Free Computer Repair Service

As mentioned in the above paragraph, Scandisk, Chkdsk and Fsck are software utilities that are designed to correct filesystem errors on hard disks. They are not and can not correct non-filesystem errors on hard disks.

Where many people become confused is that because their computer is triggering a disk checking utility, they automatically assume (as does the software) that they have a problem with the file system. Infact they may have a problem with their hard disk that has in turn caused a problem with the file system. So, although the symptoms are in most cases identical (ie. the automatic triggering of Scandisk etc), the cause of the problem is rather different. In these instances, running disk checking software is to be avoided at all costs.

The disk checking program is not capable of diagnosing the correct problem (ie. a faulty hard disk) and misdiagnoses it as a filesystem problem, and then attempts to (often automatically !) repair the problem. Data that was often fully recoverable now becomes damaged, fragmented and unrecoverable.