ScanDisk was a utility in early versions of Windows that checked for corrupted files and hard drive problems. It has been replaced by CHKDSK in newer versions that use NTFS file systems. Despite this, many users still refer to CHKDSK as ScanDisk due to its popularity.
ScanDisk is a utility introduced in early versions of Microsoft Windows that allows a user to scan their computer for corrupted file or hard drive problems and attempt to fix those problems. The utility is no longer included in newer versions of Windows, however, as it only works with older versions that use File Allocation Table (FAT) file systems. In more recent versions of Windows, FAT systems have been replaced with New Technology File Systems (NTFS), so ScanDisk has been replaced with a new version of the utility called CHKDSK. ScanDisk can still run on versions of Windows earlier than Windows XP, and due to its popularity, many computer users will still refer to it when running CHKDSK.
Files on a computer can easily become damaged due to daily use, virus infection and loss of quality due to copying or compression. Some versions of MS-DOS included a utility called CHKDSK that allowed users to check certain files for problems and repair those problems. With the introduction of early versions of Windows, Microsoft included a utility called ScanDisk that performed similar functions more easily and had a built-in graphical user interface (GUI).
ScanDisk, also known as Scan Disk, has provided computer users with the ability to more easily check computer problems and repair them automatically. The utility typically runs at startup following a crash or an event where the computer was not shut down properly. Computer users can also use the utility from within Windows by entering a command prompt or by accessing the Properties of a hard drive on the computer. The utility could be used not only to find corrupt files, but also to check for and potentially repair physical errors on a hard drive.
While ScanDisk offered great power to computer users, it was designed to work properly only with the FAT file systems in use at the time. When NTFS was introduced with Windows XP, the previous utility was unable to work with that file system. Microsoft developed a new utility, called CHKDSK, although it wasn’t the same as the old MS-DOS utility, that could perform similar operations on newer versions of Windows. Many computer users working with later versions of Windows have learned to work with computers and troubleshoot using earlier versions that included ScanDisk. This has led a number of technical professionals and home users to refer to the new CHKDSK system as ScanDisk simply out of habit and familiarity with the old utility.
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