Is your Windows 8 (or Windows 10, 7) PC constantly running “Scanning and repairing drive C:” every time you start it up? This disk check, while sometimes necessary, can become frustrating when it happens repeatedly and delays your system boot time. While the disk check utility (CHKDSK) is designed to scan and fix hard drive problems, you might want to disable it from running at every startup if it’s becoming a nuisance.
This guide will show you how to stop disk checks on startup in Windows 8 and other Windows versions, allowing you to bypass this process and boot directly into your operating system. We’ll provide two straightforward methods using built-in Windows tools.
| Workable Solutions | Step-by-step Troubleshooting |
|---|---|
| #1. Disable Disk Check Using Command Prompt | Open Command Prompt as administrator and use a simple command to skip disk checks on a specific drive. Full steps below |
| #2. Disable Disk Check Using Registry Editor | Modify the Windows Registry to prevent automatic disk checks from running at startup. Full steps below |
Two Methods to Disable Automatic Disk Checking on Windows Startup
While Windows might force a disk check if it detects serious drive errors, you can manually control whether it runs on every boot. Here are two common methods to disable automatic disk checking in Windows 8, as well as Windows 10 and 7.
#1. Disable Disk Check Using Command Prompt
Command Prompt offers a quick command to exclude a specific drive from the automatic disk check process.
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Step 1: Open Command Prompt as Administrator. Press the Windows key + X simultaneously. In the menu that appears, select “Command Prompt (Admin)” or “Windows PowerShell (Admin)”. Click “Yes” if prompted to allow changes to your computer.
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Step 2: In the Command Prompt window, type the following command, replacing “C:” with the drive letter you want to exclude from disk checking. For example, to disable disk check on drive C, type:
chkntfs /x C:Press Enter to execute the command.
This command,
chkntfs /x C:, tells Windows not to perform a disk check on the C: drive during startup. You can repeat this command for other drives (D:, E:, etc.) if needed.
#2. Disable Disk Check Using Registry Editor
The Registry Editor provides a more direct way to manage the automatic disk check behavior.
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Step 1: Open Registry Editor. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type
regeditand click “OK”. Click “Yes” if prompted to allow changes to your device. -
Step 2: Navigate to the Session Manager folder. In the Registry Editor window, use the left-hand pane to navigate to the following path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlSession Manager -
Step 3: Modify the BootExecute value. In the right-hand pane, find and double-click on the entry named “BootExecute”.
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Step 4: Edit Value data. In the “Edit Multi-String” window, you will see a list of values in the “Value data” field. Carefully delete all lines EXCEPT for the line that reads:
autocheck autochk *Leave only
autocheck autochk *and delete any other lines present, especially lines that might contain commands related tochkdskor disk checking. Click “OK” to save the changes.By leaving only
autocheck autochk *, you are essentially telling Windows to perform the standard automatic checks but without any specific drive checks that might be triggering the “Scanning and repairing drive” message.
A Simpler Way to Check and Repair Your Drive (Alternative to CHKDSK)
While Command Prompt and Registry Editor methods can disable the startup disk check, you might still need to check your drive for errors periodically. If you find the command-line CHKDSK tool intimidating, or you’re looking for a more user-friendly approach to disk checking and repair, consider using a dedicated partition management tool.
EaseUS Partition Master Free is a free and comprehensive disk partition manager for Windows. It provides an intuitive interface for managing your hard drives and partitions, including a “Check File System” feature that works similarly to CHKDSK. This tool simplifies the process of scanning and repairing disk errors and bad sectors without requiring complex commands.
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Using EaseUS Partition Master to Check File System:
Step 1. Right-click on the partition you want to check for errors (e.g., your C: drive).
Step 2. Go to “Advanced” and select “Check File System”.
Step 3. In the “Check File System” window, ensure the “Try to fix errors if found” option is checked.
Step 4. Click “Start” to begin the file system check and repair process.
EaseUS Partition Master offers a user-friendly alternative for disk checking and repair, especially if you are not comfortable with command-line operations.
When Should You Stop Automatic Disk Checks, and When Should You Not?
Seeing “Scanning and repairing drive (C:) XX% complete” on startup can be concerning. It often indicates potential issues with your boot drive or other data drives. If you’ve been experiencing computer slowdowns or system instability, it’s generally advisable to let the disk check complete fully, from 0% to 100%.
You might be tempted to skip the disk check by pressing a key when prompted (“To skip disk checking, press any key within xx second(s).”). However, this only postpones the issue. Windows will likely continue to prompt the disk check on subsequent startups if it believes there are underlying problems.
Reasons Why Automatic Disk Check Might Be Triggered (Sometimes Unnecessarily):
- Improper System Shutdown: Abruptly shutting down your computer (e.g., power outage, force shutdown) can sometimes trigger a disk check on the next boot.
- Software or System Errors: Certain software glitches or system errors can flag the file system as potentially inconsistent, leading to a disk check.
- Unsafe Removal of External Devices: Disconnecting external hard drives or USB drives without safely ejecting them can sometimes cause file system errors that trigger a disk check.
In these situations, the automatic disk check might be triggered even if there isn’t a serious underlying drive problem. If the disk check consistently finds no errors and still runs on every startup, disabling it using the methods above can be reasonable to improve your boot time.
However, it’s crucial to understand when you should NOT disable automatic disk checks:
- If you suspect a hardware problem: If you are experiencing frequent crashes, blue screens of death, unusual noises from your hard drive, or data corruption, the “Scanning and repairing drive” message might be a genuine warning sign of a failing hard drive. In such cases, do not disable the disk check. Let it run and consider further diagnostics of your hard drive’s health.
- If the disk check is finding and repairing errors: If the disk check process is actually finding and repairing errors, it’s essential to let it complete. Disabling it in this situation could lead to more serious file system corruption or data loss.
In conclusion: If the “Scanning and repairing drive” message is a constant and seemingly unnecessary occurrence, and disk checks consistently find no errors, then disabling automatic startup checks using Command Prompt or Registry Editor can be a practical solution to speed up your boot process. However, always be mindful of potential underlying hardware or file system issues. If you have any doubts about the health of your hard drive, it’s best to let the disk check run or perform a manual disk check using tools like EaseUS Partition Master or the CHKDSK command to ensure data integrity and system stability.
Related Issues You Might Encounter:
CHKDSK stuck at 10%…99%
CHKDSK not working
Scanning and repairing hard drive stuck
