How to Cancel a Scheduled Chkdsk at Boot in Windows 10 Running the chkdsk command is a quick way to diagnose and repair file system errors in Windows— and it's possible to cancel a scheduled scan at boot if needed. We'll show you how. Before we begin, be sure to subscribe to NinjaOne's IT Video Hub and our YouTube channel for more tech content like this. Why Cancel Chkdsk at Boot? There are a few common reasons why you might want to cancel or postpone a scheduled disk scan: to speed up the boot process, if you prefer to run chkdsk manually later, or because the issue's already been resolved. Whatever the case, let's show you how it's done. How to Cancel Chkdsk at Boot To begin, you'll need to be logged in to a Windows 10 machine with administrator privileges. We’ll be using an elevated Command Prompt for this process. First, type “Command Prompt” in the Search bar, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as Administrator. In the terminal, type this command: chkntfs C: and press Enter. Note that you might need to replace C: with the letter of the drive you want to check. This is the output you might see: Chkdsk has been scheduled manually… means it’s set to run, while C: is not dirty means it isn’t scheduled. To cancel the scheduled scan, simply type this command: chkntfs /x C: and press Enter. It won't stop an active scan already in progress, but it’ll prevent chkdsk from running at the next reboot. Important Notes When Cancelling Chkdsk If you’re working with a system that has multiple drives or partitions, make sure to specify the correct volume. Also, keep in mind if your system has disk errors and you cancel the scan, those issues will persist until chkdsk is run again or additional action is taken. Troubleshooting Tips Finally, here are some troubleshooting tips when cancelling chkdsk: If the chkdsk command isn’t recognized, double-check whether you launched the Command Prompt with admin privileges. If chkdsk still runs on boot, verify that there are no other scheduled scans or system policies enforcing disk checks. If the volume is still marked “dirty,” let chkdsk run through once to attempt repairs. If issues persist, try the built-in System Maintenance Troubleshooter. Canceling a scheduled chkdsk scan may be simple and convenient, but always make sure your disk is error-free before skipping it. Unresolved errors can cause performance or stability issues over time. For more information, check out our official blog post on How to Cancel a Scheduled Chkdsk at Boot in Windows, linked in the description below.