Windows 10 notifies you when the external storage disk is corrupted. When this happens, the corrupted drive becomes difficult to access and therefore also difficult to read or access any files. You can try a few fixes to avoid data loss. We recommend these solutions to fix the ‘The disk structure is corrupt and unreadable’ error and restore the normal functions of your computer.
Normally, you’ll see a ‘disk structure is corrupt and unreadable’ error with a hard drive or external drive. If the MFT (Master File Table) of the storage drive is damaged or corrupted, the error pops up when Windows tries to access it. Although the issue is most common with external drives, there are instances when internal drives, malware or connectivity issues can cause the error.
1. Remove and Reinstall External Drives
The error can occur due to problems with your external storage drives. If you have removable storage like USB stick, memory stick or HDD, try removing them. You can then close all running programs, restart your computer, and plug in the external drives again. Try accessing the faulty drivers and confirm if the error is gone. If not, you can move on to other solutions to fix the error.
2. Uninstall and Reinstall Device Drivers
At times, missed communication between your software and hardware can cause an error. It’s also common for missed updates to cause the ‘disk structure is corrupt and unreadable’ error. Uninstall and reinstall device drivers to fix outdated and corrupt drivers. Here’s how you can do that.
Stage 1: Press Windows + X and go to Device manager. Alternatively, press Windows + R, type devmgmt.msc in the dialog box and press Enter.
Step 2: Find the Disk drives option and expand the list to view the problem drive.
Stage 3: Right-click on the driver causing the error and select Uninstall device.
Step 4: A message will appear asking for confirmation for progress and you can press Uninstall to complete the process.
Step 5: Press Scan for hardware changes to reinstall drivers.
Step 6: Restart your computer and check if the error is cleared.
3. Reformat Your Drives
Note that reformatting your external hard drive will delete saved data. Before starting this process, it is necessary to back up the information.
Stage 1: Plug in the external drive.
Step 2: Open File Explorer, find This PC option and double click on it.
Stage 3: Right click on the problem external drive and select Format.
Step 4: Click Quick Format and the system will start reformatting.
Alternatively, you can reformat your hard drive by updating a partition in the Disk Management utility. Here’s how you can do that.
Stage 1: Press Windows + R keys, type diskmgmt.msc in the dialog box and press Enter.
Step 2: Right click on the bad partition and choose Format.
Note: Make sure to double check the Partition letter in Windows File Explorer before choosing to format it.
Stage 3: Fill in the partition label, file system and cluster size in the new dialog. A confirmation text will appear and you can confirm the changes.
4. Run the CHKDSK Command
The Windows operating system has a Disk check utility tool that scans and fixes hard drive errors. Follow these steps to run the CHKDSK command and fix the disk structure is corrupt and unreadable error in Windows 10.
Stage 1: Start the start menu, type cmd Go to the search box and choose to run Command Prompt as administrator.
Step 2: Type chkdsk at the command prompt [[[
Note: If you choose your Windows drive for this command, you will need to restart your computer and the command will only run after your computer has booted.
Stage 3: After the process is complete, close Command Prompt and restart your computer.
5. Run Device Troubleshooter
You can fix the ‘disk structure is corrupt and unreadable’ error by running the Windows troubleshooter. Here is a step-by-step process on how you can do this.
Stage 1: Press Windows + I to access settings.
Step 2: Click Update & Security. Next, select Troubleshoot.
Stage 3: Find Recommended or Additional troubleshooters. Run the troubleshooters to find and fix the problem.
Fix Corrupted Drivers
The above solutions should help fix the ‘disk structure is corrupt and unreadable’ error in Windows 10. By reformatting and reinstalling the drivers, you ensure that your device is running with the latest updates. Additionally, checking for hardware issues such as damaged ports or worn out external devices can rule out external issues causing the problem.
