HDD External Hard Drive Corrupted and Unreadable

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the Tom's Hardware community: where nearly two million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
Status
Not open for further replies.


Thanks for saving my HDD, im not a techy person so your advise really saves me and my HDD.
 
 
Thank you for your help. I had a similar problem. I ran the CHKDSK. After doing that I received the message stating "drive is not accessible. access is denied.". Any ideas of how to fix this problem.

Thank you
 


 


If the damage to Master File Table (MFT) is serious, you have to use third party software, like Active Uneraser for DOS or Active File Recovery for Windows to access and save your files to another drive, and then reformat the drive.
More safer way is to look for help in professional service.
 
Performing CHKDSK sometimes cannot be done, and message appeares:
"Windows cannot recover master file table. CHKDSK aborted."
In that case the damage to Master File Table (MFT) could be serious, and you have to use third party software, like Active Uneraser for DOS or Active File Recovery for Windows to access and save your files to another drive, and then reformat the drive.
More safer way is to look for help in professional service.
 


Probably there are corrupted files on drive. You could try to recover drive, but you'll be lucky if recovery programs can even get your files back. One of the best file recovery software (and free!) is Parted Magic.
More safer way is to look for help in professional service.
 
If chkdsk cannot perform its task, then usually appears one of three messages:

1) "Drive is not accessible. Access is denied."
It seems you have no permission (administrator privileges) on your computer to perform chkdsk. There are two ways to get permission before you run chkdsk next time:
The first method: Click Start and in the Search field type: cmd then right-click the Command Prompt icon (cmd.exe) and click Run as administrator, and then type: chkdsk <your external HDD letter:> /f (press Enter).
The other way to get permission to do chkdsk is by enabling the 'super admin account': Click Start and in the Search field type: cmd then right-click the Command Prompt icon (cmd.exe) and click Run as administrator, and type: net user administrator /active:yes (press Enter). The system should return you with the following message: The command completed successfully. Exit the Command Prompt. Click the Start icon, and log off from the current account and in the Account window you should now see the Administrator account. Log in Administrator, open Command Prompt, and perform chkdsk <your external HDD letter:> /f (press Enter). Note: If you want to turn off the Admin account, in Command Prompt type: net user administrator /active:no (press Enter).

2) "Unable to determine volume version and state. CHKDSK aborted."
Probably there are corrupted files on drive. You could try to recover drive, but you'll be lucky if recovery programs can even get your files back. One of the best file recovery software (and free!) is Parted Magic.
More safer way is to look for help in professional service.

3) "Windows cannot recover master file table. CHKDSK aborted."
If the damage to Master File Table (MFT) is serious, you have to use third party software, like Active Uneraser for DOS or Active File Recovery for Windows to access and save your files to another drive, and then reformat the drive.
More safer way is to look for help in professional service.
 


It seems you have no permission (administrator privileges) on your computer to perform chkdsk. There are two ways to get permission before you run chkdsk next time:
The first method: Click Start and in the Search field type: cmd then right-click the Command Prompt icon (cmd.exe) and click Run as administrator, and then type: chkdsk <your external HDD letter:> /f (press Enter).
The other way to get permission to do chkdsk is by enabling the 'super admin account': Click Start and in the Search field type: cmd then right-click the Command Prompt icon (cmd.exe) and click Run as administrator, and type: net user administrator /active:yes (press Enter). The system should return you with the following message: The command completed successfully. Exit the Command Prompt. Click the Start icon, and log off from the current account and in the Account window you should now see the Administrator account. Log in Administrator, open Command Prompt, and perform chkdsk <your external HDD letter:> /f (press Enter). Note: If you want to turn off the Admin account, in Command Prompt type: net user administrator /active:no (press Enter).
 


It seems you have no permission (administrator privileges) on your computer to perform chkdsk. There are two ways to get permission before you run chkdsk next time:
The first method: Click Start and in the Search field type: cmd then right-click the Command Prompt icon (cmd.exe) and click Run as administrator, and then type: chkdsk <your external HDD letter:> /f (press Enter).
The other way to get permission to do chkdsk is by enabling the 'super admin account': Click Start and in the Search field type: cmd then right-click the Command Prompt icon (cmd.exe) and click Run as administrator, and type: net user administrator /active:yes (press Enter). The system should return you with the following message: The command completed successfully. Exit the Command Prompt. Click the Start icon, and log off from the current account and in the Account window you should now see the Administrator account. Log in Administrator, open Command Prompt, and perform chkdsk <your external HDD letter:> /f (press Enter). Note: If you want to turn off the Admin account, in Command Prompt type: net user administrator /active:no (press Enter).
Or, there are corrupted files on drive. You could try to recover drive, but you'll be lucky if recovery programs can even get your files back. One of the best file recovery software (and free!) is Parted Magic.
In that case more safer way is to look for help in professional service.
 


Probably there are corrupted files on drive. You could try to recover drive, but you'll be lucky if recovery programs can even get your files back. One of the best file recovery software (and free!) is Parted Magic.
More safer way is to look for help in professional service.
 


This is not true. Do not take this advice. Let me explain.

When you lose access to your files, many things could have happened. Firstly, your directory structure could be corrupted. This is a list of files and their relationships stored on a portion of the drive when you first format your computer. It has simple information like "This folder is inside 'User' folder and 'User' folder is on the root 'Dell' partition" and metadata, such and when the item was last accessed. Most importantly, it stores "pointers". Pointers store the files location on the drive, specifically, where it starts and where it ends. When you format, the first thing that happens is that that data is deleted to make way for a fresh blank disk. Your data stays, but pointers are removed. When you quick format, literally nothing else is done but the removing of this vital data.

