How do you know that the 30-page budget report in DOCX format you stored a month ago, is exactly the same as what you opened today?
The very basic answer is a technique known as checksum.
Cyclic Redundancy Check basically tests the numbers of ones in a binary text.
Say we type “Joe Biden” in a DOCX file and save it. The file will convert “Joe Biden” to binary and save it.
|01001010|01101111|01100101|00100000|01000010|01101001|01100100|01100101|01101110|00001101
If we add all the binary digits we get 35.
Let’s say data is modified and it is now,
|01001010|01101111|01100101|00100000|01000010|01100001|01000100|01100101|01101110|00001101
Now we have a sum of 33. So, the DOCX file is corrupted.
This is highly simplified and the actual process of Cyclic Redundancy Check consists of division and not addition.
You need to fix CRC error on HDD. To know how to fix CRC error on HDD read on.
How to Fix CRC Error on HDD?
1. Fix CRC Error on HDD Using CHKDSK
CHKDSK is a unique tool on Windows. It executes from the command line and checks the hard disk, files and folders.
In addition, it can also locate bad sectors and isolate them. Bad sectors are the principal cause of corrupt files.
How to use CHKDSK
- Type “cmd” in the Search bar.
- Right click and select “Run as administrator”. This will open the elevated command prompt with systems 32 (instead of user name).
- Type CHKDSK X: (where X stands for the volume) e.g. CHKDSK F: The disk would scan and CHKDSK would show a report.
- Type CHKDSK X: /f /r to fix the errors /f fixes the files system and directories whereas /r fixes bad sectors of the hard drive).
It might take an hour or two depending on the size of the content and the number of files. Wait for it to complete.
2. Fix CRC Error on HDD Using SFC
The reason for the CRC error on HDD might be the Windows operating system.
When it works, Windows creates thousands of temporary files.
When you clean temporary files using a not so trustworthy cleaner software, useful system files might disappear.
If these files were responsible for maintaining HDD files exactly as they are, there might be Cyclic Redundancy Check data Error.
The easy way to fix this is to use SFC.
SFC stands for System File Checker. Like CHKDSK it is a command line utility.
How to use SFC
- Type “cmd” in the Search bar.
- Right click and select “Run as administrator”. This will open the elevated command prompt with systems 32 (instead of user name).
- Type “sfc /scannow” and hit Enter.
The tool will now check for file integrity. It might take a long while to complete.
3. Fix CRC Error on HDD Using Hard Disk Recovery Service
Cyclic Redundancy Check Error on hard disk might be complex. It is quite possible for it to have corrupted every file on a volume.
In such cases CHKDSK and SFC cannot repair the files.
Your only option is to use a reputed hard disk data recovery service.
We at Stellar have an exceptional track record at restoring and retrieving lost data.
Stellar Hard Disk Recovery Service has a team of top-rated engineers. They have spent a lot of time learning how data retrieval is possible and created proprietary algorithms.
Stellar Hard Disk Recovery Service - #1 Data Recovery Service
Why are we market leaders? It’s because of our vast experience of 25 years.
During that time, we have evolved techniques for data recovery that are hard to match.
Why Stellar Hard Disk Recovery Service is the best?
- Our engineers have access to 15000 hard drives in our repository. We can find spares for almost any kind of make, and models of hard disks.
- Stellar Lab has a Class 100 clean room with the latest HEPA filtration unit. It promises a completely dust free environment where the drive can be taken apart and repaired.
- We are trustworthy. That is why we have an average Google rating of 4.6 and a TrustPilot rating of 4.8.
- Stellar Hard Disk Recovery Service not only retrieves data from PC but from RAID servers, NAS storage and every type of storage.
The 4 Step Process of Stellar Hard Disk Recovery Service
- You can avail a free phone consultation. We listen to your problems and offer a solution, free of charge.
- Next, you ship us the drive (we shall inform you how) and our technicians take a deep look at what went wrong. We are now able to offer a quote depending on how much time and effort it will require.
- If you agree, our engineers go to work on your drive and clone the data. Don’t ask how because we protect our process.
- The data is verified and sent back to you in an external drive or USB stick.
Conclusion
We have explained how to fix CRC error on HDD.
If you find that data integrity has not been preserved, we are just a call away.
Always backup your data and take proper care while shutting down the computer.
Additional Reading: How to Fix Cyclic Redundancy Check Error (CRC Error)
FAQ
The same reason checksum is used when downloading software – to maintain data integrity. The check does not mean there will be an error but it might happen.
The success rate depends on the degree of corruption. To explain with a highly simplified example, if “Joe Biden” reads as “oe Biden”, it stands to reason that it meant “Joe Biden”. If most of the data is missing then there is little to do.
There are four principal reasons:
- Exiting a program without closing it properly.
- Shutting down the computer while programs are still open.
- Malware infection.
- Bad sectors on the hard drive.
- Maintain backups.
- Avoid shutting the computer from the power switch.
- Close all programs using the X button or File
There may or may not be an error message. Usually, you discover the error when some files cannot be opened or the hard disk works slowly.
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