Reasons for Corrupt Master File Table Error
The Master File Table is the most critical file in an NTFS file system. It keeps track of all files on the volume, as well as their logical location in folders, physical location on the hard, and metadata about the file. A corrupt Master File Table is a CHKDSK error that appears when a user runs a CHKDSK scan on a corrupt and inaccessible NTFS drive such as hard drive or SSD to fix the file system errors.
There are many reasons behind the corrupt master file table error. Some of the common among them are:
- Sudden System Crash
- Application crashes or malfunctioning due to various reasons
- Attack of malware or virus for MFT
- Bad sectors in excess on the computer’s hard drive
- Pulling out of the external disk in an improper way
Methods to Fix Corrupt Master File Table Error
It is recommended to stop using the computer or hard drive after encountering the Corrupt MFT error. This will ensure further damage to the Master File Table. Then you can follow the 3 methods to fix the corrupt master file table error.
Method 1: Repair Corrupt Master File Table with CHKDSK
- Open File Explorer and right-click on your corrupt drive volume.
- Choose Properties and click the Tools tab.
- Click the Check button and grant admin permission to begin drive repair.
- Click Scan drive and wait for the process to finish.
- Restart the system and check if the issue is resolved.
Method 2: Perform Startup Repair
Windows Startup repair is another option to fix the Corrupt Master File Table error. For this, you are required to boot in a recovery environment:
- Turn your computer ON and OFF three times, and make sure to turn off your computer on seeing the windows logo. After the third attempt, Windows will boot into the diagnostics mode.
- Select Advanced options > Troubleshoot from the given options.
- Now you have to tap on the Advanced options button.
- Then tap on Startup Repair from the given options.
- Now you have to select your account and fill in the password. Now click Continue and you are done. This will start the repair process. This will scan, detect and fix the problem.
Method 3: Format the Drive
If the above-mentioned methods have failed to fix the Corrupt master file table, then the only option left is Formatting the drive. But formatting the drive will lead to permanent data loss, you need to back up the data of the drive.
- Press Win + X and choose Disk Management.
- Right-click on the drive you want to format and click on Format.
- Set Volume Label, File System, and Allocation unit size as you need. Then, click OK to start the process.
Method 4: Recover Data from Corrupted Drive
No matter which method above may result in the loss of data on the drive. To avoid data loss, you need to recover data from the corrupted drive with Bitwar Data Recovery Software in advance.
Bitwar Data Recovery Software has a high data recovery success rate, and recovers 580+ deleted, formatted, lost and disappeared data from internal & external hard drives, SD memory cards, USB flash drives, or other digital storage media on Windows or Mac.
- Go to Bitwarsoft Download Center, find and install Bitwar Data Recovery on the computer.
- Select the driver you want to recover from the Disk Partitions and Devices list.
- Choose the Quick Scan mode. You can choose the Deep Scan mode if the deleted data can’t be found. It performs an in-depth search to look for data in every corner of your computer. After that, click on the Next button.
- Choose your target file type, and click Scan
- Choose, preview the scanned files you need, then click Recover and save the files into different devices or partitions.
NOTE: Remember to save all the files you want to recover to a different file location to prevent data from being overwritten!
Conclusion
That’s how to fix your mistakes. Remember to back up the data on the disk before repair to prevent data loss. If this fails and data is lost, remember to use a professional file rescue software to recover the data.
