How To Fix Cyclic Redundancy Check Error in Windows

Standard Reasons for CRC Errors

• Files or data being transferred may be corrupted.
• Bad sectors from a storage device, lead to the occurrence of CRC errors.
• File system structure corruption.
• Physical damage on the external or internal hard drive
• Faulty cables, USB ports, or connection.
• A storage device that’s nearly full or overloaded.
• Malware and viruses are affecting files or data.
• If the drivers for the storage device or USB ports are outdated, corrupted, or incompatible.
• Power failure or improper shutdowns lead to data corruption.
• Sometimes, CRC error is produced by conflicts in the software and hardware issues.

These issues remind one to frequently back up, handle the storage devices properly, and update promptly to ensure the integrity of data and minimize the chances of getting CRC errors.

How to Fix Cyclic Redundancy Check Error on External Hard Drives?

Most users of the tech business will have experienced the “Cyclic Redundancy Check Error” while copying folders from an external hard drive to a PC. It is usually experienced when transferring project files, meaning corrupted data or a faulty storage device. This error can also be caused by damaged sectors on the hard drive, file system errors, or even a physical failure of the drive.

1. Safely Eject and Reconnect the External Hard Drive

• Unplug the External Hard Drive Safely and Wait for a Few Seconds

If a Cyclic Redundancy Check error has occurred, safely remove the external drive from the computer before pulling it out. This will prevent files from being accessed or in use since one may encounter further damage to corrupted data and possibly a loss. After safely having pulled the drive out, wait for several seconds before reconnecting the device.

• Reconnect the Drive to a Different USB Port on Your PC or Use a Different Cable to Rule Out Connection Issues

Wait for a few minutes, and upon safe removal of the external hard drive, connect it again to the same PC but via a different USB port. It might have occurred due to a problem with the USB port itself. Ports also malfunction sometimes, caused by power supply-related issues or actual connectivity problems, or perhaps by an internal hardware failure. Other than the change of port, use another USB cable as well. Sometimes, there might be issues with a dead or damaged USB cable.

• Check if the error persists after reconnecting the drive.

If the CRC error persists even after switching the port and cable, then it would be more severe and possibly an issue with the file system or physical damage and corruption of the external drive; further troubleshooting may be required.

2. Run Windows CHKDSK Utility

The built-in CHKDSK (Check Disk) utility in Windows is designed to identify and repair errors on an external hard drive, including corrupted files and bad sectors.

Steps to Run CHKDSK:

1. Press Windows + X and click on Command Prompt (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin) from the context menu.
2. Type the following command in the Command Prompt window and then click Enter:

chkdsk X:/f/r/x Replace X with your drive letter for the external hard drive./f: Corrects errors it finds on the drive./r: Searches bad sectors on the drive and tries to recover readable information./x: Forces the drive to dismount before the repair process starts.

3. The CHKDSK utility will check an external hard drive for errors and try to repair it.
4. Now that CHKDSK has finished, try connecting to the external hard drive.

If it still does not work, you may want to consider further troubleshooting efforts, including using data recovery tools or even formatting the drive.

3. Check for Malware or Viruses

Malware or viruses could corrupt files or the file system of an external hard drive, causing CRC errors. It may lead to some problems with accessing or transferring files from or to an infected external drive. Here’s how to scan and remove potential threats::

Steps to Scan for Malware or Viruses:

1. Open your antivirus software and do a full system scan on the PC checking for any possible threats.
2. Ensure that your external hard drive is scanned for malware as well.
3. Once the scan is completed, then the program follows its instructions to delete the detected threats.
4. Reconnect the external hard drive to your PC and check if the Cyclic Redundancy Check error is still appearing after malware or viruses are removed.

4. Format the External Hard Drive (If File System is Severely Damaged)

If the CRC error is persistent and the file system of the external drive is severely damaged, formatting the drive may be the last resort. Formatting will delete all files in the drive, so do ensure to recover your important files before proceeding to this stage.

Steps to Format the External Hard Drive:

1. Right-click on the Start button and select Disk Management from the menu.
2. Locate your external hard drive in the list of drives in Disk Management.
   1. Be sure that you are choosing your external drive and not your system drive.
3. Right-click on the external hard drive, and from the context menu, select Format.
   1. NTFS: It is good for Windows users. It allows large files and provides better security features.
   2. exFAT: You can use it if you will work on cross platforms.
      1. If you only will be using an internal drive, or only be working on other Windows PCs, then NTFS is probably a great option.
4. Select Quick Format. Do not select the checkbox here unless you have to force a deep format.
5. Once the format is done, your external hard drive will be restored to its state.
6. Re- transfer your previously recovered files into this drive; now they will be safe, accessible, and hopefully without bugs.

Note: Always keep regular backups of your data to avoid significant loss in case of drive failure.

Limitation of Resolve Cyclic Redundancy Check Error via Manually

While manual techniques such as CHKDSK, reconnecting the drive, or formatting sometimes solve the problem of Cyclic Redundancy Check, these approaches have several disadvantages:

• If you haven’t backed up your important files before formatting, those files may be gone forever.
• It cannot retrieve data if the disk has physical damage.
• Typically, CHKDSK cannot fix mechanical failures.
• Some manual procedures may take hours, even for simple tasks.
• In cases of extreme file system corruption, manual methods are usually not going to work and fix the problem.

If manual methods don’t resolve the issue or if data recovery is critical, consider using specialized data recovery tools, such as Aryson Data Recovery. These tools can help you recover data from damaged sectors, severe corruption, or physical failures that manual methods can’t address.

Specialized Tool to Resolve Cyclic Redundancy Check Error

Aryson Windows Data Recovery Software is a powerful tool to remove cyclic redundancy check errors when initializing a disk. It helps you recover lost or corrupted data from external hard drives, internal drives, memory cards, and USB drives. It is designed to address issues such as CRC errors, file corruption, and bad sectors, among others.

Key Features:

• Recovers deleted or lost files, including those affected by CRC errors.
• Works with FAT, NTFS, exFAT, and other file systems.
• Helps repair corrupted files such as documents, images, videos, and audio.
• It can recover data from hard disk drives with damaged sectors.
• This lets you preview files before recovering them, so you can recover the correct data.

How to Use Software to Resolve Cyclic Redundancy Check Error:

1. Download Aryson Data Recovery and install it on your desired PC (preferably not on the drive you wish to recover from).
2. Open the software and choose the external hard drive from which you intend to recover your data.
3. Click on the Scan button to start scanning the drive for lost or corrupted files.
4. Once the scan is done, you can preview the recovered files to review their integrity.
5. Choose the files you need to recover and save them on another drive (not the corrupted one).

Conclusion

The Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) error can disrupt your system, but following the right methods can resolve the issue. While manual solutions like CHKDSK, reformatting, and reconnecting the external drive can be helpful. However, they may lead to data loss, limited recovery success, time delays, and inability to fix physical damage. If manual troubleshooting fails, use advanced recovery tools for safer data recovery. For severe cases, tools like Aryson Data Recovery Professional ensure successful and secure data recovery.