Quickly Fixed: Windows Was Unable To Repair The Drive

1. Method 1. Use Professional Drive Repair Tool
2. Method 2. Run CHKDSK
3. Method 3. Run SFC
4. Method 4. Perform Clean Boot
5. Method 5. Run Startup Repair

The error message, "Windows was unable to repair this drive," while checking a recently plugged-in drive, USB drive, SD Card, or any other storage device for errors, is frustrating. This prevents users from using the device for storage. While Windows has tools to fix these errors, they don't always work. Some of the reasons behind this error are:

• Damaged file system
• Bad Sectors
• Unsafe Ejection

Suppose Windows can't repair the drive due to these issues' diverse and dynamic nature. Using third-party software to repair USB/SD card/external hard drive is recommended.

How to Fix Windows Was Unable To Repair The Drive Error

This section will look at some methods to fix the "Windows was unable to repair the drive" error. Each of these fixes targets a different cause for the issue. Make sure to try all of them to fix the error.

Method 1. Use Professional Drive Repair Tool

Third-party software like EaseUS Partition Master Professional can repair a drive for multiple errors. It is equipped with a "Check File System" feature that can automatically check drives, SD cards, and USB drives for file system errors and fix them.

While having all the advanced features, EaseUS Partition Master possesses a straightforward user interface. It is compatible with all the versions of Windows, from Windows 11 to the oldest Windows XP.

Step 1. Open EaseUS Partition Master on your computer. Then, locate the disk, right-click the partition you want to check, and choose "Advanced" > "Check File System".

Step 2. In the Check File System window, keep the "Try to fix errors if found" option selected and click "Start".

Step 3. The software will begin checking your partition file system on your disk. When it completes, click "Finish".

In addition, the tool is equipped with numerous repair and maintenance tools for drives. You can download the EaseUS partition master and try the "Disk Surface Test" or "Check Disk Health" feature. These features deeply scan your PC's HDD or SSD and give you an overview of the drive's health status.

Method 2. Run CHKDSK

CHKDSK is a Windows command line utility that checks your drives for errors and attempts to fix them. Here's how to use it to fix this error:

Step 1. Right-click the Windows start icon, and open Terminal (Admin).

Step 2. Now, paste the following command and press enter (replace the first "f" with the drive letter of the drive you wish to scan)

Step 3. The Check Disk will scan your drive for issues, attempt to repair it, or suggest a few actions that you can take to fix the drive.

If these methods haven't worked for you, consider other methods. Before that, please make sure that you share this article. This helps us reach more people and solve their day-to-day tech issues.

Method 3. Run SFC

As the name suggests, SFC, or the System File checker, checks and scans system files for corruption and other issues and fixes them. Here's how to use it to fix Windows was unable to repair the drive error:

Step 1. Right-click the Windows start icon from the taskbar and open Terminal (admin) from the menu.

Step 2. Paste the following command and press enter.

Step 3. Now, SFC will scan the system files for any issues and try to fix them for you. Please note that the scan can take time as it is a system-wide deep scan.

Method 4. Perform Clean Boot

A clean boot starts Windows with minimal services and startup apps. This helps identify underlying issues that are not caused by services and apps. Here's how to perform a clean boot:

Step 1. Open the Run dialog box by pressing the Windows+R key. Then type msconfig, and press enter.

Step 2. In the System Configuration window, open the services tab, and click toggle the Hide all Microsoft services option.

Step 3. Click Disable All. This will disable all the non-Microsoft services at startup.

Step 4. Now, open Task Manager and disable all startup apps.

Step 5. Shut your PC down and reboot it to complete the clean boot.

Only one method remains; the issue is probably fixed for you; if it isn't, please check the last one and share this article.

Method 5. Run Startup Repair

Startup Repair in Windows can fix issues with the startup and potentially fix issues with Windows drives. Here's how to perform a startup repair on Windows:

Step 1. Open Windows settings, head to the System section, and then Recovery.

Step 2. Find the Advanced Startup option in Recovery and press the Restart Now button.

Step 3. In Advanced Startup options, go to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Repair.

Proceed with the onscreen instructions to complete the Startup repair. Your PC will automatically restart after the startup repair is completed. 

Conclusion

This article taught us how to fix Windows, which could not repair the drive error. Inbuilt Windows tools can fail to fix the issues; in such a case, capable third-party apps like EaseUS Partition Manager are highly recommended. You can also try to run CHKDSK and SFC, perform a clean boot, or run a startup repair to fix the Window's inability to repair the drive issue.

Windows Was Unable To Repair The USB/SD Card FAQs

While we tried our best to answer all the Windows-related questions, we could not fix the drive error. Some questions remain unanswered. You can find the answers to them here.

1. Why won't Windows repair my drive?

Several issues, such as severe file system corruptions, large bad sectors in the drive, or a Virus or Malware infection, can prevent Windows from repairing your drive. In such a case, it is highly recommended that you use a capable tool like EaseUS Partition Manager to repair the drive.

2. How do I fix my C drive and repair it?

You can run the CHKDSK or SFC in the Windows command prompt to check and repair the C drive. Since the C drive stores all the system files and Windows installation, ensure you have a backup in case anything goes sideways.

3. How do you repair a drive in safe mode?

To repair the drive in Safe mode, first, enter Safe Mode by constantly tapping the F8 key on your keyboard and then select Safe Mode from the boot menu. Now, in the Safe mode, open the elevated Command prompt, and run CHKDSK and SFC commands to check the drive and fix errors.