Error 0x80070571: Disk structure is corrupted
The message “The disk structure is damaged. Unable to read ”with code 0x80070571 may appear in Windows 7, 10, 11. It often results from a damaged partition on a drive, problems with drivers, a large number of broken files, or even a poor connection to the computer (oxidized contacts, dust, poorly latched connector). For these reasons, Windows cannot open and generally do anything with files that are stored on the HDD. Lucky if the problem is with the external hard drive and not the internal one where Windows is installed. This makes it easier to fix the problem. Otherwise, you will have to do everything through the console or look for another drive with the OS and connect the internal drive as an additional device. You will find everything in detail on how to solve the problem below.
By the way! This error may also sound 0x80070571: Disk structure is corrupted and unreadable – this is exactly the same.
How to fix a crash on Windows?
Most of the time, a read error appears when trying to do something with a file on an external hard drive, so most people have the option to boot the operating system. We will build on this. Otherwise, you should find another drive with the OS or a USB flash drive with Windows startup, then go to recovery mode and run the command line. In some paragraphs, we will indicate both manual options for performing the procedure and commands for the console.
1) Reconnect the disk
This is especially easy to do with an external HDD that is connected via USB. This procedure should be done first, as it helps very often. It is only better to disconnect the drive and reconnect it to the PC only after a reboot. A similar action must be done with a SATA disk, but first you need to turn off the computer. Inside, be sure to check whether the plug sits well, whether there is any backlash or other noticeable damage.
Another very similar action, which also has a high chance of success, is reinstalling the drivers.
Instructions:
- Right-click (RMB) on Start and go to “Device Manager”.
- Open the “Disk drives” list.
- Right click on the problem drive and select “Disable”.
- Click on the “Action” tab and select “Update hardware configuration”.
2) Scan the disk with the Check Disk utility
The HDD troubleshooting tool can detect bad sectors, crashes, file system errors, and other similar malfunctions. It starts with the command chkdsk / rc :, where instead of “C” there should be the letter of your drive, the reading from which is interrupted.
3) Scan with additional programs
When the built-in tools haven’t helped, it’s time to turn to third-party software. It is often even more functional and powerful.
Things to try:
- MiniTool Partition Wizard is a program with a high trust rating and good efficiency in fixing hard drive problems. You just need to install it, select the problem drive from the general list in the main menu and run a file system check. Then the option “Check and fix the errors found” will appear, select it and start the search.
- M3 RAW is a fairly effective utility. True, it is paid, but there is a trial mode. The principle is the same: select a disk and run a scan.
Advice! If Windows cannot start, you can either mount one of these programs (we recommend Vicrotia HDD) on a bootable USB flash drive from another PC, or try running the built-in diagnostics. Many BIOSes have a Diagnostic button in the Boot Menu or a similar section dedicated to working with drives.
4) Format the disk
The last resort to take if all else fails. It will remove many software failures of the hard drive, but it will also result in the loss of all data. To execute the procedure, you just need to insert into the command line format h: /FS:FAT32 (or NTFS instead of FAT32), where h is the letter of the drive that is experiencing problems.
Setting a new drive letter can also help. Sometimes the problem is that the drive is not assigned a letter in the manager (or it is already reserved for another drive) and because of this the system does not know where to go. It is easy to fix the crash through Disk Management. It is worth looking at the state of the HDD with an error and changing the letter or reallocating unused memory. Plus the system has a troubleshooting tool that can help.
In general, these are all the basic tactics for dealing with error code 0x80070571 and the message “The disk structure is damaged. Reading is impossible. ” We have taken all the necessary measures to restore the disk’s functionality. If this does not happen, the problem may be in more complex hardware failures. They can already be fixed only through specialized software.
