How to Fix a Corrupted Hard Drive Without Formatting in Windows 10/8/7

Top 5 Methods to Repair a Corrupted Hard Drive (Quick Navigation)

Hard drive corruption is a frequent concern for Windows 10/8/7 users. In this article, we will guide you through the steps to resolve a corrupted hard disk issue. Below is an overview of the HDD repair methods we will be discussing.

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What Causes Hard Disk Corruption (Signs of a Corrupted HDD)?

Sometimes, your internal hard drive or external hard drive might become damaged and become unrecognized or inaccessible in Windows 10/8/7. Generally, hard drive corruption can be attributed to the following factors:

• Power supply and connection errors
• Virus issues
• File system errors
• Bad sectors
• Software/hardware issues
• Physical damage

Meanwhile, you may encounter error messages like "drive is not accessible. The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable"; the hard drive turns RAW and displays a "disk needs to be formatted" error.

Be it an internal hard disk or an external hard drive, there are remedies to repair a damaged hard disk. How to fix a corrupted hard drive? The simplest solution to rectify a corrupt hard disk is by formatting it, albeit at the cost of data loss. However, if you wish to preserve your data, this post will outline several practical methods to fix corrupted hard drives without the need for formatting.

How to Recover a Corrupted Hard Drive with Data Recovery Software

Since data loss is common during disk repair, it's crucial to retrieve important data from the corrupted hard drive beforehand. The professional file recovery tool, Data Recovery Wizard, can assist you in recovering formatted hard drives, as well as damaged and inaccessible ones.

To utilize this tool, first download it and then proceed with the following steps to retrieve data from a damaged hard drive. You may观看这个视频教程先：

• 00:23 What causes data loss
• 01:28 Launch the Data Recovery Wizard tool
• 01:37 Wait for the scanning process to complete
• 02:16 Preview the recovered files

Now, you can refer to the written tutorial with pictures to recover data step by step:

Step 1. Scan the hard drive partition This means: Step 1. Perform a scan on the hard drive partition

Select the drive on your hard disk where you lost or deleted files. Click "Scan" and allow the data recovery software to scan for all lost data and files on the selected drive.

Select a location and scan the hard drive.

Step 2. Check the results

Upon completion of the scan, you can utilize the "Filter" feature or click on the "Search files or folders" option to locate the lost files on the hard drive.

Step 3. Recover Lost Hard Drive Data

Select the desired files that you lost on the drive and click "Recover" to save them to another location.

Now that you've retrieved the critical data, you can proceed with the solutions provided to fix the damaged hard drive. Before doing so, don't forget to share this page and recommend the tool Data Recovery Wizard to others!

How to Repair a Corrupted Hard Drive Without Formatting (5 Methods)

Whether it's an internal hard drive or an external one, you can discover solutions to repair a corrupted hard disk. The most straightforward method to fix a corrupted hard disk is by formatting the HDD, albeit this will result in data loss. In this article, we will delve into 5 practical methods to fix a corrupted hard drive without resorting to formatting.

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• Wipe data, format/unformat hard drives, install/uninstall software or drivers, etc.

Solution 2: Check and Repair Disk to Fix Corrupted Hard Drive with Antivirus Software Step 1: Boot into Safe Mode To minimize the chances of interference from other programs, boot your computer into Safe Mode. This can usually be done by repeatedly pressing F8 during startup until the Advanced Boot Options menu appears. Step 2: Run an Antivirus Scan Once in Safe Mode, launch your antivirus software. Make sure it's up to date to ensure it can detect the latest threats. Perform a full system scan to check for any malware or viruses that might be causing the hard drive corruption. Step 3: Remove Threats If the antivirus detects any malicious files or threats, follow its instructions to quarantine or remove them. It's crucial not to interrupt this process to avoid potential data loss. Step 4: Check Disk Utility After removing the threats, open the built-in disk utility tool on your operating system. For Windows, it's called "chkdsk," while on macOS, it's "Disk Utility." In Linux, you may use "fsck" or "Disks." - Windows: Open Command Prompt as an administrator and type "chkdsk /f /r C:" (replace "C:" with your affected drive letter). Press Enter and allow the process to complete. - macOS: Launch Disk Utility, select the corrupted drive, and click "First Aid." Click "Run" to start the repair process. - Linux: Open Terminal and type "fsck /dev/sda1" (replace "/dev/sda1" with the appropriate partition). If prompted, answer "y" to fix any issues. Step 5: Repair Disk The disk utility will scan your hard drive for errors and attempt to repair them. This process may take some time, so be patient. Step 6: Restart Your Computer After the repair is finished, restart your computer normally. The corruption should be fixed, and your hard drive should function correctly. Note: If the issue persists, consider using specialized hard drive recovery tools or seeking professional assistance.

