Top 7 Ways To Fix A Disk Read Error Occurred in Windows 10/8/7
Fix A Disk Read Error Occurred with 7 Solutions in Windows 10/8/7
You will be asked to press the Ctrl+Alt +Del to restart. However, most times, it won't help, and you won't be able to boot your computer correctly. The issue has infected a large number of users in Windows 10/8/7/XP. On this page, we have collected seven ways that said to be the most effective solutions to fix a disk read error occurred.
| Workable Solutions | Step-by-step Troubleshooting |
|---|---|
| 1. Back Up Data Without OS | Download and Install Qiling Backup on the working computer. Click Tools...Full steps |
| 2. Check SATA Cables | Try a different port for the SATA/SATA M2 cables. If you have more than one HDD...Full steps |
| 3. Run Surface Test | Run Qiling Partition Master, right-click the disk you want to check...Full steps |
| 4. Repair MBR | Download and launch Qiling Partition Master on a new PC...Full steps |
| 5. Other Effective Solutions | Run bootrec > Check RAM Memory > Reset or Update BIOS...Full steps |
A Disk Read Error Occurred Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to Restart
As a computer user, you may get many errors that prevent you from accessing your hard drive or data. Among them, disk read error is the most frustrating one. When it appears, you will receive the following message: "A disk read error occurred. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart". It is a common error that you can encounter and it indicates that Windows detects a hard disk problem or the process of reading hard disk goes wrong. Restart the computer by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Del cannot fix the error and you can still get the same screen.
Fix 1. Back Up Data Without Boot into Windows (Protect Data)
It would be an easy job to fix the "A disk read error occurred" issue. But the problem is that most users have essential personal stuff on the hard drive. So, they are puzzled about how to protect their files. You know, some troubleshooting steps might do lousy damage to their data and finally result-in irreversible data loss disaster.
Because of this, we recommend you to back up data first. You can export the data, and try to restore data on another healthy computer. Here is an example of creating a backup without booting into Windows 10/8/7/XP.
To boot into Windows without OS, you need Qiling Backup with bootable Media. With it, you can back up and export data even when the operating system fails to start or crashes. Download and install Qiling Backup on a healthy computer and export data without booting into Windows.
Also read: Recover Data from Corrupted Windows OS
Fix 2. Check Hard Disk SATA Cables to Fix a Disk Read Error
Damaged SATA cables can cause "A disk read error occurred" issue. So, try the following tips to fix the error if the above methods don't work.
Step 1. Try a different port for the SATA/SATA M2 cables.
Step 2. If you have more than one HDD, leave only the HDD with Windows installed and test multiple SATA ports and cables.
If there is something wrong, the faulty cables will need to be replaced to fix "A disk read error occurred".
Fix 3. Run Surface Test to Check HDD If Disk Read Error Occurred
If your hard drive has a bad sector, it could cause "a disk read error occurred" issue during the process of computer startup. You can run a professional partition software to check your hard drive for bad sectors.
To make it, you need Qiling Partition Master to create a bootable USB flash drive or CD/DVD. Then, restart the computer from the bootable device you just created. Follow the steps to check bad sectors:
Step 1. Open Qiling Partition Master. Right-click the disk that you want to check, and then click "Advanced" > "Surface Test".
Step 2. The operation will be immediately performed and all bad sectors will be marked as red.
If there is a bad sector, take out the hard drive. Connect the hard drive to a healthy computer and fix the bad sectors.
Fix 4. Repair MBR to Resolve Disk Read Error
If you also meet the "A disk read error occurred" error message, it suggests that BIOS is not the problem. Then try to rebuild MBR with Qiling partition software. Follow the steps below:
Step 1. Create a WinPE bootable disk
- Launch Qiling Partition Master, click "Create bootable media" on the toolbar. Select to create the bootable disk on a USB drive. If your computer has a CD/DVD drive, you can also create the bootable disk to CD/DVD.
- Click "Proceed" to finish the process.
Step 2. Boot Qiling Partition Master Bootable USB
- Connect the bootable USB or CD/DVD to your PC.
- Press F2 or Del when you restart the computer to enter the BIOS screen. Set and boot your computer from "Removable Devices" or "CD-ROM Drive". And then Qiling Partition Master will run automatically.
Step 3. Rebuild MBR
- Click the disk whose MBR is damaged. Choose "Fix boot" to continue.
- Select the type of MBR with the current operating system.
- Click the Proceed" to build the MBR. After that, your computer can boot normally again.
Fix 5. Run Bootrec to Fix A Disk Read Error Occurred
If the bootloader installation or configuration comes with some errors, you can also meet "a disk read error occurred press ctrl+alt+del to restart" error.
You could solve this error by following the steps below.
Step 1. Press Win+R to open the Run dialog. Type cmd and click "OK".
Step 2. In the Command Prompt window, type those following commands and press "Enter".
bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /rebuildbcd
Step 3. Restart the system and let bootrec repair MBR.
Fix 6. Check RAM Memory to Fix a Disk Read Error Occurred
Sometimes, a read disk error is related to a faulty RAM stick or RAM slot. If you have added new RAM memory to your computer, you can try this way.
Step 1. Remove the new RAM modules you've recently added.
Step 2. Leave only one single RAM module.
Step 3. Restart the computer.
You can also download a professional RAM test tool - MemTest86 to test your RAM (https://www.wikihow.com/Test-PC-RAM-with-MemTest86).
Fix 7. Reset or Upgrade BIOS to Fix a Disk Read Error Occurred
You can also try to reset BIOS to fix disk read errors. Some people say resetting your computer BIOS to default or upgrading to the latest version might be able to solve "A disk read error occurred" in Windows XP/7/8/10. Follow the steps below to reset BIOS:
Step 1. Restart the computer
Step 2. Press F2, F8, F12, Esc or Del to boot into BIOS
Step 3. Find the option to reset BIOS to default.
The option name varies depending on different computer manufacturers and BIOS versions, which can be "Load BIOS Defaults", "Load Setup Defaults", "Load Default Settings", "Load Fail-Safe Defaults", or "Get Default Values".
Conclusion
These practical solutions may have got you out of your Disk Read error. When a hard drive fails or gets severely corrupt, you need to replace the hard drive. You can turn to Qiling disk management tool to upgrade to a larger hard drive.
A Disk Read Error Occurred in Windows 10/8/7 FAQs
You have learned the seven ways to troubleshoot a disk read error. If you still have problems, you can read these topics below.
How do I fix a disk read error?
There are seven ways to fix a disk read error:
- Back Up Data Without OS
- Check SATA Cables
- Run Surface Test
- Repair MBR
- Run Bootrec
- Check RAM Memory
- Reset or Upgrade BIOS
Can external hard disk be repaired?
Yes, you can. As long as the external hard drive is not physically damaged, you can repair bad sectors or other external hard drive issues with ease.
How do I fix a corrupted external hard drive?
To Repair Corrupted External Hard Drive:
- Restore Corrupted File System
- Recover Data
- Repair Corrupted External Drive
- Repair External Drive without Formatting
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