Microsoft DOS scandisk command
Quick links
About scandisk
Availability
Scandisk syntax
Examples
Scandisk Q&A
About scandisk
Microsoft Scandisk was first introduced with MS-DOS 6.2 and is a software utility capable of checking the hard drive and floppy diskette drive for any disk errors.
Availability
The scandisk command is an external command that is available in the below Microsoft operating systems.
MS-DOS 6.2 and above
Scandisk syntax
Below is a listing of available switches in MS-DOS scandisk 6.2 and above. It is important to note that these commands will not work in Windows 95 and above.
scandisk [ drive: | drive:\path\filename | volume_name | /all] [/checkonly | /autofix [/nosave] | /custom] [/fragment] [/surface] [/mono] [/nosave] [/nosummary]
| drive: |
The drive letter you wish to scan. |
| drive:\path\filename |
The drive and path
or filename you wish to scan. |
| volume_name |
The name of the unmounted compressed volume. |
| /all |
Checks and repairs all local drives at once. |
| /checkonly |
Checks drive for errors but will not make repairs. |
| /autofix |
Fixes errors without asking you first. Saves lost clusters by default as files in the drive's root directory. Cannot be used with /checkonly or /custom. |
| /custom |
Runs Scandisk using the settings in [custom] section of the scandisk.ini file. Cannot be used with /autofix or /checkonly. |
| /surface |
Automatically checks surface after other areas are tested without prompting you first. When used with /custom, will override any /surface setting in [Custom] section of scandisk.ini. |
| /fragment |
Checks individual files for fragmentation. Must specify a drive, path and file name; cannot use any other switches. |
| /mono |
Uses a monochrome display instead of color. |
| /nosave |
Deletes all lost clusters found by Scandisk. Can be used with /autofix. |
| /nosummary |
Prevents display of full-screen summary after each drive. Use with /autofix to prevent prompts for undo diskette. |
Examples
scandisk c: /autofix
Scandisk the main hard drive for any errors and if found automatically fix those errors. |
