Summary: Windows 10 OS may gets corrupted due to many reasons. Here you will find the DIY methods to recover data from corrupted Windows 10 OS by some manual steps or using a Stellar Data Recovery software.
My Windows 10 OS is corrupt and hard drive has become inaccessible. How can I recover my data?
Recovering data from a corrupt Windows 10 OS is easy if you have the Windows 10 bootable drive or another working PC that can be used to troubleshoot issues of the affected PC. Let’s focus on the reason why Windows 10 operating system gets corrupted.
Windows 10 OS gets corrupted due to the following reasons
- Hardware issue
- Corrupt DLL files
- Bad sector in hard disk
- Outdated drivers
- Corrupt Registry
- Conflict in two antivirus
- Modified system files
- Incompatible software
Because of the reasons as the preceding section depicts or others, your Windows 10 OS might have got corrupted.
How to Recover Data from a Corrupt Windows 10 OS?
If your PC is booting, but at times crashes due to some fatal error, then you can try the following solution:
1. Use System File Checker (SFC) utility of Windows 10.
- Right-click Windows icon present on the taskbar.
- Select Command Prompt (Admin).
- In the command prompt with admin rights type: sfc /scannow.
2. Use Deployment Image & Servicing Management (DISM) if SFC cannot fix the issue.
- Right-click Windows icon present on the taskbar.
- Select Command Prompt (Admin).
- Type the command: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth.
3. If both the above solutions do not work, then perform the following:
- Backup your important data to external drive.
- Format the corrupted drive.
- Reinstall operating system using the Windows 10 installation medium.
- Copy the data from the backup drive to the refurbished storage drive.
SFC and DISM are really great tools to help recover your corrupt Windows 10 OS without the need of clean installation of the operating system. Also, backing up files and folder is another important step to avoid data loss prior to formatting and installation of Windows.
In case your PC does not boot, then the above-mentioned troubleshooting will not work. You need to use a professional data recovery software like Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Windows and proceed as explained below:
- Remove the internal storage drive from the affected PC
- Connect the drive to a working PC as an external drive.
- If drive is detected but inaccessible, Launch Stellar Data Recovery Professional.
- Select what to recover (All data), then click Next.
- Select location of the inaccessible drive, then click Scan.
- Preview the scanned items.
- Select the required items, then click Recover.
- Provide the desired location, then click Start Saving.
There you go, you have saved your data successfully from the corrupted operating system.
In case the drive is not detected, then there is a physical damage to your drive which you can only resolve by visiting your local data recovery expert.
Winding Up
This blog points out various data recovery methods to recover data from the corrupt Windows OS and inaccessible hard drive. The manual methods for recovering Windows 10 includes using system file checker to scan and repair system files. If the system file checker tool fails to repair damage, then deployment image and servicing management tool can be used.
If both the repair methods fail then use Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Windows to recover your data.
Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Windows is a do-it-yourself data recovery software that helps you to easily recover deleted files & folders, missing or corrupt partitions and even accidentally formatted hard drives.