Now if you want to make a full drive recovery, your software will have to read each individual bit of your HDD and try to find the beginning and end of each and every file by reading this now formless mass of 1s and 0s on your drive, because YOU deleted the very store of information that keeps this. Usually, a Data Recovery program will comb your directory structure looking for errors and discrepancies. So will chkdsk. 5/10 Chkdsk will find a fault and fix your directory structure, but if some of the opening lines are gone, chkdsk will not know you even have a directory structure and the only thing that will be able to recover that partition is a data recovery program, so please do not format your disk AT ANY TIME if you lose a drive. Using testdisk in concert with a partition recovery program and chkdsk is the best way.

I have recovered a total of 17 drives in my life. Trust me I know what I'm talking about.
 


Daer genz,
I told, "... format hard drive, which means losing data"
 


Probably, you have no permission (administrator privileges) on your computer to perform chkdsk.
Click Start and in the Search field type: cmd then right-click the Command Prompt icon (cmd.exe) and click Run as administrator, and then type: chkdsk <your external HDD letter:> /f (press Enter).
Or, enablie 'super admin account': Click Start and in the Search field type: cmd then right-click the Command Prompt icon (cmd.exe) and click Run as administrator, then type: net user administrator /active:yes (press Enter). The system should return you with the following message: The command completed successfully. Exit the Command Prompt. Click the Start, and log off from the current account, and in the Account window you should now see the Administrator account. Log in Administrator, open Command Prompt, and perform chkdsk <your external HDD letter:> /f (press Enter). Note: If you want to turn off the Admin account, in Command Prompt type: net user administrator /active:no (press Enter).
 


It seems you have no permission (administrator privileges) on your computer to perform chkdsk.
Click Start and in the Search field type: cmd then right-click the Command Prompt icon (cmd.exe) and click Run as administrator, and then type: chkdsk <your external HDD letter:> /f (press Enter).
The other way to get permission is by enabling 'super admin account': Click Start and in the Search field type: cmd then right-click the Command Prompt icon (cmd.exe) and click Run as administrator, and type: net user administrator /active:yes (press Enter). The system should return you with the following message: The command completed successfully. Exit the Command Prompt. Click the Start icon, and log off from the current account and in the Account window you should now see the Administrator account. Log in Administrator, open Command Prompt, and perform chkdsk <your external HDD letter:> /f (press Enter).
 


Maybe only reason is that you have no permission (administrator privileges) on your computer to perform chkdsk.
So, click Start and in the Search field type: cmd then right-click the Command Prompt icon (cmd.exe) and click Run as administrator, and then type: chkdsk <your external HDD letter:> /f (press Enter).
Or, yo can enable the 'super admin account': Click Start and in the Search field type: cmd then right-click the Command Prompt icon (cmd.exe) and click Run as administrator, and type: net user administrator /active:yes (press Enter). The system should return you with the following message: The command completed successfully. Exit the Command Prompt. Click the Start icon, and log off from the current account and in the Account window you should now see the Administrator account. Log in Administrator, open Command Prompt, and perform chkdsk <your external HDD letter:> /f (press Enter)
 


Maybe there are corrupted files on drive. You could try to recover drive, but you'll be lucky if recovery programs can even get your files back. One of the best file recovery software (and free!) is Parted Magic.
More safer way is to look for help in professional service.
 


Try to get permission (administrator privileges) to perform chkdsk:
Click Start and in the Search field type: cmd then right-click the Command Prompt icon (cmd.exe) and click Run as administrator, and then type: chkdsk <your external HDD letter:> /f (press Enter).
Or, you can enable 'super admin account': Click Start and in the Search field type: cmd then right-click the Command Prompt icon (cmd.exe) and click Run as administrator, and type: net user administrator /active:yes (press Enter). The system should return you with the following message: The command completed successfully. Exit the Command Prompt. Click the Start icon, and log off from the current account and in the Account window you should now see the Administrator account. Log in Administrator, open Command Prompt, and perform chkdsk <your external HDD letter:> /f (press Enter).
 


Message, "Drive is not accessible. Access is denied." means that you have no permission (administrator privileges) to perform chkdsk.
Click Start and in the Search field type: cmd then right-click the Command Prompt icon (cmd.exe) and click Run as administrator, and then type: chkdsk <your external HDD letter:> /f (press Enter).
Or. enable 'super admin account': Click Start and in the Search field type: cmd then right-click the Command Prompt icon (cmd.exe) and click Run as administrator, and type: net user administrator /active:yes (press Enter). The system should return you with the following message: The command completed successfully. Exit the Command Prompt. Click the Start icon, and log off from the current account and in the Account window you should now see the Administrator account. Log in Administrator, open Command Prompt, and perform chkdsk <your external HDD letter:> /f (press Enter). Note: If you want to turn off the Admin account, in Command Prompt type: net user administrator /active:no (press Enter).
 
 
Notice:
I apologize to all whom I answered with a delay.
The reason was the breakdown on my computer that even after the repairation isn't working completely fine, so it is possible that I answered several times the same question.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
themrvladek
 


No worry, you can use it.
 
IZUKANJI I'm running Windows 8.1 with a Western Digital 2.0 terabit external hard drive . Followed your instructions; up and running again. Thank you much. Keep it coming . Peace.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.