Does CHKDSK Delete Files? Everything You Need to Know

Does CHKDSK Delete Files?

CHKDSK is a powerful Windows utility that detects and resolves any storage drive issues. It is really helpful when you encounter disk errors on your Windows PC. How does CHKDSK work？

📌 Checks the integrity of the file system (e.g., NTFS, FAT32) to ensure files and folders are properly organized and accessible.
📌 Scans the physical surface of the drive to detect bad sectors.
📌 Fixes file system errors, recovers readable data from bad sectors and marks unusable sectors to prevent future data storage, depending on the parameters used.

However, many users complain about data loss after using this utility. Does CHKDSK delete files? The short answer is no. While CHKDSK is not to delete your files, some specific cases could lead to data loss. For example:

➤ The scan is interrupted: If a CHKDSK scan stops because of a forced shutdown, power cut, or other reasons, it could cause data loss.

➤ CHKDSK finds bad sectors: After finding bad sectors on the drive. CHKDSK tells Windows to mark those sectors as unusable. Then it tries to move any files or fragments from the bad sectors to clean ones.

➤ The drive is physically damaged: Avoid running CHKDSK for the drive that shows signs of physical damage. This could make things worse. In this case, contacting a professional data recovery service for help is better.

How to Recover Files Deleted by CHKDSK?

What if CHKDSK deletes your files? Is it possible to recover them? Absolutely! You can use professional data recovery software to restore lost files. Alternatively, you can check your backups to retrieve the deleted data. Below, we’ve outlined several proven methods to recover files deleted by CHKDSK. Let’s explore them step by step!

Method 1. Recover Files Deleted by CHKDSK Using Software

When CHKDSK (Check Disk) deletes files, the Recycle Bin is bypassed entirely. This means the files are permanently deleted from the file system and are not stored in the Recycle Bin for recovery. One of the most reliable methods for recovering such files is to use specialized data recovery software like AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery. This tool performs a comprehensive scan of your drive to locate recoverable data, allowing you to restore lost files with just a few clicks.

Why Choose AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery?

Recovers files lost due to CHKDSK, accidental deletion, formatting, or other data loss scenarios.

Recovers data from HDDs, SSDs, USB drives, SD cards, and other storage devices.

Supports over 1,000 file types, including photos, videos, audio files, and documents.

Support NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, ReFS in Windows 11/10/8/8.1/7 & Windows Server.

Follow these steps to recover files deleted by CHKDSK using AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery:

Step 1: After installing AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery, launch the software and select the drive where the files were deleted.

Step 2: The recovery tool starts to scan and search. It will execute the “Quick Scan" first for finding your deleted data fast, and then execute the “Deep Scan" for searching other lost data.

Step 3: Once the scan is completed, all deleted files will be displayed. You can select the ones you want to restore, preview them before proceeding, and click Recover.

Step 4: Save the recovered files to a different drive to avoid overwriting data. Wait patiently for this process to end.

Method 2. Recover Deleted Files from the FOUND.000 Hidden Folder

When you run CHKDSK, Windows may create a hidden folder named FOUND.000 on the affected drive (usually the C: drive). This folder contains recovered file fragments and data from bad sectors. You can check this folder to see if your deleted files are recoverable.

Step 1: Launch File Explorer, click on the View tab in the top toolbar, and check the box for Hidden items to make hidden folders visible.

Step 2: Look for a folder named FOUND.000 and open it.

Step 3: Inside, you’ll find files with .chk extensions. These are fragments of the recovered data. You can try renaming the .chk files to their original extensions (e.g., .docx, .jpg, .mp4) and see if they open correctly.

Method 3. Recover Deleted Files via File History

If you’ve enabled File History before the files were deleted by chkdsk, the recovery becomes simple. This feature automatically saves copies of your files and offers recovery service when the files are deleted. Here's how you can check and recover files using File History:

Step 1: Go to the Control Panel, and select System and Security > File History in turn.

Step 2: Click Restore personal files.

Step 3: Navigate through the backups until you find one that contains the files you wish to recover, and then click the green recover button.

Method 4. Recover Deleted Files Using Windows File Recovery

Additionally, you can recover files deleted by CHKDSK with the Windows File Recovery tool. It can scan your drive for deleted files and recover them, even if they’ve been removed from the Recycle Bin or lost due to formatting or corruption.

Step 1. Type cmd in the search box and select "Run as Administrator".

Step 2. In the command prompt, type winfr and press Enter.

Step 3. Input the following command and press Enter to execute the recovery process.

winfr source-drive: destination-drive: /n file-type /r /f filename  

Additional Tips for Using CHKDSK

After addressing "Does CHKDSK delete files?" and "How to recover deleted files?", it’s important to discuss how to avoid data loss when running CHKDSK. Here are several practical tips to help you safeguard your data:

💡 Create a backup of your critical files before proceeding. This ensures that you can restore your data if anything goes wrong during the process.
💡 Do not interrupt CHKDSK while it’s running. Abruptly stopping the process can lead to data corruption or further damage to your drive.
💡 If you’re unsure about the state of your drive, consider using the /f parameter (e.g., chkdsk /f) to detect and list issues without automatically fixing them.
💡 If CHKDSK reports a large number of bad sectors or fails to repair the disk, the drive may have physical damage. Consider replacing the drive directly.
💡 While CHKDSK can be used on SSDs, frequent use is unnecessary because SSDs handle bad sectors differently than HDDs.

Summary

Does CHKDSK delete files? This post has given you the answer. While CHKDSK is a reliable tool for fixing disk errors, it can occasionally lead to data loss in specific scenarios. Fortunately, there are several effective methods to recover files deleted by CHKDSK. If you are looking for an easy and efficient solution, AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery is an excellent choice. Feel free to download it and give it a try!

FAQs

Q1: Will CHKDSK delete my files if I run it normally?

A: No. CHKDSK focuses on repairing errors, not deleting files. Data loss is rare unless files are irreparably damaged.

Q2: How do I stop CHKDSK from deleting files?

A: Back up your data before running CHKDSK, and avoid using it on physically damaged drives.

Q3: What is the Found.000 Folder?

A: This folder contains file fragments that CHKDSK couldn’t repair. You can rename the .chk files inside to restore them.