How to Fix CHKDSK Cannot Lock Current Drive Windows 10

Theo Lucia

Jan 08, 2025 • Filed to: Answer Hard Drive Problems • Proven solutions

CHKDSK is a command used in the Windows Command Prompt tool, this command is mainly used to repair logical errors in the file system, is very common for users for its practicality and the main option to try to solve file problems. However, CHKDSK may stop working for some errors and one of them may be "Cannot lock the current drive," an error of which we will review its possible causes and several methods to solve it to use the command again. Additionally, you will know a professional software to recover your information in case you suffered any loss of data.

Part 1: Fix CHKDSK Cannot Lock Current Drive in Windows 10

Occasionally, the CHKDSK command may display some errors that make it not work, which can be annoying for users who require using it. A common mistake that exists is "Cannot Lock Current Drive Windows 10," which, as the name implies, the drive cannot be locked because it is in use by an application, usually a third party. Remember that to run CHKDSK no application must be running, since it is a primary need for this command to work.

If you made sure to close all your applications and this error persists, don't worry, there are several methods to solve this problem.

Part 2: What is CHDSK Utility?

As mentioned at the beginning, CHKDSK is a command that can be activated using the Command Prompt (CMD) pre-installed tool in Windows. This utility is used to analyze, verify, and repair the storage units of a computer, these can be hard drives, solid-state drives, and even removable media. Thanks to CHKDSK it is possible to scan and repair logical errors of the storage units, monitor the state of the hard disk in real-time, and even verify the physical surface of the disk to look for physical errors or damaged sectors.

To run CHKDSK you need to open CMD with administrator permissions, as well as know the functionality of the commands and their possible combinations to be able to do the desired task. It should be noted that the first version of CHKDSK was installed in 1980 on an 86-DOS system, making it even older than the Windows operating system. This makes it the first (and most reliable) option to fix disk problems for the vast majority of users.

Part 3: Causes of CHKDSK Cannot Lock Current Drive in Windows 10

If you have tried to run CHKDSK and you get the error "Cannot Lock Current Drive Windows 10," it may be due to some factors that will be described below:

1. Wrong CHKDSK disk checking process: Verify the disk checking process is the indicated one. If you make a mistake and CHKDSK does not perform in the indicated process, the error "Cannot lock current drive in Windows 10" may arise.
2. Another program using this disk: This is the most common reason Cannot Lock Current Drive in Windows 10 error appears. It may be because, in effect, you have an open program and forgot to close it, but there are also third-party applications that work automatically and can interfere with CHKDSK activation, some are, for example, antivirus programs that are automatically activated when Windows starts. However, there may also be malware that you haven't detected and that also prevents this command from working. If you made sure to close all your programs and there is no solution, you probably have a virus on your computer.
3. Windows 10 system issue: Windows 10 is an operating system that works with many processes at once since it needs them so that all its functions are active. Although these processes generally do not interfere for the CHKDSK to work correctly, sometimes there may be some malfunctions that hinder the operation of the CMD and at the same time that of the CHKDSK.

The most basic way to fix CHKDSK Cannot Lock Current Drive error, is to make sure to close all applications, however, it is not the only one. If you could not solve it using this method, in the next part you will see several alternatives.

Part 4: How to Fix CHKDSK Cannot Lock Current Drive Error in Windows 10?

CMD's versatility allows for various ways to fix errors, including Cannot Lock Current Drive Error. Next, I will show you several alternatives to solve it:

Method 1. Run CHKDSK through Advanced Startup Options:

You can open CMD and run CHKDSK through Advanced Startup Options, in this way you can use this command in a way intended to work with tools to repair and recover Windows. To do this task, just follow the steps that I will show you below:

Step 1: Go to settings

Open settings clicking the gear icon in the Windows menu.

Step 2: Open Update & Security options

Click on "Update & Security" in the Windows Settings window.

Step 3: Restart your PC

In this window, click on "Recovery" on the left list and then click on "Restart now." Your PC will restart immediately.

Step 4: Click the options to open Command Prompt

The Advanced Startup Options menu will be shown after restarting. Click on "Troubleshoot," then on "Advanced options" and finally click on "Command Prompt" to open it.

