CHKDSK stop (no response) at stage 2 (verifying indexes)

windows ntfs chkdsk

65,126

Solution 1

If the drive is large and has lots of problems a disk check could take hours, if not days, to complete.

A couple things to try before letting Chkdsk potentially destroy your data:

SpinRite.
The hard drive manufacturer's diagnostics utility.

SpinRite is very similar to chkdsk, except it will do it's bes to recover data in any bad sectors before marking them off-line (unlike Chkdsk, which will just mark bad sectors bad, and dump any data that was in those sectors).

Determine who makes the drive in your machine, go to their website and get their diagnostics utilities (most drive manufacturer's offer some). Use the utility's non-destructive tests to test the drive (hopefully there are some offered in your drive manufacturer's utility, along with destructive ones), as these tests can point out physical things like dying motors, heads, SMART troubles, etc, that at a lower level than the file system.

Solution 2

Try using the /I parameter with chkdsk, that tells it to do a less vigorous check of the indexes. If that works and corrects some things, then go back and try again with a full check.

65,126

Allen

Updated on September 18, 2022

Comments

Allen almost 2 years
I am using Windows 7. I was trying to synchronize the folder. Then the FreeFileSync freeze. I think there is some problem to my folder. Then I tried to copy the folder to another location. When calculating the size, the copying dialog freeze. So I suspect there is something wrong with the NTFS file system. So, I tried to use CHKDSK /F g: (my target drive) However, the CHKDSK is stopped at stage 2 (verifying indexes) for a long time. The stop I mean is no response.

Then I tried CHKDSK /F /R /X /V g: Still the same.

The following is the message:
```
CHKDSK is verifying files (stage 1 of 5)...
  168432 file records processed.
File verification completed.
  16 large file records processed.
  0 bad file records processed.
  0 EA records processed.
  0 reparse records processed.
CHKDSK is verifying indexes (stage 2 of 5)...
13 percent complete. (169112 of 181698 index entries processed)
```
Please help.
- Admin almost 13 years
  
  "A long time" is how long exactly?
- Allen almost 13 years
  
  Stuck at the 13 percent around 1 hour. Previously I chkdsk, it goes through smoothly.
- Admin almost 13 years
  
  Go with the /i option suggested by @afrazier below.
- kokbira almost 13 years
  
  Only 1 hour! Try to wait more time (3h) to see if it changes...
Admin almost 13 years

Except that SpinRite will scan each sector 2000 times or more, resulting in a possible years-long scan. (Disclaimer: I am a licenced user of SpinRite)
Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007 almost 13 years

@Randolph West - Agreed, but I find that's rare. Besides, usually if it's still chugging away after a day or two, and I can get at the data, I copy what I can (usually done BEFORE running SpinRite, if possible) and replace the drive. :) Also, if there's groups and groups of bad sectors, you might as well give up anyway, unless you REALLY REALLY need that data, complete or not. Like many things, it's Time vs. Need. :)
Admin almost 13 years

No argument there :-)
Allen almost 13 years

Thanks, finally I left my computer overnight. I also don't know what happened, my Windows restarted. Then I chkdsk again, it run smoothly for stage 2 (verifying indexes). And then fixes the error.