Windows users might need to use their system’s USB drive or external hard drive. However, you can experience a system error that says a file or directory is corrupted and unreadable. Users can only access their files if they are aware of the problem and take short, simple steps to correct it.
So let’s examine the specifics of the Windows system problem “file or directory is corrupted and unreadable.” We’ll then go over the best fixes for this issue, starting with the brief causes of this problem on the Windows system. After reading our instructions, customers can easily access a USB or external hard disc on their Windows machine despite the error code “0x80070570.”
What is the corrupted and unreadable error in the file or directory?
If a file or directory is corrupted and an unreadable error occurs while an SD card, flash drive, or hard drive is connected to the computer, Windows 7, 8, 10, or 11 may launch. It limits who can access the external hard drive. As a result, users are unable to access the data on these devices.
On any Windows machine, the following are some of the key indications that point to this error:
- When a storage device is attached to a Windows system, the notification “H: isn’t reachable” occurs.
- If the site is inaccessible, the error code “0x80070570” occurs. An unintelligible error code emerges, the file or directory becomes corrupt, and the system can no longer be accessed. In many instances, it results in data loss.
- RAW files are a part of the computer file system.
What results in the corrupted and unreadable file or directory error?
After a short review of the corrupted and unreadable file or directory, you might wonder what is producing this error on your Windows system.
It’s possible that your Windows system won’t be able to access the data on an external storage device or possibly cause data loss. Therefore, it is crucial to understand all the causes of this inaccuracy. Which are:
- The most frequent cause of the corrupted or unreadable file issue is the improper removal of storage devices such as hard discs, USB flash drives, etc. It results in garbled or unintelligible errors and data loss from storage devices.
- Bad sectors in the drive: Bad sectors in a hard drive or other external storage devices may be the cause of an unreadable partition. Continuous damage to the storage device may render a particular sector useless, making the data contained in those sectors inaccessible.
- Malware or viruses: Windows systems linked to the internet are vulnerable to infection by malware or viruses. Unauthorized programs have the potential to corrupt partition information, harm the operating system, infect connected devices, and silently remove sensitive data from the system.
- MFT or FAT corruption: The NTFS file system, which is essential for file storage, contains the Master File Table, or MFT. As a result, all data may be rapidly accessible from MFT, which also contains application access, creation time, file size, and file data. On SD cards and other storage media, File Allocation Table or FAT partition (FAT 32/ 16/ 12) is utilized for data processing and monitoring. As a result, any MFT or FAT corruption renders files on a Windows system unreadable.
Corrupted and unreadable errors are among the six most common remedies for the file or directory.
Understanding your Windows system is simple once you are aware of the main causes of the file or directory is corrupted and unreadable problem. The best news is that you don’t need to look for quick fixes because we’ve compiled a list of the finest treatments for this mistake based on extensive study. The top six fixes for this problem are as follows:
1. Relaunching the computer
First and foremost, users can easily resolve the error that a file or directory is corrupted and unreadable by restarting the system. Following are the quick procedures to restarting your Windows computer:
- Select the system’s “Windows” icon.
- Select “Restart” from the menu.
- After your computer has restarted, attempt to access the external drive.
2. Hard disc formatting
One of the rigorous but successful fixes for corrupted or unreadable file or directory problems is formatting the hard drive. The following methods are available to users for formatting the hard drive’s system partition:
- From “My Computer,” select the partition, then use the “Format” menu option from the context menu.
- It opens a pop-up window to format particular partitions, and this is where the file system can be modified. Select “Start” from the menu.
- You must click “OK” on the confirmation prompt that appears.
- The second method for formatting a hard disc is to open the “Disk Management” program by going to “Control Panel,” “Computer Management,” and then “Computer Management.” Format the partition by using the right-click menu.
3. Turning off antivirus protection
Windows firewall or antivirus software may prevent access to certain Windows system components. The external device files could become inaccessible as a result, resulting in a “file or directory is corrupted and unreadable error.” Therefore, all you have to do to disable antivirus protection or the Windows firewall is as follows:
- Disable “Windows Defender” by going to the settings page.
- Go to the antivirus program that is installed on the computer. Popular choices include McAfee, Quick Heal, Norton, Avast, Avira, etc.
- Open the antivirus program and navigate to the settings. Turn off the firewall.
- Restart the computer to see if the error still occurs.
4. Repairing disc initialization
Users can use Windows Startup Repair to fix critical problems on the C disc. This function includes sophisticated startup features that provide thorough alternatives for system repair and recovery. The quickest way to fix disc startup on a Windows machine is to:
- Click “Restart Now” after selecting “Settings,” “Update and Security,” “Recovery,” and “Advanced Startup.”
- Go to the “Troubleshoot,” “Advanced Options,” and “Starting Repair” feature after the computer has resumed in the advanced startup mode.
- The repair process begins, and you can postpone fixing firmware and startup options.
5. Using CHKDSK to check the disc for faults.
Use the CHKDSK command to check the discs for various problems. The Check Disk utility is one of the native command tools for Windows that is used to inspect a disc and address any problems. The quickest way to run CHKDSK to check the disc for faults is to:
- Locate “Command Prompt” in the startup menu of the Windows operating system. To run as administrator, select “Run.”
- After running the command “chkdsk c: /f,” Windows will begin to repair the disc.
6. Examining drives based on their properties
Running the Windows system’s inbuilt error-checking feature on a corrupted C disc is simple. The quick steps are as follows:
- From “My Computer,” choose the “C disc,” then click “Properties.”
- Click the “Check” button under the “Tools” tab’s “Error Checking” section. Windows will begin examining the C disc.
7. Relocating files to a new directory
- Moving the files from the external drive to a different directory is the very last step. The following are the quick instructions for moving files to a different directory:
- Open “My Computer,” right-click on the desired files or folders, and then select “Open with” to select an external device.
- As an alternative, you can drag and drop the chosen files to the “Send to” section.
Visit the new address right away to access the files.
Therefore, when a file or directory on your Windows system is corrupted and unreadable, you shouldn’t worry. It is important to fully comprehend the “0x80070570” error code before moving on to the main causes of this error. Physical harm, virus infection, improper removal of a USB drive or hard drive, FAT or MFT corruption, etc. are a few of them.
Beginners and experts alike can utilize the fixes for the corrupted or unreadable file or directory problem, which include restarting the system, relocating the files to a new directory, looking at the hard drive’s properties, etc. Other remedies include using CHKDSK to scan the disc, starting startup disc repair, turning off antivirus software, formatting the hard drive, etc.