Step 5: Run CHKDSK

Now CMD will be opened and you can run CHKDSK.

Method 2: Run CHKDSK in Safe Mode:

Safe mode is a way of access to Windows in which you can use the operating system only with its basic components, in this way, you can use your computer with some restrictions, but without programs that can harm it. CHKDSK be run in this mode because it works with CMD, a native Windows tool. Next, I will show you how to do it:

Follow the same first three steps of Method 1 to open Advanced Startup Options.

Step 1: Click the options to enable Safe Mode

In the Advanced Startup Options menu, click on "Troubleshoot," then on "Advanced options" and finally on "Startup Settings."

Step 2: Restart your PC again

Just click on "Restart" to access to Startup Settings menu.

Step 3: Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt

From this list, you have to choose "Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt," just press "6" or "F6" to activate this mode.

Step 4: Run CHKDSK

CMD will be automatically opened when Windows get started so you can run CHKDSK.

Method 3. Run CHKDSK *:

/f /r /x to Remove Disk Write Protection: Sometimes some disks come with write-protection, so you can only open files but not modify, delete, etcetera. To solve the problems that write-protection restrictions can cause you, you can use CHKDSK, and then you will know how to do it:

Step 1: Open Command Prompt tool

Click on the Windows icon and then type "cmd", right-click on "Command Prompt" and select "Run as administrator".

Step 2: Type CHKDSK *:/f /r /x

Now, type chkdsk *: /f /r /x and press "Enter" to start the process. Remember to change "*" for the letter of the disk you want to remove write protection. This command is a combination of three commands that can be activated at the same time "/f" is for fixing disk errors, "/r" is for locating bad sectors, and recovering readable information, and "/x" is for forcing the volume to dismount first if necessary.

Method 4. Update Windows 10:

If your operating system is not up to date, it can cause problems for you, including errors in CHKDSK. To update Windows follow these simple steps:

Step 1: Open the "Check for updates" tool

Click on the Windows icon and then write "Check for updates" in the search box.

Step 2: Click on "Check for updates"

Click on "Check for updates". If there are pending updates, Windows will automatically download and install them.

Step 3: Restart your PC

If Windows installed any update, click on "Restart now" and the changes will be applied.

Method 5: Temporarily Disable Antivirus Software:

Some antiviruses may affect how CHKDSK works, so it may be wise to disable them. Depending on your antivirus, there is a different way to disable it, however, they all have this function in a very accessible sector of the application.

Method 6: Restart Windows 10 computer:

Simply restarting your PC may be enough to correct some slight problems that may have triggered errors in CHKDSK.

Part 5: How to Recover Data from Windows 10 PC?

Generally, CHKDSK does not attempt against the files on your computer, however, being a tool that scans, corrects, and replaces files, it can sometimes make changes that you did not expect, so it is very convenient to be cautious and have a software to recover information. Recoverit is professional software that will help you in a very effective and practical way, you can download it at https://recoverit.wondershare.com/ and to use it you just have to do the following:

Step 1: Select a Drive

Launch Recoverit and look into "Hard Disk Drives". Your drive will be there. Select and click on "Start".

Step 2: Scan Your Drive

Recoverit will initiate a scan on the drive. You'll have great features you can use to streamline the scan and recovery process. For instance, you can simply tick the file types you want to recover instead of each one.

Step 3: Preview and Recover Drive Data

The conclusion of the scan will reveal a long list of the files the software found. Recovering them is just a matter of you selecting all the files or specific ones and clicking "Recover". The files will all be retrieved and saved on any location of your choice.

Conclusion

CHKDSK command is used by millions of users daily to correct, verify, and scan problems on their disks and files, as well as to replace corrupted files but this utility can suffer from errors like "Cannot Lock Current Drive," which has various solutions. CHKDSK is a reliable command, but you don't know if it may make undesirable changes to important files. Always be prepared by synchronizing and backing up your operating system is the best solution to protect your information and through software such as AOMEI Backupper it will ensure that your data will always be safe.