A RAW hard drive error renders your files inaccessible without warning. This guide explains the root causes—power failures, unsafe ejection, malware—and provides step-by-step solutions from CHKDSK to professional recovery tools so you can restore your drive and retrieve data safely.
D Drive shows File System as Raw
Hi All,
My D drive shows file system as RAW & not NTFS. I'm not sure how it changed & it has data that I don't want to format.
I tried below-
a) convert D: /fs:ntfs
Got message: CONVERT is not available for RAW drives.
b) chdsk- Same message that the RAW drive cannot be converted.
c) Tried a few tools too, but to no avail.
Any other option?
Regards
- Question from learn.microsoft.com
Thousands of Windows users encounter the "hard drive became RAW suddenly" problem every month. The good news is that in the vast majority of cases, the data is still intact on the drive -only the file system metadata is damaged. This guide walks you through every proven method to recover data from a RAW drive and restore the drive to a usable state without losing your files.
A RAW hard drive means Windows can't recognize its file system (NTFS, FAT32, etc.) because critical metadata like the boot sector or MFT is corrupted or missing. Your actual files are usually still intact, but the OS can't read the indexing structure, so it labels the drive as RAW.
Symptom 1: "You need to format the disk in drive X: before you can use it"
Windows detects the drive hardware but cannot mount a valid file system, so it prompts you to format. Do not click Format if you have data on the drive.
Symptom 2: "X:\ is not accessible. The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable".
This appears when you try to open the drive in File Explorer, indicating that the file system structure is damaged.
Symptom 3: Drive properties show 0 bytes
Right-clicking the drive and selecting Properties reveals 0 bytes for both used and free space, even though the drive was previously full of data.
Symptom 4: "The type of the file system is RAW. CHKDSK is not available for RAW drives".
Running CHKDSK on a RAW partition returns this error because CHKDSK requires a recognizable file system to function.
Symptom 5: Disk Management shows RAW
Open Disk Management (Win + X → Disk Management), and the affected partition is labeled "RAW" instead of NTFS or FAT32, often with no drive letter assigned.
Below are the most common causes, based on analysis of forum reports and technical documentation.
After getting the reasons, you have to learn how to fix it. Before that, recovering files from the RAW drive is very important.
Before any troubleshooting, it's highly recommended to recover files from RAW drive with the powerful Windows data recovery software, MyRecover.
1. Download MyRecover and install it on a different drive than the RAW one. Connect it if the RAW drive is external and ensure it can be detected even if it shows RAW.
2. Launch MyRecover. Tap Disk Data Recovery, hover over the RAW partition, and click the Scan button.
3. Once scanned, all these files will be sorted by file type. Or you can use the search box to narrow results.
4. Preview and select the files you need on the RAW drive, and hit Recover.
5. Select a safe location to keep them safe.
Wait for the recovery process to complete, then verify that your files open correctly.
If you need to recover a large number of files or need advanced features like recovering data from an unbootable system or recovering unlimited files, consider the MyRecover Technician edition to enjoy all premium features.
Before attempting any of the solutions below, there is one critical rule: do not format the RAW drive until you have recovered your data. Formatting will overwrite the file system structure and may make data recovery significantly harder or impossible. The solutions below are ordered from simplest and least invasive to most advanced. Try them in sequence.
A RAW error can sometimes be caused by a loose or damaged connection, not corruption. Before using software fixes, rule out hardware issues:
1. Shut down fully.
2. Unplug and inspect the cable — replace if damaged.
3. Try a different USB port (preferably on the motherboard).
4. For internal drives, reseat SATA cables and try another SATA port.
5. Power on and check if the drive is accessible.
If it works, the problem was a bad connection — not file system corruption.
CHKDSK (Check Disk) is a built-in Windows utility that verifies the file system integrity and repairs logical errors. It can often restore a RAW drive to its original file system (NTFS, FAT32, or exFAT) without data loss. Note that CHKDSK only works if the drive still has a drive letter assigned.
1. Press Win + S, type "cmd", right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.
2. In the Command Prompt window, type the following command (replace G: with your RAW drive's letter): chkdsk G: /f /r
3. Press Enter and wait for the scan to complete.
The /f parameter fixes logical file system errors.
The /r parameter includes all /f repairs and additionally locates bad sectors and attempts to recover readable data from them.
4. After the process finishes, open File Explorer or Disk Management to check whether the drive is accessible.
Important: If you receive the error "The type of the file system is RAW. CHKDSK is not available for RAW drives", it means the file system is too severely corrupted for CHKDSK to repair.
If your drive was previously formatted as NTFS, the CHKNTFS utility can schedule a disk check at the next system reboot. This tool works at a lower level than CHKDSK and can sometimes repair file system corruption that prevents normal CHKDSK from running.
1. Press Win + X and select Command Prompt (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin).
2. Type the following command (replace G: with your RAW drive letter): chkntfs /f G:
3. Press Enter. The utility will schedule an automatic disk check for the next reboot.
4. Restart your computer. Windows will run the disk check before loading the desktop.
5. After the reboot, check whether the drive is accessible in File Explorer.
Note: This method only works for drives that were originally NTFS. It will not repair FAT32 or exFAT drives.
