How To Fix The File Or Directory Is Corrupted And Unreadable In Windows
In this article, you will be able to learn how to fix the file or directory that is corrupted and unreadable in windows.
Author:Daniel BarrettMay 17, 20228783 Shares516649 Views
The file or directory is corrupted, and unreadable is a common error that always pops up when you connect an external storage device, including an external hard drive, USB flash drive, SD card, and more, to a Windows computer no matter which system version it runs. In this article, you will be able to learn how to fix the file or directory that is corrupted and unreadable in windows.
Furthermore, once this type of error occurs on any Windows running PC, you’ll be unable to access the data and files located on the drive. This means lost data. However, the RAW file system creates an illusion that the drive is just manufactured and hasn’t been formatted.
How To Fix The File Or Directory Is Corrupted And Unreadable In Windows
The file or directory is corrupted, and various reasons can cause an unreadable” error. No matter what reason triggered yours. The solution below will help you get what you want:
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1. Check Errors with Chkdsk Command
The Chkdsk.exe is a command-line tool provided by Windows for checking and repairing volume errors. The solution below can solve your File Or Directory Is Corrupted And Unreadable In Windows before you know it.
- Click on the Start button.
- Type your command in the search box, then hold on before pushing the enter button.
- Hold CTRL-Shift on the keyboard and press the ENTER.
- Now you’ll notice a prompt dialog box asking for permission.
- Tap YES.
- Your command prompt will open as Administrator.
- Type chkdsk /f d within the command prompt and then press Enter.
- D represents the drive with the unreadable partition. Again, this will depend on the drive that is affected.
- It will take some time to complete the process.
2. Change the Location of Inaccessible Files
This is one of the most straightforward methods to try out. This kind of error can go away by changing the location of the inaccessible files and giving you a chance to open those files normally.
3. Fix The File Or Directory Is Corrupted: Formatting the Partition in Question
Formatting the Partition is the next solution to your problem once the above solution doesn’t work for you. The formatting process will configure the hard disk with a new file system, and then the old and the corrupted file system will get replaced.
Note: All files will be deleted. Follow the below steps to get it done in a few steps:
- Firstly, connect your external drive with the PC.
- Now, open Windows Explorer.
- Right-click on the disk for you to be able to locate and choose the option “Format” item.
- Choose the file system format you will need, leave the default setting, and then select the Quick Format option.
- Finally, tap on Start for formatting the drive.
4. Disable or Uninstall Anti-Virus Software
Your newly or already installed Anti-Virus Software might cause your problem. This can prevent the PC from reading the device normally. You can disable or uninstall the firewall and antivirus software to stop this from happening. Then, restart your PC after that and see if the problem persists.
5. Format the Device without Losing Data
This method is probably your solution to this problem. If all else fails, formatting the hard drive will fix the problem and erase your valuable files. However, there are three ways to format a hard drive to get it fixed. Let’s break each method down:
Method 1: Format from File Explorer
- Open My Computer/PC and navigate to your damaged external hard drive.
- Right-click and then choose the Format option.
- Now, tick the Quick Format under the Format option and select the file.
- Next, click on the Start button to start formatting.
Method 2: Format from Disk Management
- Right-click on the Windows button.
- Choose Disk Management from the list.
- Find the damaged hard disk and right-click on it.
- Now, you’ll notice a format option, tap it, and the Format dialog will appear.
- Customize the settings and press OK to begin to process.
Method 3: Format a Hard Drive using Command Prompt
This method requires carefulness because it’s pretty complicated and time-consuming. Try not to make a mistake on this one because it can damage your operating systemor other important files. Here’s how :
- Type Command Prompt in the search bar.
- Navigate to it and run as administrator.
- Type diskpart and push Enter button.
- Type list disk and press Enter.
- You’ll now see a list of available hard-disk showing up.
- Type select disk x and press Enter. It would be best if you replace x with the real d
- Type clean and ensure that you have typed the correct disk number in the last step before pressing Enter here.
- You’ll need to create a new partition for your hard disk to be accessible. You’re required to type the command create partition primary here.
- Now, format your hard disk to a new file system. The command that needs to enter here is format fs=ntfs.
- Finally, the type assigns to assign a drive letter for the partition.
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How To Fix The File Or Directory Is Corrupted And Unreadable In Windows
1. Check Errors with Chkdsk Command
2. Change the Location of Inaccessible Files
3. Fix The File Or Directory Is Corrupted: Formatting the Partition in Question
4. Disable or Uninstall Anti-Virus Software
5. Format the Device without Losing Data
Daniel Barrett
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