fsck

Fsck ( for " file system check " or "file system consistency check " ) is a software for checking the consistency of file systems for Unix derivatives. Normally fsck is started automatically when discovered at boot time an inconsistency, eg by a computer crash or power failure.

In general, fsck performs a repair, the user is asked what he wants as repaired. Typically, there are also options on an auto repair and for the pure list the errors found without repair.

Fsck can be run manually by the system administrator, if necessary. As a frontend accepts fsck work on a specific file system itself, but calls the specific file system check program, eg fsck.ext3, for the specified file system. The user does not know what filesystem is on the partition to be tested here.

Journaling file systems have a particular structure, which greatly shortened the time to repair. If the FreeBSD UFS2 file system is used, fsck runs in the background. Thus, it is normally not necessary to wait for the completion of fsck before you can access the hard drive.

A real review, even with journaling file systems, the program provides scrub for the file system ZFS.

In Microsoft systems is used scandisk and chkdsk.