Viruses and malware can cause damage to your hard drive. Connect the hard drive to a computer running Windows and utilize a trustworthy antivirus or malware removal tool to scan the drive or the system. To address this issue, you can rely on Windows Defender or a reputable third-party antivirus software. Here's an illustration of using Norton to eliminate a virus: 1. Download and install Norton Antivirus from their official website. 2. Plug in the affected hard drive to the Windows PC via a USB cable or an external enclosure. 3. Launch Norton Antivirus and ensure it is up to date with the latest virus definitions. 4. Run a full system scan on the Windows PC. This will also scan the connected hard drive. 5. During the scan, Norton will detect and quarantine any malicious files found. 6. Once the scan is complete, review the scan results and remove or delete any identified threats. 7. Restart the computer and disconnect the hard drive. 8. Perform a quick scan again to confirm that all viruses have been eliminated. Remember, prevention is key. Keep your antivirus software updated and avoid suspicious websites or email attachments to minimize the risk of future infections.

Step 1. Download and run Norton Power Eraser. If a new version is available, Norton Power Eraser will check for it and download it.

Step 2. In the "Norton Power Eraser" window, click on the "Scan for Risks" option.

Step 3. Wait for the tool to eliminate any risks from your system.

Step 4. After successfully eliminating any potential threats, click "Finish".

You might also be interested in learning how to fix a corrupted external hard drive. The following passage could be quite informative:

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How to Repair a Corrupted External Hard Drive Without Data Loss

Your external hard drive is corrupted and you can't access your stored data? Don't worry. This article will guide you on how to fix it. Read more >>

Solution 3: How to Fix a Corrupted Hard Drive Using Command Prompt

When a hard drive's file system becomes corrupted, and you're unable to access the disk, you can perform a CHKDSK scan to repair the corrupted hard drive without the need for formatting it.

The CHKDSK command is used to examine the file system and file system metadata on a volume for logical and physical errors. When run without any parameters, it simply displays the volume's status and does not correct any issues. However, when combined with the /f, /r, /x, or /b parameters, CHKDSK will repair any errors found on the volume.

Just to provide a brief explanation, the "/f" parameter in CHKDSK repairs any errors that are detected. The "/r" parameter instructs the command to locate and deal with bad sectors on the drive. The "/x" parameter ensures that the drive is forcibly dismounted before the CHKDSK process begins.

Step 1. Next to the Windows Start menu, in the "Search Windows" box, type cmd.

Step 2. In the search results, right-click on "Command Prompt" and choose "Run as administrator."

Step 3. In the Command Prompt window, type the command: chkdsk E: /f /r /x and then press Enter. Make sure to replace "E" with the appropriate letter for your drive.

If you encounter errors such as "CHKDSK is not available," please refer to the following article to resolve the issue.

File System Is RAW, CHKDSK Not Available for RAW Drives

Encountering the error 'The type of file system is RAW. Chkdsk is not available for RAW drives'? Learn how to recover data from the RAW file system on this page.

Solution 4: Fix Corrupted Hard Disk with File System Repair Software

CleanGenius is a user-friendly computer repair tool that is both secure and lightweight. It serves as an excellent alternative to the CHKDSK command. With its one-click functionality, you can effortlessly fix a damaged file system.

Step 1. Download CleanGenius on your computer and complete the installation process.

Step 2. Run the software. Click "Optimization", and then select "File Showing".

Step 3. Choose the drive with the corrupted file system. Check the "Check and fix file system error" option, then click "Execute".

Step 4. Wait for the tool to perform the repair task. Once done, click the "here" button to check the drive.

If you find these methods helpful, share this page on Twitter or Facebook to help more users!

Solution 5: Update the Disk Driver to Resolve Hard Disk Corruption Issue

If a driver issue leads to hard drive corruption, you need to update the driver in Windows 11/10. There might be some issues with the device driver installed on your PC. Follow these steps to update the driver:

Step 1. Right-click on This PC or My Computer and select Properties.

Step 2. On the left panel, click Device Manager to open it. Expand the Universal Serial Bus controllers category, and you'll see a yellow exclamation mark if your disk driver is outdated.

Step 3. Right-click on your drive and select "Update driver".

Step 4. Select "Search automatically for updated driver software..."

Bonus Tips: How to Effectively Prevent Hard Drive Corruption

Repairing a hard drive can be a challenging endeavor, even for seasoned professionals. To safeguard your hard drive against corruption, it is advisable to safely eject external drives before disconnecting them and to consistently create backups of your data.

To accomplish the latter, you can utilize a tool such as Backup and Recovery Software (e.g., this one). This software aids in backing up crucial data from your hard drives. Here's how to use it:

Step 1. The first time you use Todo Backup to back up files, click Create backup on the home screen, then click the big question mark to select backup contents.

Step 2. Since you're planning to back up files and folders on your computer, proceed with the "File" backup mode. Here, you can choose to back up pictures, videos, documents, and all other file types.

Step 3. Follow the paths to find the files, folders, or directories you want to back up, select them all, and click "OK".

