People familiar with Windows should know that the CHKDSK command is used to fix errors when hard disks, USB drives, or memory cards are damaged, or even the system can't boot. Is there a CHKDSK on Mac? Of course! In this blog, we will introduce it in detail and guide you on how to use it.
CHKDSK is a command-line disk-checking tool for Windows. People can use different commands to handle different hard drive failures, such as "/F" to repair logical file system errors and "/R" to find bad sectors and recover readable information. So, is there a similar command on Mac? Unfortunately, there is not. But don't worry. First Aid in macOS's Disk Utility can do the same job. It is equivalent to CHKDSK on Mac, which not only has a graphical interface but also can solve the hard drive's directory structure problems, read and write errors, inconsistent storage space usage, etc. This is very useful for users to repair damaged drives without formatting. However, compared with CHKDSK in Windows, it has the following shortcomings:
As we mentioned above, using First Aid in Disk Utility can fix drive problems in many situations. If your system is still bootable, follow these steps to check the disk on a Mac.
This will start checking the selected disk for errors. When it is complete, you can click "Show Details" to see what errors your hard drive has (usually, they are displayed in red) and whether they have been repaired.
If you encounter a "Process Failed" prompt or cannot repair a damaged drive, use the following method to run the FSCK command. It can check the hard drive's file system and repair damaged parts. However, it is different from CHKDSK in Windows. You need to use it in single-user mode.
When the problem occurs with the startup disk, macOS may not run. At this time, you need to put your Mac in Recovery Mode and then try to fix the error with CHKDSK. Here's how:
Like CHKDSK in Windows, "First Aid" in "Disk Utility" may not work when your drive has severe errors. Although it is disappointing, as long as the Mac can recognize it, you can initialize the hard drive to make it work properly.
Note: Before starting with the following steps, please back up the data on this hard drive and external storage device. This will erase all the contents of the disk and reset the file system. If you cannot access it at this moment, use iBeesoft Free Data Recovery for Mac to retrieve the files on the hard drive first.
Tip: If you want to choose a new file system for this drive but don't know which one is suitable, here is a guide on APFS vs. HFS+ vs. exFAT.
Whether it's a built-in internal disk or an external storage device, damage can cause huge losses. After learning CHKDSK on Mac, how to use it, and remediation solutions, you can make the drive usable again without losing data in most cases. However, in order to prevent the hard drive from having problems again, we suggest that you use hard drives properly, check it with First Aid in Disk Application and back up important files regularly.
Although TechTool Pro, DiskWarrior, OnyX, etc., can monitor hard drives and provide repair options, to be honest, they have limited abilities to fix errors, and users need to pay for them. Therefore, there is no better free option than First Aid. Even if when running CHKDSK on Mac fails and the hard drive is inaccessible, you can still use iBeeesoft Free Data Recovery for Mac to recover the data in it first. After that, format the disk to solve the failure completely. By doing this, it will repair the damaged hard drive without losing data.
Strictly speaking, it will have a certain impact on the device's lifespan. It works like another way to read and write files on the hard disk, and when it exceeds a certain number of times, its mechanical parts will be damaged.
Slower reading and writing than usual, errors in accessing files or the hard drive itself, program or system crashes, etc. are all signs of hard drive damage. At this moment, please back up the data in it first, and then use First Aid to check its condition and fix errors.
No. The premise for using CHKDSK on Mac is that the computer can recognize your SD card. A physically damaged SD card is like a kite with a broken string; your Mac can't recognize it, and therefore, we will no nothing about its real condition.
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