9 Ways to Overcome The File Or Directory Is Corrupted And Unreadable In Windows

 The Windows “The File or Directory is Corrupted and Unreadable” error can stop users from accessing their important files, but it can be easily fixed. Here's how to deal with The File or Directory is Corrupted and Unreadable.

Let's say you connect a flash disk or external hard drive that contains some important files to your Windows computer. But instead of accessing it, you get the error "The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable".

Now, the only way to get to your files is to resolve the error. Although this may sound a little scary. But you don't need to worry, because in this article we will discuss several ways to deal with The File or Directory is Corrupted and Unreadable in Windows.

What Causes the “The File or Directory is Corrupted and Unreadable” Error?

There are several reasons for this error but if you can identify the cause then the troubleshooting process will be shorter. Here are some possible causes of the “The File or Directory is Corrupted and Unreadable” error:

* Physical damage – If the storage device is permanently damaged, you cannot access the stored information. Also, check the integrity of the hardware connection. Look for a damaged USB port or cable.

* MFT or FAT is corrupted. The MFT (Master File Table) contains the file or directory type, size, creation, or modification time, among other info. So you won't be able to access files if the MFT is damaged or corrupted. FAT (File Allocation Table) is a system similar to MFT, and designed for hard drives. If FAT doesn't work, it can also cause the same error.

* Virus or malware infection. It's no secret that you can infect your computer with viruses or malware when you download something from unofficial sources. This can cause damage to your connected external devices and stop you from accessing files.

How to Overcome The File or Directory is Corrupted and Unreadable

After you know some of the causes of this error, now you will easily solve it. Here are some ways to deal with The File or Directory is Corrupted and Unreadable.

1. Restart the computer

If you are in the habit of putting your computer into Sleep mode instead of shutting it down, you may experience different issues and slowdowns. So there is a possibility that the error "The File or Directory is Corrupted and Unreadable" is just a temporary error that will disappear after you restart your computer. If you still get the same error after restarting, move on to the next solution.

2. Disable Antivirus

If the antivirus detects a possible threat on the external drive, it can stop you from accessing it. If you are sure that there are no threats on the drive, you can temporarily disable the antivirus while using the external drive.

3. Change File Location

If you get an error when you try to open a particular folder or file, try changing the location. So if you want to open a file or folder from an external drive, copy it on the internal drive and try to access it from there.

4. Scan Drives

Scan Drives

Scanning a drive from Properties is an efficient way to look for errors on a drive. Depending on what error Windows is detecting, you can choose the right tool to fix it. To scan the drive, right click and select Properties. Then, on the Tools tab, click Check to start the scan.

5. New Set of Drive Letters

Even though this is an odd trick, it might help you solve the “The File or Directory is Corrupted and Unreadable” error on your Windows computer. Follow these steps to change the drive letter:

New Set of Drive Letters

1. Press Win + R to launch the Run dialog box.

2. Type diskmgmt.msc and click OK.

3. In the Disk Management window, right-click the external drive and select Change Drive Letter and Paths.

4. Select a drive letter and click the Change button.

5. In the Change Drive Letter or Path window, check Assign the following drive letter and select a new letter from the drop-down menu.

6. Confirmation of action.

Your external drive now has a new letter, and you should be able to open it. If you use a script to open files from the drive, you will also have to modify it.

6. Run Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool

Run Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool

There are chances that you may not be able to access certain files or folders due to memory related issues. To fix it, you have to use the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool. The easiest way to launch this tool is to enter Windows Memory Diagnostic in the Start menu search bar and select the most suitable one. Then, select Restart now and check for problems.

Note: Before starting the scan, save all your work and close all running applications.

7. Check if the computer has malware

If you notice other problems with your computer, not just the inability to access the external hard drive, it's likely that your computer is infected with a virus. You can use a third-party antivirus or built-in Windows tool to fix this:

Check if the computer has malware

1. Open Settings and open Update & Security.

2. From the left pane, click Windows Security.

3. Select Virus & threat protection.

4. Click Scan option and select Full scan.

5. Once the scan is complete, restart your computer and try to access the external hard drive.

8. Execute Command Line

If you still get the error message "The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable" when trying to open the external hard drive, there is a possibility that the drive has bad sectors. In this case, you have to run the chkdsk command to fix it. Follow the steps below to do this:

Run CommandLine

1. In the search bar start menu search for command prompt then right click and select Run as administrator.

2. After the command prompt window opens, type chkdsk x: /f /r and press Enter. Remember to replace x with your drive letter.

3. Windows will now scan the drive and look for bad sectors, directory errors, lost clusters, and recover data if necessary. How long the scan will take depends on the drive's read speed and data size.

If you run a command and Command Prompt displays the message "Cannot open volume for direct access", restart your computer and try again. If you get the error "Unable to determine volume version and state. CHKDSK aborted.”. In this case, your data drive is most likely corrupted.

9. Format the External Hard Drive

If you still can't access the files, there is one more solution you can try. Format drives. While it will fix the problem, it will also delete any data you have stored on the drive. Before formatting it, you must recover the data.

External Hard Drive Format

To format your drive, right click and select Format. In the Format window, select a file system and tick the Quick format option. Then, click Start to launch the process.

Conclusion

So that's how to deal with the file or directory is corrupted and unreadable. It's always frustrating to run into errors, especially when they stop you from accessing files. But with a little patience, you can overcome it. This can serve as a reminder to always back up important files and folders. You can use a cloud storage service to do this as there are many options available.

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Resa Risyan

Just an ordinary person who wants to share a little knowledge, hopefully the knowledge I provide can be useful for all of us. Keep in mind! Useful knowledge is an investment in the afterlife.