Summary: Windows system error - CDFS FILE SYSTEM may occur due to an outdated device driver or faulty hardware. If you’ve recently encountered this error on your system, read this blog to learn how to fix this error for good. Additionally, keep a data recovery tool handy.
CDFS FILE SYSTEM blue screen issue typically appears out of nowhere and renders the PC inaccessible. The error also stops the system sometimes from carrying out a particular task.
CDFS FILE SYSTEM issue prevents the system from installing Windows and shows an error code 0x00000026. To avoid damage and possible data loss, Windows immediately restarts when the CDFs error message appears. To know how you can fix this annoying problem? Continue reading.
How do I fix the CDFS FILE SYSTEM error on Windows 10/11?
1. Update Drivers
Update your drivers frequently to prevent BSoD problems, as out-of-date or incompatible drivers bring on many BSoD errors in your system. Practically, any driver has the potential to make CDFS FILE SYSTEM appear, so updating all your drivers is strongly advised.
Start with the motherboard, chipset, and audio drivers, then update your network card and graphic card drivers. After that, you only need to find your device on the hardware manufacturer’s website, discover the latest drivers for it and download them. Or you can do it the following way:
- Type Device Manager into the taskbar’s search box, and click on Device Manager.
- To see the names of the devices, choose a category, right-click the device you want to update, and select Update Driver.
- Choose Search automatically for drivers.
- You can attempt to find a new driver on the device manufacturer’s website and follow their instructions if Windows cannot do so.
2. Start in safe mode
The operating system launches in diagnostic mode rather than regular operating mode when it is in the safe mode. After installing an update, a device driver, or new software, it is generally used to troubleshoot computers that have crashed, failed to boot correctly, or are unstable.
In this mode, the operating system only loads the bare minimum of drivers and services to isolate problems causing system instability.
- In the bottom-left corner, click the Windows icon.
- Click Restart after selecting the Power icon while holding the Shift key.
- After restarting, a blue screen with the title Choose an option will appear. Select Advanced options after choosing Troubleshoot.
- After selecting Startup Settings, click Restart. Your computer will switch on and off.
- The system will give you a few choices when the screen reappears. Press either 4 or 5 to start your computer in Safe Mode with networking.
If you don’t encounter the error in safe mode, then a third-party application or driver is probably causing this issue.
3. Run SFC scan
Windows System File Checker (SFC) is a helpful command-line tool for scanning and fixing protected system files. It’s the simplest and quickest method for evaluating your computer’s stability, spotting installation and update issues, and, when possible, locating replacements for lost or damaged files. You should do this before starting DISM.
- Open Command Prompt (Admin) by right-clicking on the Start Menu button.
- Press Enter after entering the command sfc/scannow.
- Await the completion of the process (it may take a while).
- If it discovers any corrupted files, it will repair them automatically.
- Restart your computer after closing the Command Prompt.
4. Run DISM
You can use a command-line utility called Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM.exe) to prepare and service Windows images, including those used for Windows Setup, Windows PE, and Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE). A virtual hard disk or a Windows image (.wim) can be maintained using DISM.
DISM is pre-installed in Windows, and you can access it via the command line or Windows PowerShell.
- Right-click the Windows logo and open Windows Terminal (Admin).
- Paste the following command- DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and press Enter.
- Wait until the Scan is finished.
- Restart your computer and try updating again.
5. Perform a chkdsk scan
A command called CHKDSK can be used to check the status of a volume, such as a disk, and fix any issues discovered. Computers must already have the Autochk.exe file installed to run CHKDSK.
Administrators can choose which switches to use with CHKDSK. For instance, using /f instructs CHKDSK to correct any faults it discovers. By specifying /r, CHKDSK is instructed to search for and recover any readable data on a disk’s faulty sectors.
- Right-click the Windows logo and open Windows Terminal (Admin).
- Type chkdsk /f /r C: into the Command Prompt and press Enter. Replace C with the equivalent letter if you want to run this Scan on all your installed hard drive partitions.
6. Reset Windows
Resetting Windows gives you a fresh start without unnecessary applications or data, freeing up system space and enhancing computer speed.
Malware on your computer will also be removed via a system restore, making it safe to sell or give away.
A backup is necessary if you don’t want your stuff deleted because resetting your computer would delete all your programs and information.
- You can begin the Automatic Repair procedure by rebooting your computer a few times during boot.
- Choose Reset this PC under Troubleshoot.
- You can now select either Keep my files or Remove everything. Using the Remove everything option will delete every file from your C drive and get rid of any potential causes of CDFS FILE SYSTEM error.
- Choose Only the drive where Windows is installed.
- Wait for the process to finish.
Use the Stellar Data Recovery tool to recover files after Windows reset
Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Windows can recover your lost files from the selected hard drive. You can also make bootable media that will allow you to recover your files from a PC that won’t boot.
To retrieve files from a hard drive:
- Install the Stellar data recovery software professional.
- Open the application, select the type of data you want to recover, and click Next.
- Select the folder location or drive volume and click Scan.
- Select files after the Scan and click Recover to save recovered data.
This procedure doesn’t need any backups and will recover your files in a few seconds. But if your PC won’t boot up due to the CDFS error, here’s what to do:
To recover files from an unbootable PC:
- Connect the USB drive to an operational Windows computer. You need an empty USB flash drive for this (at least 1GB size).
- Launch Stellar Data Recovery Professional after downloading and installing it.
- In the top-right corner of the Select What to Recover screen, click on the Waffle menu.
- Choose the option to Create Recovery Drive.
- Use the drop-down list to select the USB drive from the Create Recovery Drive dialog box.
- To start the procedure, select Create Recovery Drive and OK.
- A new Activation window appears after the procedure. After purchasing the product, enter the Activation Key you received via email and press the Activate button.
- Connect the bootable USB media to your Windows computer that has crashed or won’t boot.
- Turn on your computer, then start pressing the F12 boot option key to view any connected bootable USB media. For more information, consult the manufacturer’s support website for your laptop or motherboard.
- Using the arrow down button, move the selection to a bootable data recovery media, then press Enter to boot the computer.
- You will see the interface for Stellar Data Recovery software once the computer has booted from USB media.
- Choose the file type(s) you want to recover from the Select What To Recover screen and press Next.
- Click Scan after selecting the Windows drive from which you want to recover data.
- Select all the files you want to recover after the Scan. Additionally, you can preview files to ensure they are undamaged and retrievable.
- Click Recover to save the files.
- To save the recovered data, click Start Saving at the end.
No more CDFS FILE SYSTEM errors!
Since the problem is known to be related to Windows files, malfunctioning hardware is less likely to be the source of the problem. Consequently, solving the problem takes a few minutes.
Resetting Windows will be your last resort because it will delete everything from your computer. You can still recover the deleted data with the Stellar Data Recovery professional program. Therefore, none of the solutions listed above pose a significant danger, making them all doable by the user. You can still visit a technician to get your PC diagnosed and receive expert assistance.
FAQ
- Do I need to purchase an activation code for Stellar Data Recovery Professional?
Once the application scans your drive, you will need to purchase it to save the recovered files beyond 1 GB.
- Is the original version of Stellar data recovery software free?
Yes, it is free. However, it offers limited services, and you cannot use it to create bootable media for unbootable PCs.
- Do I need the expertise to recover my files with Stellar?
Thanks to the simple and user-friendly interface, you won’t need any special expertise to recover your files with Stellar Data Recovery Professional.
