Fixed: The Volume You Have Selected to Shrink May Be Corrupted

The Error: The Volume You Have Selected to Shrink May Be Corrupted on C Drive

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Why The Error Happens?

The error “The volume you have selected to shrink may be corrupted” usually appears when Windows detects potential problems with the file system or disk structure. Here are the main reasons why it happens:

1. File System Corruption

If the file system on the partition is damaged or contains inconsistencies, Disk Management will block shrinking to prevent data loss.

2. Bad Sectors on the Hard Drive

Physical bad sectors or unstable areas on the drive can make Windows unable to read the disk properly, triggering the corruption warning.

3. Pending or Unresolved Disk Errors

If disk or file system errors were detected previously but not fixed (for example, after an improper shutdown or system crash), Windows may flag the volume as corrupted.

4. Volume in Use or Locked by System Processes

Sometimes, system files or services are using the target volume, preventing Disk Management from performing operations like shrinking.

5. Defective or Outdated Disk Drivers

Old or malfunctioning disk drivers can interfere with how Windows reads and manages disk partitions.

Solutions to "The Volume You Have Selected to Shrink May Be Corrupted" Error

In this section, we will walk you through several effective methods to help solve the error “The volume you have selected to shrink may be corrupted” in Windows 11, Windows 10 or Windows 7.

1: Run Check Disk (CHKDSK) to Repair File System Errors

First of all, we can follow the error message's recommendation and run the CHKDSK tool to address any potential corruption issues. This tool scans and repairs file system issues that might be causing the error.

Step 1. Press "Win + X" and select "Command Prompt (Admin)" in Windows 10, "Terminal (Admin)" in Windows 11 or "Windows PowerShell (Admin)".

Step 2. Type the following command and press Enter: chkdsk c: /f /r (Replace C: with the letter of the corrupted drive.）

Step 3. Confirm by typing “Y” to schedule the disk check the next time the system restarts.

Restart your computer to let CHKDSK run. It will check for file system errors and fix bad sectors, allowing you to shrink the volume afterward.

Alternatively, if you are not familiar with commands, you can press "Win+E" to open Windows File Explorer, right-click the target drive, select "Properties" and "Tools" tab. Click on "Check" under "Error Checking". This can also fix file system errors.

2: Run System File Checker (SFC)

SFC checks for corrupt system files that could be causing issues.Run Command Prompt windows as an administrator like you do in the first method above, type the following command and press Enter: sfc /scannow

Wait for the scan to finish, and if any corrupt files are found, SFC will attempt to fix them.After completion, try shrinking the volume again.

3: Defragment the Volume

If there are fragmented files preventing the volume from shrinking, defragmenting the drive might help.

Open File Explorer and right-click on the drive you want to shrink. Select "Properties", then go to the "Tools" tab. Click on "Optimize".

4: Ensure Volume Isn’t Locked by System Files

Ensure that no system files or programs are using the volume you’re trying to shrink.

Step 1. Open Task Manager by pressing "Ctrl + Shift + Esc".

Step 2. Check the Processes tab to see if any programs are actively using the drive (e.g., antivirus software, backup tools).

Step 3. End any processes that might be locking the volume.

5: Shrink Volume in Safe Mode

You may also want to try shrinking the volume in Safe Mode, as it reduces the number of active processes and can help avoid conflicts that may be preventing the operation and trigger the “The volume you have selected to shrink may be corrupted”error.

Step 1. Press the “Windows + R” to open the "Run" dialog box. Type “msconfig” and press Enter.

Step 2. Go to the “Boot" tab. Under "Boot options," check the box for "Safe boot".

Step 3. Click "Apply" and then “OK”.

You will be prompted to restart your computer. Click "Restart" to boot into Safe Mode. Once your system boots into Safe Mode, use Disk Management to shrink the volume again to check if it works.

6: Check for Bad Sectors

If there are physical issues on the drive, CrystalDiskInfo or HDDScan can identify bad sectors and provide recommendations.If such professional toolsdetect bad sectors or other issues, consider backing up your data and replacing the drive if necessary.

7: Turn to Third-Party Disk Manager

If the built-in tools don’t work, you can turn to third-party disk management software like AOMEI Partition Assistant. This tool provides more flexibility and advanced features for resizing, partitioning, and managing drives, especially when built-in tools fail to resolve issues.

Summary

The “The volume you have selected to shrink may be corrupted” error can be frustrating, withabove methods, you can successfully resolve the issue. If the built-in solutions, such as CHKDSK, SFC, or Safe Mode, don't resolve the issue, third-party partition management tools like AOMEI Partition Assistant offer more advanced features and flexibility to help you get the job done.

Remember to always back up your data before making any changes to your disk partitions to avoid potential data loss. If, unfortunately, you lose important data, you can use MyRecover to recover it in just three simple steps.This professional data recovery is able to recover data from formatted drive, inaccessible, damaged, or deletd partitions.