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6 March 2024  Jennifer Thatcher  Technology Manager of Test Dept.
 

Summary
Learn how to resolve the "Chkdsk cannot be used for RAW drives" error message and discover effective repair methods in this article.



Table of contents

table iconI. What is Chkdsk? Why does the chkdsk not available for RAW drive issue occur?
table iconII. How to recover files from RAW drive with Renee Undeleter?
table iconIII. How to fix the problem of Chkdsk cannot be used for RAW drives ?
chkdsk not available for raw drives

I. What is Chkdsk? Why does the chkdsk not available for RAW drive issue occur?

chkdsk is a system command that checks the status of a disk or drive. It displays the disk’s condition, memory status, and the count of individual files in a given path. This command is crucial for computer specialists to manage file systems, excluding RAW drives, on Windows.
The message "chkdsk cannot be used for RAW drive" indicates that Windows is unable to execute a disk scan on the drive since it is in a RAW format, which is not accessible by many Windows commands.
chkdsk not available for RAW drives
Windows does not support the RAW file system format. If a drive appears as RAW in Disk Management due to severe damage, missing components, or lack of formatting, the files become inaccessible. A “chkdsk cannot be used for RAW drives” message indicates a risk of data loss. To prevent losing important data, safely restore it before attempting to repair the drive.
how to quickly fix raw sd card

II. How to recover files from RAW drive with Renee Undeleter?

To retrieve crucial deleted data from your drive, it’s advised to employ professional data recovery software. We suggest using Renee Undeleter for effective file data restoration.

1. What is Renee Undeleter?

Renee Undeleter is a specialized software designed to recover system data files. Ideal for situations where you’ve accidentally deleted files, cleared the recycle bin, or formatted a disk/storage device, this tool can help you recover your lost data. It features four key functions: file recovery, format recovery, partition recovery, and image creation, providing a comprehensive solution to a wide range of data loss scenarios encountered during system use, offering convenience and ease of use.
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Easy to use Recover data by 3 steps;

Multiple scan modes Fast partition scan, whole partition scan and whole disk scan;

Supported file types Image, video, audio, text, email and so on;

Image creation Create a partition image to read and back up data;

Supported devices SD card, SDHC, SDXC, USB flash drive, hard disk and computer.

Easy to use Recover data by 3 steps;

Multiple scan modes Fast partition/whole partition/whole disk scan;

Supported devices SD card/USB/hard disk.

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2. How to recover drive data with the help of Renee Undeleter?

Restoring data with Renee Undeleter is very simple, the specific steps are as follows:
Step 1: Download, install and run Renee Undeleter, select the (Whole Partition Scan) option on the main interface.
Note: Do not install on the disk that needs to restore data, so as not to cause data overwriting.
select whole partition scan in renee undeleter to recover deleted video from sd card
Data Recovery Features:

  • Fast Partition Scan: Efficiently restores files lost from accidental deletion or recycle bin clearance.
  • Whole Partition Scan: Recovers files from inaccessible or formatted partitions with speed.
  • Whole Disk Scan: Conducts a comprehensive scan to retrieve data and partition information across the entire disk.
  • Image Creation: Enables the creation of a partition mirror image for backup purposes.
Step 2: Next, select the drive device to be scanned, and click (Next). Select (default setting) on the advanced setting interface.
Renee Undeleter Whole Partition Scan
Step 3: After that, the software will analyze the drive device.
After scanning, you can preview the files in the preview window on the right, then select the files you need to restore, and click the (Recover) button in the lower right corner to restore the selected files.
preview before recovery
undeleter preview ppt
Step 4: Choose the destination folder by clicking Browse to select the storage path. Then, press the Restore button to initiate file recovery. Please wait until the process completes.
Note: Do not save the recovered files on the original disk to avoid data overwriting. It is recommended to choose another disk to save these recovered files.
recover the whole disk data

III. How to fix the problem of Chkdsk cannot be used for RAW drives ?

1. Use Disk Error Checking

Step 1: Open “My Computer/This Computer”, right click on the RAW drive and select (Properties). Switch to the (Tools) option in the Properties window and click the (Check) button.
select properties
check disk
Step 2: Next, select the (Scan and repair drive) option in the error checking interface, then wait for the scan and repair it according to the prompts.
scan drive

2. Repair by formatting the drive

Since Chkdsk cannot be used by the RAW file system, we can also fix such problems by formatting the drive. The specific steps are as follows:
Step 1: Connect the drive to your computer and press Windows+X simultaneously. Select Disk Management from the menu that appears.
windows disk management right click start
Step 2: Next, find the RAW drive that needs to be formatted, right-click on it and select the (Format) option.
how to quickly fix raw sd card
Step 3: Select the appropriate file system, and ensure to check the Perform quick format option. Click OK and adhere to the on-screen prompts to complete the format process. This procedure is intended to address your concern effectively. For a better understanding, review the feature comparison between FAT32, NTFS, and exFAT file systems to discern their distinct characteristics and variations.
format raw disk