A Cyclic Redundancy Check is an error detecting mechanism used in storage devices such as hard disk drives to identify any change in the original data stored in them. Blocks of data when stored onto the storage device are allocated a check value based on certain calculation. Upon retrieval, the check value is calculated again and compared with the original check value.
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In case of disparity between the check values, the user is informed about the error and is, therefore, able to take corrective action.
Cyclic Redundancy Checks are so named because of 2 reasons. Firstly, the check value is redundant, which means that it adds additional data to the original block without adding any information. Secondly, the algorithm through which the check value is calculated is based on cyclic codes. Cyclic Redundancy Checks are used widely because they are easy to implement in binary hardware.
What is Cyclic Redundancy Check Error?
Cyclic Redundancy Check errors can occur due to various reasons. These most commonly include registry corruption, unsuccessful program installation, cluttered hard disk and misconfigured files. Irrespective of the particular cause, a Cyclic Redundancy Check error can pose serious complications that include data loss and even a complete system failure. The most immediate problem caused by a Cyclic Redundancy Check error is that you are no longer able to access your data storage device. Sometimes this error can even be caused by bad sectors and a lack of free space on the hard disk drive.
A common solution that comes to mind in such cases is to format the disk. This, even though, might repair the disk but the data in it will be gone forever. So if the data present in the storage device is important for you, then you better not succumb to this easy option. Rather, luckily for you, there exist a couple of other solutions that not only repair the storage device but also preserve the data within it.
How to Fix Cyclic Redundancy Check Error?
CHKDSK Utility
CHKDSK, also known as Check Disk, is a utility that comes built-in with Windows. Its main function is to scan and repair the errors present in your storage devices. Often times, the cause behind a Cyclic Redundancy Check error is just a minute error or file corruption. CHKDSK can successfully detect and repair a number of minute errors and file corruptions, which may be the source of the Cyclic Redundancy Check error. To operate CHKDSK utility on a particular hard disk drive, just right-click on the drive you want to inspect and select Properties. Next, under the Tools tab, you will find the Error checking section, in which you simply need to click on the Check button to do the needful.
Select Scan drive in the next prompt and the scan will spring into action and roll out the good work in an instance. The scan duration varies from about 15 minutes to several hours.
In case you are running the CHKDSK utility on the main drive, you will have to reboot the computer in order for the scanning to initiate. Before rebooting the computer and launching the scan, try to back-up any data available on the particular drive. Once the scan begins, the CHKDSK program will itself present you with a report upon completion of the scan. If the Cyclic Redundancy Check error was caused by damaged files or more serious errors, then CHKDSK utility may not be able to rectify them as its only works for minor errors.
3rd Party Data Recovery Software
If CHKDSK fails to solve your problem, then you would be better off using third-party software programs that specifically deal with data recovery from damaged drives. The most popular amongst these software programs are ReclaiMe, HDDScan and EaseUS. Once you have downloaded your preferred software program on your computer and installed it, you can launch the disk utility and begin the scan on the damaged storage drive. Upon completion of the scan, the software program will present you with a report listing out all the issues present in the drive. Next, you will be asked to repair these errors. Once you’ve given the go ahead to fix the errors, the program might require a further couple of hours to sort the mess. You can leave the program unattended during this period. Once all the errors have been rectified, you can rescan the drive to verify the results.
