Abstract: Methods and a processing system directed to a network assisted file system checker are described. In one embodiment the checker system is a network assisted checker that employs virtual storage devices that is storage is backed by files, and optionally the files backing the virtual storage devices may be remote files accessed over a network through a network file sharing protocol such as, but not limited to, NFS or CIFS. A device driver module introduces the virtual storage device to the local operating system supporting the checker process, and the device driver maps read and write requests made by the checker process to the virtual storage device onto files being supported by the network file sharing system.