Jan 24, 2024 • Filed to: Recover Files • Proven solutions
One of the most occurring errors in computers is the CHKDSK Cannot Open Volume For Direct Access Error. You probably already know that the CHKDSK utility is used to repair hard disks that are damaged or corrupted. So, the CHKDSK error usually occurs when you are scheduling the CHCDSK utility.
This error doesn’t mean that you are not doing something right. Frankly, it can pop up on anyone’s PC because of several reasons, such as viruses, bad sectors, malware, etc., in the hard disk.
Such errors take a lot of time and effort to be rectified, and the bigger concern is that it creates inaccessibility for you to reach your data stored in the hard disk.
There are multiple solutions to fix that error, and the 8 most popular of them are listed below.
One way to get past the CHKDSK Cannot Open Volume For Direct Access is to restart your computer.
Step 1: Disconnect the PC from the network. If you are using a laptop, remove the battery.
Step 2: Disconnect any external hard drives from your computer. Then, press the power button for a minute.
Step 3: Turn your system on and check if the error mentioned above is still there.
Formatting is also an option to fix the Cannot Open Volume For Direct Access error. However, remember that formatting will remove all the data from your hard disk.
Step 1: To format, go to “This PC” and select the partition you want to format.
Step 2: Right-click on the Hard Disk location and select the Format.
Step 3: Start the process with the help of the Wizard.
If this fix works, your hard disk will be like new.
One reason why the CHKDSK error occurs is using third-party antivirus or defender applications stored on your hard disk. The steps below will get your PC rid of such suspicious third-party tools.
Step 1: Open a Start Menu and type Services in the search bar.
Step 2: Under the Services list, look for the third-party applications that you have installed and allowed to operate.
Step 3: To disable the application, right-click the specific one, and select Properties. In the Properties, select and change the Startup type to Disable. Do that for all the third-party antiviruses and defender applications.
Step 4: Then, close everything and reboot the system. Run the CHKDSK once again and see if the error is disappeared.
Usually, the clean boot is just enough to erase the error—so it is worth trying.
Step 1: Press Windows + R to open a Run dialog box and type "msconfig.” The System Configuration will open.
Step 2: In the Services tab, select the checkbox and display all the services except the ones created by Microsoft.
Step 3: Disable all of them. But keep a screenshot to restore them after the clean boot.
Step 4: Once you have disabled all the unnecessary services, open the Startup tab, and click on Open Task Manager. Disable all items.
Step 5: Now, close all the windows and restart your computer. The error should be cleared.
One useful method to clear the CHKDSK error is to run a self-test on the primary hard disk. To do that, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Turn off the PC and wait for at least 30 seconds before doing Step 2.
Step 2: Now, press the power button, start the system, and access the BIOS setup.
Step 3: Use arrow keys to navigate through the BIOS menu. Find Primary Hard Drive Self-Test in the menu. Hit enter to begin the test.
Step 4: Let the test end—then boot the computer.
These steps should remove the error and solve your problem.
Most errors vanish by booting the computer in Safe Mode. Let’s try Safe Mode to get rid of the Cannot Open Volume For Direct Access error.
Step 1: First, boot the computer into Safe Mode. To do that in Windows 7, restart the computer and keep pressing the F8 key, the Windows Advance Options window will appear. Use the arrow keys to navigate the Safe Mode option and press ENTER.
Step 2: Search for Command Prompt in the Start Menu and run it as administrator. It can be done by right-clicking on the icon and select Run as administrator.
Step 3: In the command prompt, type the command chkdsk /x /f /r
This will determine if the CHKDSK error is removed in the Safe Mode.
CHKDSK is a command-line utility to check the hard disks for errors and corruption and then fix them. However, it doesn't work sometimes and pops up the CHKDSK error. Therefore, there are multiple alternative solutions—software and tools—which can help you determine if your hard disk is actually damaged or not.
Ariolic Disk Scanner:
It is a free, portable utility tool that checks the sectors of the hard disk for errors while providing a visual representation. However, it doesn’t have the capability to fix those errors.
Windows Surface Scanner:
This tool scans and finds the bad sectors of the hard disk connected with Windows only. Moreover, it only supports Windows XP, Vista, and 7. It can find the bad sectors but cannot fix them.
Gsmartcontrol:
It is a graphical interface for smartctl—a tool for finding bad sectors in a hard disk. This tool can monitor your hard drives and issue early warnings if the data is at risk, so you can back it up.
SeaTools:
It is a comprehensive application, especially for Seagate hard drives—but it works with other manufacturers as well.
Windows PowerShell is a programming language hub similar to the Command Prompt. PowerShell can be used to determine the authenticity of CHKDSK errors.
Step 1: Open the Windows PowerShell as an administrator.
Step 2: In the PowerShell, type Repair-volume -drive letter <DRIVE LETTER> and hit Enter.
Step 3: The aforementioned command would start the process. Let the process end and check if the scanning and repairing issue of the hard disk is fixed or not.
These were the 8 solutions that might help you out with the CHKDSK error. However, in case of severe damage, the data on your hard disk can be lost. That is why we have a bonus tip for you in the bag that might help you recover your important data before you lose it permanently.
Wondershare Recoverit is one of the most efficient tools for data recovery and transfer. Since the data on your hard drive is on the verge of being compromised, Wondershare Recoverit might be the easiest way to make backups before you lose all of it.
Step 1: Download and Launch Wondershare Recoverit
First, download Wondershare Recoverit from its website on Windows or Mac. Then, launch it from Desktop or the Start menu.
Step 3: Select a Location
To recover the data, choose a location where the data is lost. Since we are recovering from a hard disk, select a hard disk from the Hard Disk Drives tab. Then, click Start to start the scanning.
Step 4: Scan the Location
It will take a few minutes before Recoverit is done with scanning. If there are large files, it can take hours. While scanning, you can pinpoint files and go to their locations.
You can also stop or pause the recovery scan for your convenience. If you want to recover deleted videos, you can select the option of Advance Video Recovery. It would scan deeper and stronger for the recovery of videos.
Step 5: Preview and Recover
Once the files are scanned, preview all of them, and make sure you have got what you wanted. Then, recover them—by hitting the Recover button. Do not choose the file path as the hard disk from where you have just recovered the data.
Congrats, your data is recovered.
It is very common among computer users to get stuck on the Cannot Open Volume For Direct Access error and compromise their time and effort into resolving it. However, with the amazing and easy fixes mentioned above, we hope that your error will be rectified and your problem will be resolved.
It is important to remember that the hard drive can be repaired, but the data cannot return. Therefore, it is suggested that you always keep the backup of your data. In the case where your data has already been compromised and corrupted, no worries, our bonus tip will help you with that.
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Theo Lucia
chief Editor