NTFS short for New Technology File System is the default file system in Windows system, which is a very reliable file system. But, like any other file system, it can also get corrupted.
What should I do if my NTFS file system gets corrupted? Is the data on the volume lost too? Well, do not worry. In this article, we will explain, how you can easily and safely recover your lost data by employing some simple methods.
Now the most important thing in this situation is recovering your data, The causes of corruption, and preventive measures can be discussed later. So let us get right into recovery methods.
Recover Data from Corrupt NTFS File System
Fix 1: Boot into Safe Mode
Since safe mode loads the operating system with minimal drivers many times it can file system errors like corruption of NTFS and you can access your data. From here, simply copy the data to an external storage device. However, this method may not work in case of severe file corruption.
To boot into safe mode follow the steps
- Press Windows + R type msconfig and press Enter.
- Navigate to the Boot tab check the box Safe mode and select the option Minimal (Network if you also want internet access).
- Click on Apply and then restart the computer to boot it into safe mode.
If you are not able to access your data move on to the next method.
Fix 2: Fix Corrupt NTFS volume by CHKDSK
You can utilize CHKDSK which is an in-built utility to check drives for errors. Follow the steps as shown below to use this utility.
- Press Windows + R and type cmd. Press Shift + Ctrl + Enter, to run the command prompt as Administrator.
- In the command line enter the command chkdsk D: /f /r (replace D by the drive letter on which the corrupt NTFS volume is present).
Note: You can also use chkdsk while in the Safe Mode. Use this in case, the system is crashing.
If this does not work move on to the next method.
Fix 3: Recover Data from Corrupt NTFS volume via Windows File Recovery
If you are a Windows 10 or higher user you have the option of utilizing a free command line utility called Windows File Recovery for data recovery. To use this follow the steps as shown below.
- Download and install Windows File Recovery.
- Run command prompt as administrator.
- Enter the command winfr D: C:\recovered_data /regular
Note: Replace D with the drive letter or path of the corrupt NTFS volume and C:\recovered_data with the destination path. Make sure you are not copying and pasting data to the same drive.
If this method does not work for you either, we would recommend going for professional Data Recovery software. CAT Data Recovery software is one such tool that is a fast, efficient, and safe tool. Download it for free and try it for yourself.
Fix 4: Use CAT Data Recovery to Recover Data from Corrupt NTFS File System
You can use CAT Data Recovery software under various scenarios of data loss, whether it is due to corruption, deletion, formatting, or some errors. Using this tool you can recover data from a crashed system let alone a corrupt NTFS file system.
To use this tool follow the steps.
- Download and Install CAT Data Recovery software. Open the application.
- Select the Drive or partition where the corrupt NTFS volume was present.
- Click on Scan. On completion, all lost data on that volume will be displayed.
- Select the lost partition and select Recover to recover its contents.
Once the data is recovered you can create a new partition safely.
Conclusion
We hope that you will now be able to safely recover your data from any corrupt NTFS file system. If you find this article helpful, share the article with others.
