Windows Unable to Repair Drive-Fix It Right Now!
You may be asked to run built-If Windows detects a drive error, such as an external hard drive, flash drive, or SD card, but the built-in system file checker or disk checker utility is unable to repair it, you may encounter error messages like "Windows was unable to repair drive" or "There was a problem repairing this drive".
You're experiencing an error message on your Surface Pro tablet when trying to repair a USB drive. Although you can still access the drive in File Explorer, Windows is unable to repair it using chkdsk. This error message typically indicates a problem with the drive's file system, but since you can still access the files, it might be a minor issue. You can try running a more advanced disk check tool like DISM or SFC to see if it can identify and fix the problem. If not, you may need to consider reformatting the drive, but this will erase all data on it.
The error "Windows cannot repair drive" may be caused by a corrupted or damaged file system, improper removal of the drive while it's in use, a virus attack, or connecting it to different devices like PCs, game consoles, or cameras. To fix the issue, follow the step-by-step guide below.
Windows cannot repair external drive - backup files first
If you get the error message "there is a problem with this drive. scan the drive now and fix it", it's a good idea to back up your files first if you can still access the drive. Any mistakes during the recovery or repair process could result in data loss. You can use a free backup and restore software like Qiling Disk Master Standard to make a backup.
It supports all backup solutions, allowing you to backup files, system, disk, or partition, and restore if needed. It also enables scheduling backups at daily, weekly, or monthly intervals, with options for full or incremental backups.
AOMEI Backupper is a reliable and user-friendly software that offers great compatibility in storage devices and Windows systems, allowing you to backup to external hard drives, USB drives, network drives, NAS, and more, including Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP/Vista. To backup files on the problematic drive, follow these detailed steps.
Step 1. Download Qiling Disk Master Standard, install and launch it, then click Backup -> File Backup to start the backup process.
Step 2. Select files or folders to backup, then choose a different location, such as an external hard drive, network drive, cloud drive, or NAS, to store the backed-up files.
Step 3. Click Proceed and wait patiently until the operation is 100% completed.
✍ Tip: When you create an account on Qiling, you can back up files to the Qiling Cloud, which provides 1TB of free storage for 15 days after signing up.
How do I fix "Windows was unable to repair drive" error
The error "Windows cannot repair the drive while it's in use" can be resolved by stopping the drive's use through the "Safely remove hardware" option, restarting the computer, and reconnecting the drive. If this doesn't work, further solutions can be tried.
Solution 1: Run chkdsk
The "Windows unable to repair the drive" error may occur during the scan process of chkdsk or when using built-tool. To resolve this issue, it's recommended to run the command line utility at the time you restart your computer.
Step 1. Type cmd in the search box, select Command Prompt with admin priority.
Step 2. Type chkdsk F: /f/r and hit Enter to run this command. Wait patiently and type exit to leave the window.
If the hard drive has any bad sectors, your data on this drive will be lost during the scanning and repairing process.
Solution 2: Run system file checker
Step 1. Go to command prompt window, type sfc /scannow and hit Enter to run it.
Step 2. Wait until the operation is completed. Type exit to go away.
Step 3. Restart your computer and check if "Windows cannot repair hard drive" disappear.
Solution 3: Run hardware and devices troubleshooter
Step 1. Go to Control Panel, find Troubleshooter or Troubleshooting, it depends on the operating system you are currently using.
Step 2. Click Configure a device under Hardware and Sound option.
Step 3. click Advanced and tick Apply repairs automatically, then click Next.
Step 4. Now, the troubleshooter will start to detect the problem on your system and try to fix it. Then, click Close.
Solution 4: Run Startup repair
Step 1. To access the advanced startup options, go to Settings, then Update & Security, and select Recovery. From there, choose Advanced startup and restart your computer. Once your computer has restarted, click Troubleshoot in the Choose an option window.
Step 2. Click Advanced options and Startup repair in order.
Step 3. Wait until the process end and restart your computer.
Solution 5: Perform clean boot
Step 1. Go to safe mode. Press the F8 key repeatedly as your computer starts, before the Windows logo appears, and select Safe Mode from the Advanced Boot Options.
Step 2. If you receive the error "Windows was unable to repair drive" you can restart your computer and perform a clean boot in normal mode.
Step 3. Type msconfig in the search box and select system configuration.
Step 4. In the pop-up window, click the Services tab, tick Hide all Microsoft services at the bottom and hit Disable all button.
Step 5. To resolve the issue, click the "Startup" tab in Task Manager, select all startup items, and disable them. Then, restart your computer and verify if the error is resolved.
For Windows 8, 8.1, and 10, the steps to disable startup programs are the same, with the only difference being the interface. For Windows 7, you need to go to System Configuration, tick Selective startup and Load startup items under the General tab, then click the Services tab, tick all the services and the checkbox before Hide all Microsoft services, and finally hit the Disable all tab.
Final words
If you're still able to access the problematic drive when receiving the "Windows unable to repair drive" error message, it's a good time to back up your files to prevent data loss. Once backed up, you can proceed with fixing the error.
To avoid losing important data, create a file backup in advance and schedule it to run daily, weekly, or monthly. This way, you can track all changes made after the first full backup and easily restore files in case of a disaster.
If you don't have a backup, please download Qiling Disk Master Standard to have a try. For advanced features like differential backup, automatic backup to a USB drive, and regular deletion of backup files, consider using Qiling Disk Master Professional.
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