Disable CHKDSK at Startup on Windows

If you're using a Windows system for data recovery, the last thing you want is CHKDSK (Check Disk) to run automatically when plugging in a failing drive for technical work.

1. Disable AutoChk via Registry (One-Time Setup)

Run this command in an elevated Command Prompt (run as Administrator):

reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager" /v BootExecute /t REG_MULTI_SZ /d "" /f

This clears the list of boot-time disk checks. After this, Windows won’t run AutoChk on any drive during startup.

To restore default behavior:

reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager" ^
    /v BootExecute /t REG_MULTI_SZ /d "autocheck autochk *" /f

2. Suppress Boot Recovery Prompts

Prevent Windows from pausing boot to offer repairs after crashes or dirty shutdowns:

bcdedit /set {current} bootstatuspolicy ignoreallfailures

To undo:

bcdedit /deletevalue {current} bootstatuspolicy

Optional: Stop “Scan and Fix” Prompts in Windows

To prevent the annoying “Do you want to scan and fix?” message in File Explorer when plugging in damaged drives, disable the Shell Hardware Detection service or use Group Policy to turn off automatic disk checking.

Summary

• No CHKDSK will ever run at startup.
• Newly connected drives won’t trigger boot repairs.
• Manual checks (like chkdsk X: /f) are still possible.
• Perfect for professional data recovery environments.

Warning: This disables protective checks for your system drive too. Make sure your OS is backed up and healthy before applying these settings.