CHKDSK /F fails with An unspecified error occurred.

I decided to run chkdsk /f on a 1TB external usb HDD. It failed with:

An unspecified error occurred (696e647863686b2e 1f66).
An unspecified error occurred (6e74667363686b2e 1713).




....then I tried another known good external HDD, same error. Then I tried an internal partition, same error. Then I freshly formatted a usb flash drive as ntfs and checked it, same error.

Then I tried three different PCs, 1809 17763.379 (x86 and x64) and 1803 17134.648 (x86). All failed a chkdsk /f with an unspecified error on any ntfs drive I checked.

Then I tried Windows 7 and it passed the drives with a clean bill of health!



Is it me, or is Windows 10's chkdsk /f broken as far as ntfs is concerned?


PS: chkdsk WITHOUT the /f runs fine in Windows 10 on all the drives and says they are healthy.

I tested the Chkdsk /f command on 1809 17763.379 it works for me try /x switch.

FreeBooter said:

I tested the Chkdsk /f command on 1809 17763.379 it works for me try /x switch.

The freshly formatted ntfs usb flash drive....

There could be handle on the drive causing the problem that is why i ask for you to use /x switch.

FreeBooter said:

There could be handle on the drive causing the problem that is why ask for you to use /x switch.

On every PC and every drive I've tried?

Wow that i have no answer for it but Chkdsk works for me if you want i can test the Chkdsk on VM as well.

essenbe said:

try running as Admin. Other than that I have no ideas. It runs on my 1809 fine

I have tried admin, same error.

This is on three quite different PCs and two W10 versions, 1809 and 1803, and any ntfs drive I checked (external or internal). It does however run correctly (and on the same drive as post #1) in Safe Mode.

Light bulb moment!

It only fails if I have ransomware protection (aka controlled folder access) turned on in Windows Defender!
(which I do on all my machines)

Thanks for letting us know what was causing the problem.