The message does not tell you what is actually broken, which is why the exact same error could be due to a slightly bad cable or a dying platter. This is a warning light, not an actual diagnosis, so we need to figure out which one before we do anything else.
Each sector on your disk has a “checksum” associated with it. When you read in a sector and it doesn't pass the checksum (meaning what you got back doesn't match what you wrote), then the drive will raise this specific error instead of returning you garbage data that it knows is wrong.
chkdsk /f /r as a first response. If you have failing sectors, running chkdsk /f /r will cause it to repeatedly reread the sectors where there's trouble, and potentially relocate or even delete data while “fixing” your file system. So if the data matters, save as much of it as possible first.Any sector written to a disk contains a checksum when the drive writes the sector. In order for the drive to validate the information contained within the sector when it reads that sector back, it calculates another checksum and then compares its calculation with the one originally created. If those do not match (a cyclic redundancy check error), then the data being read from the disk is not what was originally written to the disk.
This is an equipment-level report and therefore is not related to the software. When you see this type of report on your system, it usually indicates the physical deterioration of the surface. However, this type of report could also indicate that a connector or cable is beginning to fail. Since failure of a connector or cable can be eliminated at no cost, it would be wise to check for a failed connector or cable first.
This report does not indicate that the file has been lost. Sectors that have failed checksums are often able to be read using multiple attempts or by applying error correction. This is the exact function of recovery imaging. Ordinary copy operations do not use error correction, so they may not be able to access all the data.
Try a different cable and port first. SATA and USB cables fail without warning and will cause this type of error. Eliminating a bad cable or port takes just two minutes and eliminates a significant number of these types of problems.
Copy what still reads, now. If most files can still be opened, copy those files off before doing anything else. A drive that is experiencing CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) errors is deteriorating and will not improve.
Do not run chkdsk. It writes to the disk while it checks the disk. When chkdsk runs on a drive with failing sectors, those writes frequently cannot complete, and this is the most common way to render a recoverable drive partially recoverable.
Then stop using it. Each additional hour of service will use up readable sectors that could be useful later.
No. Identical symptoms are caused by cables or connections. Eliminate them first as they will cost nothing to test.
Frequently. Many sectors that fail checksum can often be recovered with multiple attempts at reading and error correction (which imaging does), but copying doesn't do this.
Decline it if the files matter to you. Chkdsk is designed only to make a file system consistent and not to preserve your data, and it writes to a disk that's already struggling.
From £300 +VAT per single drive. Fixed price, in writing, after the free diagnostic process has been completed (48 hours).