How to Fix a CRC Error on an External Hard Drive

How to Recover Data from Hard Drive with CRC Error (Quick Access)

If the CRC data error issue occurs due to an external hard drive turning into RAW format, you can first run a disk data recovery tool to effectively recover data from RAW drive, and then format the disk to fix and reuse it.

1. Download and install a data recovery tool software. 2. Select the hard drive or external hard drive, then click "Scan"... Read more >>

How to Fix Data Error (Cyclic Redundancy Check) Errors in Windows 10/8/7

When you connect an external hard drive, SD card, or some other USB device to your PC and attempt to open it to view or copy data from the device, you might receive the "location is not available. CRC error." In addition, due to the external hard drive becoming RAW, you may also be prompted to format the disk. This issue is more prevalent with Seagate and Western Digital external hard drives than others.

1. 1. Check for Hard Drive Errors
2. 2. Run CHKDSK
3. 3. Perform an SFC Scan
4. 4. Recover Lost Data

Tip 1: Check for Hard Disk Errors to Fix Data Error Cyclic Redundancy Check Issues

When you're unable to access an external hard drive or data, you'd only want to fix the “CRC error” issue to retrieve your files. As we know, most of the time, the problem is caused by numerous small errors or corrupted files on the hard drive.

Thus, to fix the problem, you only need to use a partition software tool to repair the hard drive. The program has a disk checking feature that can help you scan for HDD errors and repair HDD for reuse. Additionally, it has many other highlights:

Steps to check and fix data errors using cyclic redundancy check (CRC):

Step 1: Right-click the problematic partition.

Step 2: Choose Tools > Check File System.

Step 3: Confirm whether to hide the partition.

Step 4: Check the box for "Attempt to repair errors if found."

Click “Start” to begin checking for errors on your partition.

Tip 2: Fix Data Errors with CHKDSK - cyclic redundancy check

If you're familiar with the CHKDSK command, you can run it to fix your hard drive. It checks the integrity of your hard drive, repairs file system errors, bad sectors, and file system metadata. This can help resolve cyclic redundancy check errors. Run CHKDSK by following these steps:

Step 1: Press the Windows key, then type cmd.

Step 2. Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

Step 3: Type the following command. Replace “E” with the letter of the drive containing the partition you want to fix.

Check disk E: /f /r /x

If you can't boot into Windows 10 to run CHKDSK, use one of the 5 solutions to fix UEFI boot issue in Windows 10.

Tip 3: Run SFC to Repair External Hard Drive Data Error Cyclic Redundancy Check

If certain Windows features stop working or Windows crashes, use the System File Checker to scan and repair your files. It checks all protected system files and replaces corrupted files with cached copies stored in a compressed folder. To run SFC, follow these steps:

Step 1: Search for “Command Prompt,” right-click on it, and select “Run as administrator.”

Step 2. Type the following command and press Enter.

If the drive is external, replace the letter c: in the following commands with the letter of your hard drive.

Step 3: Type cmd and press Enter.

This command translates to: sfc /scannow /offbootdir=c:\ /offwindir=c:\windows In American English, you'd say it the same way: sfc /scannow /offbootdir=c:\ /offwindir=c:\windows This command is used to run the System File Checker, which scans and repairs system files in the C:\Windows folder. The /offbootdir option specifies the location of the boot drive (in this case, C:) and the /offwindir switch indicates the location of the Windows system directory (also C:\Windows).

Tip 4: Recover files with a data recovery tool

If none of the above works for you, at least you can still save your files and data. You just need a useful data recovery tool that can help you retrieve files from SD cards, external hard drives, and other devices.

Data Recovery Wizard is the tool you need. It ensures safe and reliable data recovery from all types of storage media formatted as exFAT, FAT (FAT16, FAT32), and NTFS. It boasts several standout features:

• Convert RAW to NTFS without losing data
• Recover deleted files from virtually any device
• Easily recover photos, videos, documents, and many other files
• Supports repair of MP4/MOV/JPG/JPEG/GIF files

You can follow these steps to recover data from a storage device with CRC errors:

Step 1. Select and scan the RAW partition

If the RAW partition has a partition label, you can directly select it from the drive list and click "Scan" to search for lost files. If the RAW partition is label-less, it will be recognized as "Lost Partition". Just select the "Lost Partition" and click "Scan" to perform a full scan on the RAW drive.

Step 2. Preview the data in the scan results

When the scan is finished, all recoverable files on the RAW hard drive will be displayed. Look through the files and locate the one you need to recover. You can sort the scan results by file type, or simply search for the file in the “Search for files or folders” box.

Step 3: Recover data from the RAW partition

Select all the files and click on “Recover” to get back all your data. Select another internal or external hard drive to save the recovered data and hit “OK” to start the RAW drive recovery process.

Conclusion

When you receive the "Data error (cyclic redundancy check)" or "Unable to initialize disk: cyclic redundancy check" error, you may find that the external hard drive shows as RAW or needs initializing. Any of the above solutions can help you fix this error. If you have other hard drive issues or external hard drive errors, feel free to ask us for more assistance.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) Data Errors

For more information, please read the following FAQ:

How can I repair a RAW external hard drive without losing data?

1. Run a data recovery software to retrieve your files. 2. Connect your external hard drive in RAW format to your computer. 3. Click on the "Search" icon on the taskbar, type 'cmd'. Right-click on 'Command Prompt' and select 'Run as administrator'. 4. Type chkdsk /f G: (where G is the letter of your RAW drive) to fix your RAW external hard drive.

Can cyclic redundancy check errors be fixed?

A corrupted registry can lead to data errors – cyclic redundancy checks on your computer. Thus, running the System File Checker tool to fix missing or corrupted system files on your computer can help resolve cyclic redundancy errors caused by damaged system files.

How to fix RAW Drive Error with Checksum Error?

How to Fix Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) Errors on an External Hard Drive

1. Check for hard drive errors 2. Run CHKDSK 3. Perform an SFC scan 4. Recover lost data