An outdated, corrupted, or incompatible disk driver can cause Windows to misidentify a healthy drive as RAW. Updating the driver restores proper communication between the operating system and the storage controller.
1. Press Win + S, type "Device Manager", and press Enter.
2. Expand the "Disk drives" category to see all connected storage devices.
3. Right-click the drive that shows as RAW and select "Update driver".
4. Select "Search automatically for updated driver software" and let Windows find and install the latest driver.
5. If no update is found, right-click the drive again, select "Uninstall device", then restart your computer. Windows will automatically reinstall the driver on reboot.
6. After the driver update or reinstallation, check whether the drive is accessible.
If malware corrupted your file system, removing the malicious code may restore drive access. Windows Defender provides a built-in custom scan feature that can target specific drives.
1. Press Win + S, type "Windows Security", and press Enter.
2. Click "Virus & threat protection"> "Current threats" > "Scan options".
3. Select "Custom scan" and click "Scan now".
4. Select the RAW drive from the folder picker and confirm the scan.
5. Wait for the scan to complete. If threats are found, follow the prompts to quarantine or remove them.
6. After the scan, safely eject and reconnect the drive (if external), then check if it is accessible.
TestDisk is a free, open-source utility specifically designed to recover lost partitions and repair damaged partition tables. It can rebuild the MBR or GPT structure, which often resolves RAW status caused by partition table corruption. The tool operates at the raw disk level and does not modify your data.
1. Download and install TestDisk on your computer, then run it as administrator.
2. Select Create to create a new log file, then press Enter.
4. Use the arrow keys to select the physical disk that contains the RAW partition from the list of drives and press Enter.
5. TestDisk usually auto-detects the correct partition table type (Intel for MBR or EFI GPT for GPT). Confirm and press Enter.
6. Select "Analyse" and press Enter. TestDisk will scan the disk for existing and deleted partitions.
7. After the quick search completes, review the list of found partitions. Highlight the correct partition using the arrow keys.
8. Press Enter to proceed, then select "Write" to write the recovered partition table to the disk.
9. Confirm the write operation, then exit TestDisk.
10. Restart your computer and check whether the drive is now accessible in File Explorer.
In some cases, a drive letter conflict or assignment error causes Windows to display a drive as RAW. Reassigning the drive letter can force Windows to re-read the file system and restore access.
1. Press Win + X and select "Disk Management".
2. Locate the RAW partition in the volume list (it will show as RAW with no file system).
3. Right-click the RAW partition and select "Change Drive Letter and Paths".
4. If a drive letter is assigned, select it and click "Remove", then confirm.
5. Right-click the partition again, select "Change Drive Letter and Paths", and click "Add".
6. Assign a new drive letter (choose one that is not in use) and click OK.
7. Open File Explorer and check if the drive is now accessible under the new letter.
If nothing works, you can format the RAW partition to restore it to a usable state after recovering files. Formatting creates a fresh, clean file system structure. Here is how to format a RAW drive:
1. Press Win + X and select "Disk Management".
2. Right-click the RAW partition and select "Format".
3. Set the file system to NTFS, tick "Quick format", and click OK.
4. Confirm the warning that formatting will erase all data (your data is already safely recovered).
Can I recover data from a RAW drive without formatting?
Yes — data is usually intact; only metadata is damaged. Use recovery software like MyRecover to extract files, or TestDisk to repair the partition table. Always recover before formatting, as formatting overwrites structures and complicates recovery.
Why does CHKDSK say it's unavailable for RAW drives?
CHKDSK needs a recognizable file system to work. RAW means Windows can't identify one, so CHKDSK has nothing to check. Fix: recover data with software first, then reformat.
Is a RAW drive a sign of physical failure?
Not usually — most cases are logical corruption (power loss, unsafe ejection, malware). But if you hear clicking/grinding or the drive isn't detected in the BIOS, stop using it and seek professional help.
How long does recovery take?
Depends on drive size and corruption level. Quick scans: 5–15 min; deep scans on large drives (4TB+) can take hours. Bad sectors slow things down. Don't interrupt a scan, or you may miss files.
Should I format if I don't need the data?
Yes — format via Disk Management or DiskPart as NTFS (Windows) or exFAT (cross-platform). If unsure, run a recovery scan first — it's free and safe.
Can I convert RAW to NTFS without formatting?
No direct convert exists for RAW. Try CHKDSK, CHKNTFS, or TestDisk to repair first. If that works, no format needed. If not, recover data, then format.
A hard drive becoming RAW suddenly is a stressful experience, but it is rarely a data death sentence. As long as you find the right ways to protect your files and fix them, you can use them again.
For ongoing protection, always eject drives safely, use a UPS, maintain backups, and monitor your drive's SMART health. Or you have to use a Windows data recovery software to recover your files eventually.
Besides, you can recover files from a write-protected disk, a corrupted SD card, a camera, etc. So, why not give MyRecover a try now?