Depending on the level of damage, bad sectors on your drive may cause you to face issues ranging from slow load times to frequent computer crashes. while it isn’t usually evident at first and is usually the underlying cause of an issue that you may face on a day-to-day basis. If your drive has bad sectors or you suspect that you may have one, then this article is for you.
Before proceeding to fix bad sectors on your hard drive, let us try to understand what bad sectors are-
What Is A Bad Sector?
Bad sectors are parts of your hard drive that your operating software deems to be unusable. The operating system usually skips these bad sectors and uses other parts of your HDD instead.
In some cases, it could cause many issues and disrupt several vital operating tasks that would hinder your experience.
Signs That You Have Bad Sectors On Your Hard Drive-
1. Data Corruption- If you are unable to access files or folders because the data within it is corrupted, there is a small chance that you have bad sectors.
2. The system Frequently Crashes, Freezes, or Hangs – If you are experiencing frequent crashes, especially when you perform certain actions or try to access certain files, you may have bad sectors.
3. Slow Load Times- Load times that are extremely slow or drag on forever, may indicate bad sectors on your drive.
4. Error Messages- Error messages can easily point to bad sectors on your drive.
Is It Possible To Fix Bad Sectors On Hard Drives?
While it is possible to fix bad sectors, your chances of success will depend on the type of damage dealt. To maximize your chances for a positive outcome, it is advisable to avoid using your system unnecessarily and act fast.
Repair Bad Sectors on Hard Drives With Proven Solutions
1. Rescue Data From Bad Sectors Using Data Recovery Software
While Bad sectors aren’t readable, they still contain data. Securing this data should be a priority and when it concerns bad sectors, conventional solutions won’t work, Here, you will need professional data recovery software.
SFWare Data Recovery is a professional data recovery software created using an advanced algorithm and fitted with an extremely user-friendly interface. It allows anyone to extract data from extremely corrupted or damaged drives within a few clicks. you can try it out for yourself by following the instructions below-
1. Download, install, and open SFWare Data Recovery.
2. Select the drive that has bad sectors. And click on Start Scan.
3. After the scan, all the data recovered from the bad sectors will be listed.
4. Preview all the recovered data and click on Save if you are satisfied with the results.
(NOTE: It is recommended to connect an external drive beforehand and save
your recovered data onto the external drive directly.)
2. Fix Bad Sectors on Hard Drives Using CHKDSK
CHKDSK is a Windows utility that you can use to scan your drive and repair any bad sectors that get detected using the scanning process. While opening the command prompt, please make sure to run it as administrator.
1. Using the Windows Search Bar, locate the Command prompt.
2. Run Command Prompt as Administrator.
3. Type in chkdsk B: /f /r /x and hit Enter.
NOTE: Where B is the assigned drive letter of the problematic drive.
- /f – tells CHKDSK to fix any errors if found.
- /r- tells CHKDSK to locate bad sectors and recover readable data.
- /x – tells CHKDSK to dismount the drive before starting.
3. Format HDD to Remove Bad Sectors
1. Using Windows File Explorer, Access This PC, locate and right-click on the problematic drive.
2. Select the Format option.
3. Choose a file format (NTFS recommended), select Quick Format, and click on Start.
To Conclude
I hope this article was able to help you fix bad sectors on hard drives. Ideal hard drive management practices will help prevent bad sectors in the long run. If you have any further queries or related feedback, please feel free to reach out.
