Power failure during CHKDSK - Hardware & Software

Today I came home and went to get on my PC when I realized it wasn't on anymore. When I leave for school I put it to sleep but today it was completely off. It turns out all day my electricity has been flickering and going out every few minutes, for three or four seconds at a time. So I start it up and CHKDSK automatically runs. It gets to about 55 percent done (and it seemed to be doing quite a bit of fixing) when the power flickers again and shuts down the computer, mid-diskcheck. The power is out for now but when it comes back I'll be scared to turn it on again in case the power dies... I've read that a power failure during CHKDSK can kill your HDD, so am I fucked here?

Just wait until your electricity is more stable, or take it to a friend's house who's on a different grid and then try running it.

[quote]Interrupting chkdsk is not recommended. However, canceling or interrupting chkdsk should not leave the volume any more corrupt than it was before chkdsk was run. Rerunning chkdsk checks and repairs any remaining corruption on the volume.[/quote] [url]http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc730714(v=ws.10).aspx[/url] EDIT: your situation might be more serious because chkdsk wasn't just cancelled; the drive was actually shut off. But re-running chkdsk is really the only thing you can do at this point.

You better try to stable your power grid, or even better unplug your computer from the power outlet. When the voltage is constantly fluctuating like that at one point it may go beyond the normal voltage and take out your PSU.

You should be fine.

[QUOTE=Merijnwitje;40687385]You better try to get stable your power grid, or even better unplug your computer from the power outlet. When the voltage is constantly fluctuating like that at one point it may go beyond the normal voltage and take out your PSU.[/QUOTE] hell, he should get a cheap UPS [url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16842101343[/url]

[QUOTE=ShaunOfTheLive;40691818]hell, he should get a cheap UPS [url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16842101343[/url][/QUOTE] Oh yeah, these things are able to straighten out the power surges fine. But even then, leaving his computer like this will take down it's PSU without any doubt

Any PSU worth its salt has under and overvoltage protection.

I'm no pro on chkdisk, but I can't see it powering off mid-scan causing any harm unless there were a corrupt structure on the disk to begin with. If there is no corruption in the first place then chkdisk will only scan the structural consistency to find errors, no writing will occur (hence corruption is highly improbable). Of course if you already had errors and the power went out whilst chkdisk was trying to fix them you're looking at a high probability of problems.

[QUOTE=SGI Onyx;40697891]Any PSU worth its salt has under and overvoltage protection.[/QUOTE] True, when his PSU handles 230v as well (if it's a international one), it should be able to eat any voltage spike in his house, as far as it doesn't go beyond 230v.

[QUOTE=Merijnwitje;40698443]True, when his PSU handles 230v as well (if it's a international one), it should be able to eat any voltage spike in his house, as far as it doesn't go beyond 230v.[/QUOTE] This is not a correct statement.