professional recovery. │ │ │ └── No → Run: chkdsk X: /f │ ├── Success? → Drive stable. Copy data elsewhere. │ └── Fails or reports bad sectors → Run: chkdsk X: /r │ └── If /r takes >24h or freezes → Drive is dying. Abort, copy readable data. Recovering meaningful data from
or "Access Denied" errors when opening folders. Missing files or folders that were previously there.
To see a progress indicator without verbose output, use chkdsk X: /r /v . The /v flag will list every file as it scans, confirming that the drive is still active.
Running on an external drive is a common way to fix file system errors or "unreadable" drive messages. Whether you prefer a simple point-and-click interface or the power of the command line, here is how you can do it. Option 1: The Quick Way (File Explorer)