What to do right now
- Do not run CHKDSK again. Every run tidies up a little more.
- Open the hidden FOUND.000 folder and copy the CHK files to another disk.
- Identify each CHK file's real type and rename it; scan the drive for anything missing.
Step by step
Stop checking and fixing
Repeating chkdsk /f or /r tidies the file system further and can remove records that still exist. Leave the drive as it is.
Show the FOUND.000 folder
In File Explorer, turn on hidden items, and in the folder options untick hide protected operating system files. A FOUND.000 folder appears at the top of the drive.
Copy the CHK files
Copy all CHK files in FOUND.000 to another disk on the PC. Leave the originals where they are.
Identify the real type
Add the CHK copies to FileFix Ultimate's damaged file check, which identifies the real type, such as JPEG, DOCX or PDF, from the content. Renaming a file to the right extension often makes it open.
Scan the drive if files are missing
For files not among the CHK fragments, scan the drive with deleted file recovery. Remaining file records sometimes bring back original names and folders. Save results to another disk.
What CHKDSK actually did
CHKDSK repairs the file system so it is consistent again. It is not a data recovery tool: fragments that cannot be matched to a file are not thrown away but gathered into CHK files. Large files may be split over several CHK files or survive only in part.
On FAT32 and exFAT sticks, one CHK file is one chain of lost clusters, which often matches one file. On NTFS external drives, files may be moved into a FOUND folder when folder records are cleaned up.
If the drive keeps reporting errors
Errors on every check, or a drive that gets slower, can mean the drive itself is failing. Check its SMART status, and if reallocated or pending sectors are growing, image the disk first and recover from the image.
When recovery is difficult
- CHKDSK discarded some data while tidying fragments.
- A large file is scattered across several CHK files in an unknown order.
- The drive has physical damage and keeps giving read errors.
How FileFix Ultimate helps
- Identifies the real type of CHK files from their content.
- Deleted file recovery finds original names and folders in remaining records.
- Checks the drive with SMART and a surface read test.
- Images a drive with bad sectors so you can recover from the image.
FileFix Ultimate is free, works offline and never writes to the drive you are recovering from. Check the signature before you run it.
Frequently asked questions
I cannot see the FOUND.000 folder.
It is a hidden system folder. Show hidden items and untick hide protected operating system files.
How do I open a CHK file?
Only the extension is different; the content is the original file. Identify the real type and rename it with the right extension.
Does running CHKDSK delete data?
It tidies records while repairing the file system, so if the data matters, recover first and run CHKDSK afterwards.