Step 4. Next, you need to choose a backup location to save and store the backup.

Step 5. Todo Backup enables users to save backup files to any device that is convenient for you, such as a local hard drive, external USB drive, SD card, network drive, NAS drive, or even the brand's cloud drive. Personally, we recommend choosing the cloud drive over physical drives to store important backups due to its better accessibility, flexibility, and security.

To access the Tools Cloud, all you need is an email registration and login.

Step 6. If you're interested in an automatic and intelligent backup schedule for the next file backup task, proceed with the "Options" setting. Here, you can encrypt a confidential file backup, compress the backup image size, or customize a backup scheme to specify the time for the software to initiate the next backup.

Customize an advanced and automated backup task here:

Step 7. Click "Backup Now" to initiate the file backup process. Your completed backup files will be displayed on the left side in a card format.

Conclusion

Is your hard disk in the process of being repaired? If you're still unable to find suitable solutions to fix a corrupted hard drive, consider the features of each method. Choose the appropriate solution based on your specific situation.

Hard drive corruption is a prevalent issue for many users. When your hard drive becomes damaged, the data is not necessarily lost. You can utilize tools to recover corrupted SD cards, hard drives, external hard drives, USB drives, and so on. Once the data recovery process is completed, you can then proceed to fix your storage device.

Hard Drive Corrupted FAQs

Here are 4 more questions regarding how to fix a corrupted hard drive. You can find the answers here.

1. Why is my hard drive corrupted?

Hard drive data corruption takes place when a system is unable to complete writing data to a file or when portions of the file become inaccessible. Unfavorable operating conditions often lead to physical hard disk issues that contribute to corruption; however, all hard drives eventually fail due to mechanical stress. You can find more details on the causes and symptoms in the respective section.

2. How do you fix a corrupted hard drive? To fix a corrupted hard drive, you can follow these steps: 1. **Backup Important Data**: Before attempting any repairs, it's crucial to back up any important files to prevent data loss. 2. **Boot in Safe Mode**: Restart your computer and boot into Safe Mode. This will prevent potentially problematic software from loading, allowing you to troubleshoot the hard drive. 3. **Scan for Errors**: Use the built-in error-checking tool in Windows or macOS: - For Windows: Open Command Prompt as an administrator and type `chkdsk /f /r C:` (replace 'C:' with the affected drive letter). This will scan and repair file system errors. - For macOS: Open Disk Utility, select the problematic drive, and click on "First Aid" to run a disk verification and repair. 4. **Run System File Checker (Windows only)**: In Windows, run the System File Checker (SFC) to fix corrupted system files: - Open Command Prompt as an administrator and type `sfc /scannow`. 5. **Use Disk Utility (macOS only)**: If the issue persists, try repairing the disk permissions in macOS: - Open Disk Utility, select the volume, click on "File," then "Repair Disk Permissions." 6. **Check Hardware**: If software solutions fail, it could be a hardware issue. Check if the hard drive is properly connected and consider using diagnostic tools provided by the manufacturer. 7. **Format the Drive**: As a last resort, you may need to format the hard drive, which will erase all data. Make sure you've backed up everything important before doing this. In Windows, right-click the drive in File Explorer, choose "Format," and follow the prompts. In macOS, use Disk Utility and select "Erase." 8. **Reinstall the Operating System**: After formatting, reinstall the operating system, and restore your backed-up data. Remember that professional assistance might be necessary if the corruption is severe or hardware-related.

To repair a damaged hard drive:

1. Inspect the Hard Disk
2. Run Antivirus Software
3. Execute SFC (System File Checker) Scan
4. Utilize CMD (Command Prompt) Command
5. Try an Alternative to CMD
6. Update the Disk Driver
7. Employ a Data Recovery Tool

< strong > 3. Can a virus corrupt a hard drive? < /strong > A virus has the potential to cause damage to a hard drive, although it is not a common occurrence. Viruses can infect files on the hard drive, alter or delete data, and in some extreme cases, cause the hard drive to fail. However, modern antivirus software is effective at detecting and removing such threats, reducing the likelihood of significant damage. It's still essential to maintain regular backups of important data to protect against any potential issues.

Viruses can and have turned hard drives into seemingly useless bricks. But the only thing they can damage is the data stored there.

< strong > 4. Will formatting fix a corrupted hard drive? < /strong > Formatting a hard drive can potentially resolve corruption issues, as it erases all data and structures on the drive, and creates a fresh file system. However, it's important to note that this process will result in the loss of all your data. Before formatting, you should attempt to recover any important files using data recovery tools. If the corruption is severe or the drive has physical damage, formatting might not be sufficient, and professional assistance might be required.

Indeed, it's one of the methods to attempt. A Full format will genuinely go through the hard drive from the beginning, reconstruct all its file systems, and scan the drive to ensure that everything is satisfactory. However, this operation results in data loss.