Win Pre-Environment (boot) CHKDSK -- can it be aborted safely?

Back story is that I'd run into a problem when trying to clone my aging HDD to my new SSD. Apparently there were some bad sectors in an initially non-critical area so Windows didn't trip over it (I could run Windows 10 with no problems). But for some reason, the cloning programs weren't intelligent enough to skip the bad sectors and provide a report--they just fail. I first tried Samsung's Data Migration tool, which kept failing at various progress points (usually early on) by suddenly restarting the computer (no warning). I then tried 3 other 3rd party tools, all failed to some degree but at least the system wasn't abruptly restarted.

Trying to fix this sent me down a rabbit hole... as things got progressively worse, to the point where I couldn't boot into the desk top any longer. FINALLY, after discovering the SeaTools FIX utility for repairing bad sectors (took a few cycles due to LBA limitations), I was able to fix the drive enough so that it would boot.

All generalized tests showed healthy partitions. The bad sector issue looked to be isolated to some data segments. I ran "chkdsk /f" and that went to completion. But when I did a scan of the drive using the internal checker from the Explorer tools menu, the Event Viewer suggested running CHKDSK again.

I ran "chkdsk /f /r /x". I realized later that "/f" is redundant, as the "/r" switch covers that.

Now 3 hours later, CHKDSK is still running at 12%. Not budging. I've read some people suggesting to let it complete, that the progress reporting routine is not showing what's really going on, while others saying CHKDSK is probably stuck. I need to travel now and want to take the computer with me. Can I abort the CHKDSK somehow? Keyboard entry of CTRL+C doesn't do anything.

I don't think you can safely abort Chkdsk and I wouldn't that notebook on any trip without resolving the hard drive issue and having your SSD up and running. Chkdsk on a failing hard drive is good enough to salvage your data and usually long enough to create a Disk Image with Macruim Reflect Free you can then restore the image to your SSD.

Once Spinners start failing they continue failing faster and faster

Clintlgm said:

I don't think you can safely abort Chkdsk and I wouldn't that notebook on any trip without resolving the hard drive issue and having your SSD up and running. Chkdsk on a failing hard drive is good enough to salvage your data and usually long enough to create a Disk Image with Macruim Reflect Free you can then restore the image to your SSD.
Once Spinners start failing they continue failing faster and faster

I don't know much about how hard drives start to decay when they begin failing, other than bad sectors starting to crop up. Is that a magnetic media fault, or more of a mechanical issue? It does seem to be almost similar to the dead-pixel syndrome, where once one crops up others may form nearby and spread.

In taking the laptop with me, I'd be bringing my backup laptop in addition to the external storage. But I've given it about 6 hours... might as well just let it keep going a while longer. CTRL+C, ESC, CTRL+T, CTRL+Break... none of those commands will stop it.

Is Macrium better than most at handling bad sectors? Is the disk image backup and restore better to do than disk clone?

FINALLY... the chkdsk completed. Strange that there was no log entry in the Event viewer showing anything that resembles info about CHKDSK running or completed.

When running chkdsk /f or /r it will prompt to lock the drive. Then type Y and reboot. The chkdsk has a % counter that typically rises to a number in the low teens. It then remains there with an unknown time period.

In contrast when chkdsk /f or /r is ran in Windows RE it typically displays an ETA.

Running Macrium is another method to check the drive file system.
The default chkdsk with switches tests and fixes the C: partition or data drive.
In contrast Macrium will test the other partitions involved in the boot.
If there are problems with these partitions Macrium will not make a backup image and post an error message and code.
This is another method to evaluate the drive.
If Macrium were to find a problem with the boot you may need to run chkdsk on the EFI partition.
This partition is typically hidden.
You could then use diskpart and assign a drive letter and then run the chkdsk switches.
If chkdsk is then able to fix and restore the drive file system then Macrium may no longer display error messages and perform the backup image.

On the drive with the boot repair see if you can run HD Tune full error scan. This would provide a visual representation of any bad sectors.

These are links on drives:
How long do disk drives last?
Hard Drive SMART Stats

zbook said:

On the drive with the boot repair see if you can run HD Tune full error scan. This would provide a visual representation of any bad sectors.

Does Macrium have the HD Tune Full Error Scan feature? I can't check right now because Macrium is in the midst of a partition copy. After the copy is done, I'll have it test the SSD for any possible errors.

No HD Tune is a program of disk utilities and benchmark. Macrium Reflect is an Image and backup program. I hope you are creating a full disk image of that hard drive. Not just a C partition image? When you go to restore the Disk image to the SSD you'll need all partitions you will have the option to adjust the C partition to fit your SSD all the other partitions are too small to make any difference.

Clintlgm said:

No HD Tune is a program of disk utilities and benchmark. Macrium Reflect is an Image and backup program. I hope you are creating a full disk image of that hard drive. Not just a C partition image? When you go to restore the Disk image to the SSD you'll need all partitions you will have the option to adjust the C partition to fit your SSD all the other partitions are too small to make any difference.

Yes, I'm generally familiar with Macrium Reflect -- I just wasn't sure if HD Tune was something recently bundled in. I'll have to get a copy. Anyway, I do have a full disk image backup now that the clone worked (SSD is now my primary, with HDD as my fall back), plus I copied off all user files to my external storage device. Given how prices have come down yet again, I'll see about investing in a 4 or 5Tb drive so I can manage backups for 2 laptops.

I did delete those two extraneous partitions so that the unallocated space would be adjacent to volume C... and thus permit expansion. Worked well.

HD Sentinel has a surface scan (trial or paid edition)
Hard Disk Sentinel - HDD health and temperature monitoring

HD Tune has a full error scan: (free)
https://www.hdtune.com/

Macrorit has a free surface test:
Check Hard Disk for Bad Sectors | Scan Disk on Windows

Most often we use HD Tune. It typically takes approximately 3 - 5 hours depending on the drive size and problems found.

This is how making a backup image using Macrium can find problems with the drive:
Imaging disks with bad sectors - KnowledgeBase v7 - Macrium Reflect Knowledgebase - KnowledgeBase v7 - Macrium Reflect Knowledgebase

zbook said:

HD Sentinel has a surface scan (trial or paid edition)
Hard Disk Sentinel - HDD health and temperature monitoring

HD Tune has a full error scan: (free)
https://www.hdtune.com/

Macrorit has a free surface test:
Check Hard Disk for Bad Sectors | Scan Disk on Windows

Most often we use HD Tune. It typically takes approximately 3 - 5 hours depending on the drive size and problems found.

This is how making a backup image using Macrium can find problems with the drive:
Imaging disks with bad sectors - KnowledgeBase v7 - Macrium Reflect Knowledgebase - KnowledgeBase v7 - Macrium Reflect Knowledgebase

Thanks for these references. I downloaded and ran HD Tune, which provided some useful features. However... I ran both the Quick and Full scans on my old HDD that I just replaced... and it found no problems. No bad sectors. I'm a bit baffled, because I'd not fully completed repairs using SeaTools. However, if did show some kind of performance deficiency... starting at about 100mbs then slowly dropping down to end at 50mbs by the end of the test, with some downward spikes in the process. Looks like the mechanism may be getting tired. I connected it to my USB 3.0 port. From what I understand, when an HDD like this is new, the data transfer rate should be more like 300mbs (granted, ideal conditions... normally I'd expect 200mbs). Or perhaps the cable is slowing it down?