‘Windows has Detected File System Corruption…’ Error and Recovery

NTFS (New Technology File System) is the recommended file system to be used with Windows Vista. NTFS possess all the basic features of FAT16 and FAT32, with added storage features like improved security, larger size of partitions and files and compression. However, Windows Vista supports FAT16 and FAT32 also. These file systems are comprised of several meta data structures that prone to corruption, thereby damaging the overall structure of file system.

Such kinds of issues introduce abrupt behavior while you deal with disks having corrupted file system. In critical situations, you might need to reformat the hard disk to recreate the file system. Since it causes complete data loss, you’ll need to restore lost data from backup. But if backup is currently unavailable or exist in unclean state, you should use Data Recovery tools that serve as advanced applications to recover lost data.

As an example, you might receive the below error message with your Windows Vista-based system when attempting to run System Restore or trying to backup the drive:

"Windows has detected file system corruption on . You must check the disk for errors before it can be restored"

Cause

The most prominent reason for this behavior is file system corruption on drive. It can also occur due to corruption of Windows system files.

Solution

You should try these steps to fix such file system issues:

You can try executing SFC /SCANNOW command using these steps:
Launch command prompt with administrator rights
Use SFC /SCANNOW command

SFC (System File Checker) is the integrated component with Windows Resource Protection that checks and repairs system files while protecting critical system files and registry keys.

Try running CHKDSK /F command to repair file system issues.
It is also recommended to run System Repair using installation disc
If problem continues, reformat the drive and restore lost data from backup.

Use Data Recovery Software if backup is unable to restore complete information required. Such Data Recovery applications employ powerful scanning algorithms, while maintaining data integrity. These tools provide self-descriptive interface and safe data conduct design.

Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery is an advanced data recovery utility providing comprehensive recovery with impressive set of features (like Disk Imaging, Drive Cloning, and Drive Status etc.). It is a read-only application that natively supports Windows 7 RC1, Vista, Server 2003, XP and 2000. The software can perform safe recovery for FAT32, VFAT, NTFS, and NTFS5 file systems.