How To Fix “The Disk Structure Is Corrupted And Unreadable” Error

The “Disk structure is corrupted and unreadable” error is seen when the user is trying to access a corrupted disk partition. This sort of error message is very common for external hard drives like USBs and SD cards. However, it can also affect the internal drives making it difficult to read the data inside the volumes. 

When the file system of such an inaccessible drive is examined using the Diskpart command line, it is identified as a RAW file system. A RAW file system hints towards a missing or corrupted drive. 

Today, we will go through how you can get rid of the error and be able to get into the inaccessible volume again. 

What Causes “The Disk Structure is Corrupted and Unreadable” Error?

Fixes for “The Disk Structure is Corrupted and Unreadable”

This error can be the result of some temporary glitches in the operating system, due to which it cannot read the volume correctly. Restart the computer and try opening the drive to ensure this isn’t the problem. If this problem is still not resolved, try these fixes to find a solution.

Reconnect the Device 

It is obvious that when a device is not connected properly, the computer fails to read it or give you access to it. Thus, it’s a good idea to double-check that the drive is properly connected to its respective port (for the external drive).

If you are using a card reader or a USB hub, try using a different device or connect the drive directly to the computer, if possible. 

Use CHKDSK

This issue is very much experienced when there is an issue with the file system metadata. The file system is affected when the file system structure is written over the drive inappropriately. This is known as a logical error.  

CHKDSK is a great command line utility to use on Windows to resolve such errors. Here’s how to use this tool.

1. Press Windows Key + X and open Terminal (Admin).
2. Now, enter this command to run the CHKDSK. 
   CHKDSK <Drive Letter of the Volume> /f
   For instance, to scan a volume with the drive letter D: we use the command this way. 
   CHKDSK d: /f

/f Parameter is used in this command to scan and fix the drive’s logical errors and recover the files from the bad sectors. 

Reset the Attribute Flag of the Volume 

When “The Disk Structure is Corrupted and Unreadable” Error occurs, the file system of the corrupted or inaccessible drive gets changed to RAW. Most of the time, resetting the volume attribute flag resolves this error.

1. Press Windows Key + X and open Terminal (Admin). 
2. Type DISKPART and hit enter.
3. Now, on the Diskpart utility window enter List Volume. 
4. Check the Volume name of the corrupted drive (with RAW File system) and then select the volume using this command.
   Select <Volume Name>
   For instance, Select Volume 2 if it is shown as a RAW file system. 
5. Now, execute this command. 
   Attribute volume clear Randomly 
6. After this, you can use the CHKDSKcommand and restart the computer. 

Reinstall the Disk Drive Driver 

The disk drive driver facilitates the communication of the storage devices (Hard drives, SSDs) with the computer and assists in data reading, writing, and modification processes. The Disk Structure is Corrupted and Unreadable can very well be generated by some issues in this driver. 

Generally, reinstalling the driver fixes this issue most of the time. 

1. Press Windows Key + X and open the Device Manager. 
2. Expand the device list under the Disk drive. 
3. Right-click on the device name.
4. Select Uninstall driver and, when asked, give your confirmation for it. 
5. Now, go to the Action tab.
6. Select Scan for hardware changes.  
7. Restart the computer when the process is done and check if the issue is gone. 

Format the Drive 

Formatting the drive is the last resort to solving this issue. This will most probably solve the problem if the issue has not been generated by hardware failures. 

1. Press Windows Key + X and open the Disk Management utility.
2. Select the volume that is not accessible. 
3. Right-click on it. 
4. Select Format.
    
5. Assign a name to the volume and Click on OK.
6. Click on OK. 
7. Wait for a while until the disk management utility finishes formatting the drive. Once completed, check if you can access the drive without the error.