Fix Data Error Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC)

Summary

A cyclic redundancy check error can keep you from accessing your files or your hard drive. An error prompt may state 'drive not accessible, data error (cyclic redundancy check).' You can use built-in Windows tools to fix this error then, afterwards, use EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard to recover any data lost.

Let's take a look at some user experiences with the cyclic redundancy check error first:

Case 1. Drive not accessible, data error (cyclic redundancy check):

"My 1TB Seagate Free agent GoFlex has some error in opening the disk. First, it asks me to format the drive before being able to use it. Of course, I won't format it because it's full of data. After canceling that dialog, an error message will appear saying: "Drive is Not Accessible: Data Error (Cyclic Redundancy Check)."

Case 2. Cannot initialize disk: cyclic redundancy check:

"How can you fix an external HDD that fails to initialize? It gives data error (cyclic redundancy check) each time I try to fix it."

Overview of Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) Error

What is a cyclic redundancy check?

The cyclic redundancy check, or CRC, is an error-detecting technology commonly used in digital networks and storage devices to detect accidental changes to raw data. It serves as a data verification method to check the accuracy of data on hard disk drives, CDs, DVDs, etc.

What is a cyclic redundancy check error?

When there's a bad spot on the media of your hard disk, a CRC error may occur. A cyclic redundancy check error can also be triggered by many other incidents that seem to be inevitable. For example, registry corruption, a cluttered hard disk, an unsuccessful program installation, or misconfigured files. Generally, when you receive the error message 'data error (cyclic redundancy check)', there is something wrong with the files or the hard drive.

Fixes for Data Error Cyclic Redundancy Check

Besides preventing us from copying files, accessing hard drive data, or initializing a hard disk, the data error detected by cyclic redundancy check will potentially cause system failure on the computer or data loss on the hard drive. Thus, it's necessary and urgent to fix the data error found by cyclic redundancy check. There are four ways you can apply to recover data from an inaccessible hard drive or remove the cyclic redundancy check data error from HDD, USB flash drive, SD card or other disk storage drive.

Method 1. Fix Data Error (Cyclic Redundancy Check) via CHKDSK

With the CHKDSK utility in Windows, you can scan for and repair a drive's errors or file corruptions that cause the cyclic redundancy check data error.

Run the chkdsk utility to remove cyclic redundancy check error:

Step 1. Open "Command Prompt" by typing it into the "Start" menu. You must run CHKDSK commands as an administrator to have the necessary privileges to execute the scan. So right-click "Command Prompt" and choose “Run as administrator”.

Step 2. Enter chkdsk X: /f in Command Prompt. Replace 'X:' with the drive you'd like to run the scan on. 

Step 3. Wait for the scan to complete. Once the disk is checked and repaired, restart your computer to see if it worked.

If you don't have any technical know-how and want to minimize data risks, using third-party software could be a better choice. The Command line is suitable for computer professionals since wrong commands can cause severe problems. Therefore, we strongly recommend you try an automatic command line alternative.

EaseUS Tools M is a practical computer fixing tool that is safe and light-weighted. It's a perfect alternative to CHKDSK command. Use this one-click tool to solve your computer issues.

To fix file system error or disk error:

Step 1:  DOWNLOAD EaseUS Tools M for Free and install it.

Step 2: Open the software and select the "File showing" option. 

Step 3: Choose the drive and wait for repairing. After the operation completes, click the "View" button to check the drive. 

Method 2. Repair Missing/Corrupted System Files that Cause Data Error (CRC)

Windows system files generally include hardware drivers, configuration files, Windows DDL files, and other files that make up the Windows registry. As mentioned above, registry corruption may lead to a data error (cyclic redundancy check) on your computer. Thus, running the System File Checker tool to repair the missing or corrupted system files on your computer is helpful to fix the cyclic redundancy error resulted from system file corruptions.

Step 1. Click "Start" and type cmd.

Step 2. Right-click "Command Prompt" and choose "Run as administrator".

Step 3. If you are using Windows 10, you should first run DISM.exe to make a Windows image to protect your data:

Step 4. When the DISM command has completed, type the following command to start scanning and repairing your system files.

Method 3. Recover Data from Inaccessible Drive with Data Error (CRC)

If you find yourself in one of the following situations, you will need to perform data recovery to rescue your files either on your computer or external hard drives.

• Receive the error message 'Data error (cyclic redundancy check)' with the description 'F:\(the drive letter of your hard disk) is inaccessible' and the error remains after the fix
• After running CHKDSK for the 'cyclic redundancy check' error fix, the problem is solved but you find important data was cleaned along with the errors

To recover data from an inaccessible hard drive or retrieve files removed by the command lines, you can use the hard drive recovery software - EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard to get back your files. This version of EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard allows you to recover unlimited files after the payment.

Step 1. Run hard drive data recovery software.

Select the location of the hard drive. Let the program scan the drive by clicking "Scan".

Step 2. Scan and find hard drive data.

After the scan, you can check and preview the found files. You can click "Filter" to find a specific file type. Also, you can search for wanted data in the searching box. After that, you can double-click each file to preview it.

Step 3. Restore data on the hard drive with Cyclic Redundancy error.

Choose all found files on your hard drive and click "Recover". Specify an empty external storage device or a safe location on your PC for saving lost data. Click "OK" to start restoring your lost hard drive data from cyclic redundancy error.

Method 4. Send for Manual Repair

DBR (DOS Boot Record) corruption on your hard disk can also result in 'data error (cyclic redundancy check)' on your drive. If none of the fixes works, you can send your hard drive for a repair.

Hope as least one of the solutions above can help you fix the cyclic redundancy check error.