When you run CHKDSK and see "The type of the file system is NTFS", CHKDSK is simply confirming it has identified the file system type on your drive. This is a normal status message — not an error.
Part 1. Why This Message Appears
CHKDSK always reports the file system type at the start of a scan. Possible messages:
| Message | Meaning |
|---|---|
| The type of the file system is NTFS | Normal — NTFS drive, CHKDSK can proceed |
| The type of the file system is FAT32 | Normal — FAT32 drive |
| The type of the file system is exFAT | Normal — exFAT drive |
| CHKDSK is not available for RAW drives | Problem — file system unrecognizable |
Seeing "NTFS" is the best outcome — it means CHKDSK can proceed with scanning and repairing.
💡 Tip: If you see "CHKDSK is not available for RAW drives" instead, the file system is too corrupted for CHKDSK to work with. Use TestDisk to restore the partition table first, then run CHKDSK again.
Part 2. What Comes After the NTFS Confirmation
After confirming the file system, CHKDSK runs these phases:
- Stage 1 — Examining basic file system structure
- Stage 2 — Examining file name linkage
- Stage 3 — Examining security descriptors
- Stage 4 (with /r) — Looking for bad sectors
- Stage 5 (with /r) — Checking free space
Watch for these messages in the output:
| Message | Meaning |
|---|---|
| "Windows has made corrections to the file system" | Errors found and repaired |
| "Windows has scanned the file system and found no problems" | Drive is clean |
| "X KB in bad sectors" | Physical bad sectors found — concern |
| "Correcting errors in the master file table" | MFT damage repaired |
⚠️ Important: If CHKDSK reports "X KB in bad sectors" with a non-zero value, treat the drive as physically degrading. Back up all important files immediately — bad sectors tend to multiply, and a drive showing physical damage today may fail within weeks.
💡 Tip: To run CHKDSK with the most thorough scan, use
chkdsk C: /f /r /x— the/xflag forces the volume to dismount first, ensuring CHKDSK can access all file system structures. On the system drive (C:), CHKDSK schedules itself to run at next restart automatically.
Part 3. Reading the Full CHKDSK Summary
After CHKDSK completes, it shows a summary:
X GB total disk space
X KB in X files
X KB in X indexes
X KB in bad sectors ← This is the key number
X KB in use by the system
X KB occupied by the log file
X KB available on disk
Bad sectors > 0 means physical damage. Even after CHKDSK maps them as unusable, they indicate a deteriorating drive.
💡 Tip: Save the CHKDSK output to a text file for reference by running:
chkdsk C: /f /r > C:\chkdsk-report.txt. This lets you review all messages after the scan completes, which is useful since the console output can scroll by quickly during a long scan.
🗣️ r/techsupport guidance: "If CHKDSK says 'type of file system is NTFS' and finishes with 'no problems found' — your drive is healthy at the file system level. If it says 'corrections made' that's fine too — small errors were fixed. Only worry if you see bad sectors in the summary."
🗣️ r/WindowsHelp tip: "The 'type of the file system is NTFS' message confuses a lot of people because it looks like an error. It's just CHKDSK telling you what it found — like a doctor saying 'this is a human patient' before the exam."
Part 4. Recover Files If CHKDSK Found Serious Errors
If CHKDSK reported significant bad sectors or MFT corrections, Ritridata can scan the NTFS drive and recover files before further degradation.
Step 1 — Select the NTFS drive that showed CHKDSK errors
Step 2 — Run a scan — recovers files from NTFS sectors despite errors
Step 3 — Recover priority files to a healthy drive
FAQ
Is "the type of file system is NTFS" an error? No — it is a status message confirming CHKDSK recognized the file system as NTFS. It appears at the beginning of every successful CHKDSK scan on an NTFS drive.
What should I look for in CHKDSK output? The key indicators are: "Windows found errors" (repaired issues), "no problems found" (clean), and the "bad sectors" line in the summary. Bad sectors > 0 indicate physical drive degradation.
Why does CHKDSK report the file system type? CHKDSK needs to know the file system to apply the correct repair rules. NTFS, FAT32, and exFAT each have different structures. The type confirmation tells you CHKDSK identified the drive successfully.
