When an external drive reports corruption, Windows marks the volume dirty. chkdsk performs a three-stage process:
The "Fix" Mechanism:
Error: “Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another process.” chkdsk on external drive fix
Solutions:
Schedule at next reboot (for internal drives only): When an external drive reports corruption, Windows marks
chkdsk E: /f /r
Then press Y and restart.
Still stuck? Use Safe Mode:
If CHKDSK completes but your drive still has issues: