Microsoft ScanDisk (also called ScanDisk) is a diagnostic utility program included in MS-DOS and Windows 9x. It checks and repairs file systems errors on a disk drive, while the system starts.
.png) Text-based version of Microsoft ScanDisk running on Windows 98 | |
| Other names | ScanDisk |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Microsoft |
| Initial release | 1993 |
| Operating system | MS-DOS 6.2 and Windows 9x |
| Type | Utility software |
| License | Proprietary commercial software |
Overview
The program was first introduced in MS-DOS 6.2[1] and succeeded its simpler predecessor, CHKDSK. It included a more user-friendly interface than CHKDSK, more configuration options,[2][3] and the ability to detect and (if possible) recover from physical errors on the disk. This replaced and improved upon the limited ability offered by the MS-DOS recover utility.[4] Unlike CHKDSK, ScanDisk would also repair crosslinked files.[5]
In Windows 95 onwards, ScanDisk also had a graphical user interface, although the text-based user interface continued to be available for use in single-tasking ("DOS") mode.[6][7]
However, ScanDisk cannot check NTFS disk drives, and therefore it is unavailable for computers that may be running NT based (including Windows 2000, Windows XP, etc.) versions of Windows; for the purpose, a newer CHKDSK is provided instead.
On Unix-like systems, there are tools like fsck_msdosfs[8] and dosfsck to do the same task.
See also
References
Further reading
- Cooper, Jim (2001). Special Edition Using MS-DOS 6.22, Third Edition. Que Publishing. ISBN 978-0789725738.
- Stinson, Craig (1998). "ch. 16: Optimizing, Maintaining, and Troubleshooting". Running Microsoft Windows 98. Redmond, Washington: Microsoft Press. ISBN 1-57231-681-0. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
External links
