The CHK file extension is mostly associated with the Windows Operating System’s CHKDSK or SCANDISK utilities. These utilities are responsible for detecting errors and cleaning file fragments in the computer system. Most of these errors or fragments are encoded in files with sequentially numbered filenames and with the CHK file extension. The contents of a CHK file then are not human-readable and would require a third-party tool to understand and modify the content.
CHKDSK and SCANDISK are Windows’ standard utilities that help maintain the integrity and the functionality of the operating system. Sometimes, irregularities happen in the system due to unlikely shutdowns and when this happens, errors can be recorded in files with a CHK file extension. The system’s FAT32 is the database that is tasked to keep track of these CHK files that every time a CHK file is written, the information therein is written in the FAT which will tell the Windows operating system to retrieve the CHK file when a user calls for it (usually happens when a user attempts to turn his computer on after a system crash or error).
Since large files may not fit in some areas of the hard drive, CHK files are divided into chunks of numbered files. When it is time to open the file/s, it is the Windows’ responsibility to piece the puzzle together and know the sequence of the chunked files to be delivered to the requesting user. The errors are recorded in the CHK files and so these CHK files are the one that can help solve the errors as well. The presence of CHK files in a computer system then denotes that the system suffered with crashes and downtimes before and the existence of CHK files indicate a high volume of broken file links.
Below are the programs that can open files with a CHK file extension:
| Windows | DIY DataRecovery CHK-Mate
UnCHK FileCHK |
