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Deleting files with CRC errors in Windows XP

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Mark Wilson

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I just fixed a little problem on my Windows XP laptop… I had a file which I could not delete (even after a reboot) and each time I tried, the error returned was:

Cannot delete filename: Data Error (Cyclic Redundancy Check)

Various Internet sites suggested rebooting in safe mode and removing the file – that didn’t work but chkdsk /r located the bad disk sectors and recovered the data. Once this was complete, I successfully removed the file.

If you have to do this, be ready for the chkdsk process to take a while.

Comments

3 responses to “Deleting files with CRC errors in Windows XP”

  1. Thomas avatar
    Thomas

    CRC errors are, in my experience, the first major sign of a disk on it’s way out. I’ve seen this problen three times in the past year or so and every time a new hard disk was eventually needed. My first bit of advice is to back up everything you don’t want to lose. And if your latop is under warranty, you might like to claim a new hard disk sooner rather than later!

    While chkdsk can find and “fix” the errors, about all the fix is good for is to enable you to delete the file. In most cases, while the file is intact enough to be deleted, it’s may not contain the data you wanted. In my case, I found several digital audio tracks were trashed on my laptop when it failed. Fortunately, I had a backup.

    In general, CRC errors are neither a good thing not a good sign! Prepare for the worst and you’re not going to be too caught out when the disk finally gives up the ghost.

    Good luck!

  2. Mark’s (we)Blog » Does Windows Vista have more than just a pretty face?

    […] There are improved diagnostics (e.g. to report that a hard disk has bad sectors – often a sign that the disk is about to fail). […]

  3. Scott avatar
    Scott

    I had a crc error on my afd.sys file. Even after running chkdsk once I could not delete it. But then I ran chkdsk again and the file was actually corrected, solving my (lack of) IP address problem. (Note: To run chkdsk, go to the desired drive (e.g., c:) and right click–then select properties. On the tools tab, select Error Checking and click check now. Check only the first box, which is what I did on my 2nd run. On my first unsuccessful run, I checked both boxes. Okay the check disk, scheduled for the next start-up, and re-start your computer–and wait…).

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