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check disk for errors - windows

7/17/2026

Error - Failed to mount "Windows SSD" (on Kali linux)

Background

Sometimes when I boot my kali live usb, I face this issue: "Failed to mount Windows SSD".

Another reason why I hate windows..

I use the drive in windows, particularly the C:\ drive to store the info I gather during my missions.
This is because my USB is really old and only has a capacity of 16GB and is almost full after the ISO file was etched into it.

Core Concepts

The Problem

add error pic here

This happens when the disk is in a "dirty" state, due to Windows not shutting down cleanly, or the disk being corrupted.
One of the causes for this is the "Fast Startup" feature in Windows.

The Solution

Disable Fast Startup on Windows

Run Windows error checking from Windows

Run chkdsk from command prompt

Note:  
It may take a while for windows to complete fixing the errors. I will update this post when I get to know more about why this happens and how to avoid it, if that is a possibility. But for now that is not a priority.

Run defragmentation from Windows