How to Recover Raw File System When CHKDSK Reports Raw?

Summary: Have you ever encountered error message “The type of file system is RAW. CHKDSK is not available for RAW drives”? This post will help you to recover data from raw file system as well as solution to fix RAW drive before formatting and without losing data.

    

When you try to run chkdsk to repair hard disk, then some times you may receive error message "This type of file system is RAW. Chkdsk is not available for RAW drives."

Anyways what is the wrong with the drive?

CHKDSK.exe is the command-line for the CHKDSK program, which verifies the logical integrity of a file system. If CHKDSK come across any in inconsistencies in file system data, CHKDSK performs actions that repair the file system data (assuming that the data is not in read-only mode).

And if the system type information is unavailable, and if you run CHKDSK against that volume then you will get the following error message:

The type of the filesystem is RAW. Chkdsk is not available for RAW drives.

The above error message occur when drive fails in such a way that it becomes RAW, which is generally caused due to virus infection, availability of bad sectors, sudden power failure, improper system shut down, etc.

To fix this issue the best solution is to format RAW to NTFS. But before formatting, you must perform data recovery in order rescue important files.

Also Read: 2 Solutions to Recover Media Files after USB Drive Error “Please insert a disk into Removable Disk”

Recovering Data When CHDSK Reports “The type of file system is RAW”

Photo Recovery software can help you to recover lost files from raw file system. This picture recovery will help you to retrieve lost photos, videos and audio files from hard disk that throw error message "This type of file system is RAW. Chkdsk is not available for RAW drives.", when you run chkdsk on the drive. 

Free Recover Raw File System When CHKDSK Reports RAW Drive

This photo recovery tool gives you the full control to restore digital media files from computer internal as well as external hard disk. It can also be used to recover media files from memory cards, USB flash drives, digital cameras/camcorders, etc. It comes with user-friendly interface data recovery from RAW file system can help you to do job with ease.

Steps to Recover Data from RAW File System

Step 1 – Download and install Photo Recovery and launch it on your PC. Now connect your external storage devices such as memory card, USB drive, hard drive or digital camera. Once, connected, now on your PC click on “Recover Photo, Audio & Video” to start recovery process.

Step 2 - Select the drive from which you want to recover files and then click on “Scan Now” to begin the scanning process.

Step 3 – You can see that scanning is in progress.

Step 4 - Once, the scanning process gets complete, you can now preview recoverable files. After previewing the files you can select those files that you want back and click on “Recover” button to save them on your PC. 

Step 5 - Select the location on your PC to save the recovered files. 

    

After recovering data you can then Fix CHKDSK Is Not Available on RAW Drives Error.