Solved: Disk Read Error
After pressing the power button to turn on your
laptop - instead of seeing Windows loading screen, a pitch black screen is displaying :
“A disk read error occurred Press Ctrl + Alt + Del
to restart”
The case below may him you get your laptop to boot
and get your data back.
The problem was with the boot sector of the system
and MBR (Master Boot record) of the system. However, it’s not the case for
everyone. Below is explained the troubleshooting techniques, which will fix the
probable causes of this issue.
Unplug any USB
or DVD drive
Remove all storage devices connected to your system
including DVD drive, USB stick, or an external hard disk. It’s possible that
your system is trying to boot from one of the connected devices due to
modification in boot priority. Alternatively, you can enter BIOS and change
boot priority order and set it to internal hard drive.
Reset/Update
Your BIOS
Resetting BIOS can help fix the disk read error by
restoring your system’s default settings. This also fixes any other issue
related to hardware.
To reset BIOS,
follow these steps:
1. Restart the system and keep
tapping the setup key (try F2 or Delete key; refer user manual to know the
exact key) to enter BIOS.
2. Choose Load Setup Defaults
or similar option that says apply defaults or load default
settings, factory settings, etc.
3. Hit Enter to reset BIOS.
Choose YES when prompted to confirm BIOS reset.
Alternatively, you can also try to update your BIOS
to fix disk read error. You should always keep an eye on your BIOS updates and
keep your BIOS updated to the latest version.
Fix MBR and
Fix Boot
This solution did work for our subscriber and so you
can also try to see if it works for you too. This works when your system’s boot
sector or MBR (Master Boot Record) gets corrupt or damaged. For this, you need
a Windows installation or repair disc. You can also create one using Windows
ISO and a tool like Win32DiskImager.
Use it to boot
the system and then,
Select the language
Click ‘Repair
your computer’ link at the bottom-right corner of the window
Choose the OS (Windows OS version) you want to
repair, and then click ‘Next’
From the System
Recovery Options window, choose ‘Command
Prompt’
Run CHKDSK
utility by typing chkdsk X: /r where X is the drive letter
(This will check the disk for errors and will fix them)
After Chkdsk finishes,
type Bootrec /fixboot to
repair the Boot Sector
Then type Bootrec /fixmbr to fix the Master Boot record file
Type Exit
and then click Restart
Check your
hard drives’ cables
Don’t forget to check your hard drive’s SATA and
power cables (IDE) in case of a disk read error. Check if they are loose or
defective by testing the cable’s using a Multimeter
device. This Multimeter device is available at any
electronic repair shop. Replace the cables with new ones if they fail the
continuity test.
Test RAM
memory
It’s rare but sometimes RAM (Random Access Memory)
issues bring various problems such as application crashes, blue screen of death
(BSOD), data corruption, and disk read error. That’s why you should run a
memory test quarterly or monthly to detect any issue with the RAM. The test is
easy; doesn’t harm your RAM and helps you fix the disk read error.
Step 1: Download Memtest86, a free standalone memory
testing utility that allows you to check your system memory for issues at
hardware-level. You can run various tests after booting your system using a
Memtest86 bootable USB drive.
Step 2: If you have recently added a new RAM, remove
it and restart your system to check if the error still exists. You can also
swap (change) RAM slot and check if the issue is fixed by rebooting the system.
Try the Drive
on another Machine
If you have tried all the solutions and none of them
worked, take out your hard drive and connect it to a different PC or laptop.
You can also try connecting it to the same PC via USB port and use BIOS to
select the drive as a bootable drive in the boot priority order.
This will help you find out if your hard disk is
corrupt and damaged or if there is a major hardware problem with your PC like
many people reported who traced the issue to a faulty video card, motherboard,
and even power supply.
If the disk is detected on another or same PC via
USB connection, run CHKDSK utility to scan and repair bad sectors and other
issues with the hard disk.
In case this solution also doesn’t help, it’s
confirmed that your hard disk is corrupted due to internal errors caused by bad
sectors or the drive has failed. If the hard drive is still under warranty, you
can reach your hard drive manufacturer and ask for a replacement or RA (Return
Authorization).
Please note that you will lose all your important
data stored on the hard drive as manufacturer won’t offer any guarantee of data
safety and recovery of data from the corrupted hard disk. Therefore, you need a
professional data recovery tool like the Stellar Windows Data Recovery – Home
that can help you recover your data from an inaccessible, severely corrupt, and
formatted hard drive with ease. Any logically damaged hard drive’s data can be
recovered using this tool’s ‘Deep Scan’ feature.
Conclusion:
You may have probably fixed your system’s Disk Read
error by following the above given solutions. In some rare cases, when a hard
drive fails or gets severely corrupt, you need to replace the hard drive.
That’s where you can take the help of Stellar’s Data
Recovery tool that we mentioned. With its powerful data recovery algorithms,
this tool helps you recover almost any type of file like pictures, videos,
audios, important Office documents, compressed files, or RAW data.