Cyclic Redundancy Check primarily refers to an error-detecting and data verification feature, used in storage devices (CDs, DVDs, Hard Disks and USB Drives etc.) in addition to digital networks. The core purpose of using CRC is to detect and prevent any sudden and inappropriate change and its effect on raw data that might lead to disk errors and bugs.
Throughout this procedure, algorithms functioning on the basis of cyclic codes are used to check redundancy.
At times, CRC stops functioning properly due to specific software conflicts, misconfigured system files or most importantly, corrupted registry entries. In such scenarios, users start receiving error messages such as Drive is Not Accessible: Data Error (Cyclic Redundancy Check) or a number of other similar messages, ultimately reporting the failure of Cyclic Redundancy Check. Under these circumstances, users lose access to the data stored on the hard drive. Moreover, they are unable to copy any file from/ to the hard drive.
Need help in resolving the Cyclic Redundancy Check error? Check our list of solutions below!
1) Using CHKDSK Utility to Fix CRC Error
CHKDSK (abbreviated for Check Disk) is a core system tool provided in various operating systems such as DOS, OS/2 and Windows. CHKDSK is employed for fixing any logical file system errors present as well as for examining the reliability and consistency of a volume present on a disk.
CHKDSK assists you in detecting errors and issues associated with your hard drive and repairing them consequently. Resolving these issues can relieve you of the cyclic redundancy error.
In order to resolve the Cyclic Redundancy Check error by using the CHKDSK utility, the following series of steps must be followed:
Step 1 – Opening the CHKDSK Utility
- Right-click on the particular hard drive icon that you cannot access due to the CRC error.
- Click on Properties, and then go to the Tools tab.
- Click the Check Now button.
Step 2 – Select the appropriate Check Disk Option
In the next step, you will see a couple of options to choose from. The first option i.e Automatically fix file system errors basically implies a complete scan of the hard disk, and this procedure can consume around 15 to 20 minutes. The latter one, represented by the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors text, is a rather time-consuming option as it performs a deep scan of your hard drive in order to search for bad sectors on the disk. Generally, this process can last for hours. You can select the mode of your choice and then initiate the scan.
Step 3 – Restart Your Computer to Begin the Scan
In case the drive which you want to repair is the one being used by Windows to boot up, CHKDSK utility will not begin the scan immediately and will require you to reboot the PC to launch the scan process.
Tip: Accessing CHKDSK Utility by Using Command Prompt
In certain scenarios, the above-mentioned method for executing the CHKDSK utility might not be able to restore the hard drive completely. In that case, you can use the alternative method to use the CHKDSK utility via Command Prompt.
The method is as follows:
- Initially, you need to right-click on the Start button and then click on the Command Prompt (Admin) option.
- For the normal scan, type chkdsk /f x: in Command Prompt. In order to launch the advanced scan, type chkdsk /r x. Here, the letter x represents the name of the drive that you intend to scan.
- Once the scan is completed, you will initially be provided a report by CHKDSK and then your computer will be started.
Nonetheless, if the target drive gets stuck, it is mainly due to the presence of several damaged files on your PC. In that case, CHKDSK may not be able to fix all of the bad sectors.
2) Resolve Cyclic Redundancy Check Error present on DVD
In order to fix the Cyclic Redundancy Check error on or DVD, you need to make sure that the target DVD is completely clean from any dust, and is not scratched or damaged in any manner. If the issue still persists, you can follow the following steps to resolve the CRC error.
- Open the System Configuration. For that, you need to right-click on Start, select the Run option and then type msconfig in order to open the configurations.
- Next, click on the Services tab and select the Disable all option for disabling all service items.
- Moreover, you also need to disable all the items that run on startup.
- Restart your computer and keep hold of the boot up button in order to boot the PC into Safe Mode.
- Insert the DVD. Click on This PC, then open the disc, followed by right-clicking on it’s setup and choose to run it as an administrator.
- Finally, you need to restart your PC. Try inserting the DVD again and observe if the Data Error Cyclic Redundancy Check still persists.
3) Quick Format
In case the above solutions don’t seem to resolve your problem, performing a Quick Format of your drive might be the best choice to go with. Just to be precise, you don’t need to worry about the data being erased since you can always restore the old data after performing the Quick Format using third-party data recovery tools.
The following steps need to be followed:
- Connect the corrupt drive with your PC. Hold the Windows key and subsequently press the E key.
- Next, right-click on the drive to be formatted and then select Format.
- Before initiating the format, do remember to check the Quick Format option under Format Options.
- The format process is expected to last a few minutes, so you will have to be patient.
- After the completion of the formatting part, you need to recover the old data. Before that, be sure to run CHKDSK to see if the drive is functioning properly now.
- Now you can use any of the various data recovery tools available on the web to recover all the lost data that was present before formatting. Popular recovery tools include EaseUS, Recuva and MiniTool Power Data Recovery.
Conclusion
In this blog, we have presented a few solutions that will help you in attaining a common idea regarding how to resolve the cyclic redundancy issue, whether you are facing this issue on your SD Card, CD or DVD, or any external hard disk. Stay tuned for other tutorials and posts!