If your computer says chkdsk is not available for raw drives, your file system is missing. Follow our easy guide to repair your C drive and get Windows running again.
When your C drive is RAW, it means the hard drive holding your Windows operating system has lost its file system. Because Windows cannot read a RAW drive, your computer will fail to boot and show a black screen. Many users try to fix this using the native Windows repair screen, but they quickly find out that chkdsk is not available for raw drives. To solve this problem, you must use a working computer to create a bootable rescue USB. You can use Windows installation media to run boot repair commands, or you can use professional partition software to rebuild your startup files and format the drive visually.
Your computer uses a specific language to read and write files on a hard drive. If the hard drive forgets this language, the computer can no longer see the files stored inside.
Many users see this error and immediately ask what a raw drive is. A normal Windows hard drive uses a file system called NTFS. This file system acts like a map that keeps all your data organized. If a sudden power outage or a bad computer crash damages this map, the drive becomes RAW.
A RAW drive is simply a blank slate. The physical hard drive is usually perfectly healthy, but the file system is missing. When your C drive is RAW, the situation is very serious. The C drive is where Windows lives. If the computer cannot read the C drive, it cannot load your desktop, and you will be stuck on a blue or black error screen.
When a computer breaks, many users try to run the built-in Windows disk checker tool to fix it. However, this tool is completely useless when dealing with a RAW error.
If you open the Windows recovery screen and type the CHKDSK command, you will get a red error message stating that chkdsk is not available for RAW drives. This happens because the disk checker tool is designed to scan the NTFS file system for bugs. Since a RAW drive does not have a file system at all, the tool has nothing to scan and simply gives up. You must use different methods to fix this specific error.
Because your main Windows drive is broken, you cannot fix this problem from your normal desktop. You must use a second, working computer to create a USB repair drive.
Learning how to fix raw drive errors requires you to boot your broken computer from a USB stick. You can use native text commands to try to save the drive or use visual software to repair it quickly.
Sometimes the C drive appears RAW because the hidden startup files are corrupted. You can use a Windows installation USB to rewrite these startup files and bring the drive back to life. This method uses the native Windows Recovery Environment. You will need to type specific text commands to fix the drive without deleting your files.
Step 1: On a working computer, download the Windows Media Creation Tool and create a Windows installation USB.
Step 2: Plug the USB into your broken computer. Turn it on and change your BIOS settings to boot from the USB.
Step 3: When the Windows setup screen appears, click Repair your computer in the bottom corner.
Step 4: Click Troubleshoot, select Advanced options, and then choose Command Prompt.
Step 5: Type bootrec /fixmbr and press Enter.
Step 6: Type bootrec /fixboot and press Enter. Type exit to close the window and restart your computer to see if Windows loads.
If the boot repair commands do not work, the file system is destroyed. You must wipe the drive clean and format it back to NTFS so you can reinstall Windows. This method will delete all the data currently on your C drive. You should only do this if you have a backup of your files or if you just want to get the computer working again.
Step 1: Boot your computer using the Windows installation USB and open the Command Prompt just like in Method 1.
Step 2: Type diskpart and press Enter.
Step 3: Type list disk and press Enter. Find your main C drive by looking at the storage size.
Step 4: Type select disk 0 but change the number 0 to match your actual drive number. Press Enter.
Step 5: Type clean and press Enter. This wipes the broken RAW data off the drive.
Step 6: Type create partition primary and press Enter.
Step 7: Type format fs=ntfs quick and press Enter. Your drive is now healthy and ready for a fresh Windows installation.
Typing text commands on a black screen is confusing and makes it very easy to accidentally wipe the wrong drive. Using a visual repair tool is much safer for fixing a broken C drive.
AOMEI Partition Software is the perfect tool for computer emergencies. You can use a working computer to create a visual rescue USB. When you plug this USB into your broken computer, it gives you a clear map of your hard drives. You can use the Rebuild MBR feature to try to fix the startup files without losing data. If the drive is completely dead, you can use the Format Partition tool to easily change the RAW drive back to NTFS with just one click.
A safe and reliable disk partition management tool that helps you migrate OS to SSD or HDD, reorganize disk space, and improve overall PC performance.
Step 1: Download and open AOMEI Partition Software on a working computer. Plug in a blank USB drive. Click Make Bootable Media at the top and follow the simple steps.
Step 2: Plug the rescue USB into your broken computer. Turn it on and change the boot order in the BIOS so it boots from the USB.
Step 3: The AOMEI visual screen will load. Right-click your broken RAW C drive and select Rebuild MBR.
Step 4: Choose your current Windows version from the list and click OK. Click Apply and Proceed at the top left to fix the boot files.
Step 5: If the drive is still RAW, right-click it and select Format Partition. Choose NTFS from the file system menu and click OK. Click Apply and proceed to wipe the drive clean and make it healthy again.
A RAW system drive is a major error, but it does not mean your computer is broken forever. You just need to give the hard drive its language back.
When your C drive turns RAW, your computer cannot load Windows. Standard tools like CHKDSK will not work because the file system is missing. You must boot your computer from a USB drive to fix the problem. You can use native Windows commands to rebuild the boot files or wipe the drive clean. For a much safer and easier fix, using AOMEI Partition Software lets you repair the startup files or format the drive visually without guessing with text commands.
1. Can I recover data from a RAW C drive before I format it?
Yes. Even though Windows cannot read the drive, your files are usually still sitting safely on the disk. You can use professional data recovery software to scan the RAW drive and pull your personal photos and documents off of it. You should always recover your data first before you format the drive.
2. Does a RAW drive mean my hard drive is physically broken?
Usually, no. A RAW error is almost always a software glitch. It simply means the digital file map got deleted or corrupted. The physical hard drive hardware is likely perfectly healthy and will work normally again once you format it back to NTFS.
3. Why did my C drive suddenly turn RAW?
This error usually happens when the computer loses power suddenly while it is writing data to the hard drive. It can also happen if a major Windows update crashes halfway through, or if a severe virus attacks the system files. Using a surge protector can help prevent sudden power loss errors.