Microsoft KB Archive/176646

= Error Message: The File or Directory Is Corrupt... =

Article ID: 176646

Article Last Modified on 2/24/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Edition
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.5
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.51
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Developer Edition
 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.5
 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.51
 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Enterprise Edition

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This article was previously published under Q176646





SYMPTOMS
When you attempt to open, delete or rename a file or folder using Windows NT Explorer, File Manager or a command prompt, you may receive one of the following error messages:

 



The file or directory is corrupt and non-readable.The file or directory is corrupt and non-readable. The file or directory \ is corrupt and unreadable.

Please Run the Chkdsk utility.





CAUSE
This behavior can occur if the file, folder or file system index (Master File Table [MFT] or File Allocation Table [FAT]) is damaged.



RESOLUTION
WARNING: When Chkdsk detects problems with the file system and attempts to repair the damage, data loss can occur. Microsoft does not recommend running Chkdsk with the /f command-line switch unless you have a full backup of your hard disk.

Attempt to repair the damaged file, folder or file system index using Chkdsk. To do so, follow these steps:


 * 1) Click Start, and then click Run.
 * 2) In the Open box, type chkdsk /f :, where is the letter of the drive on which the damaged file, folder or file system index exists.
 * 3) Click OK.

NOTE: If the hard disk is large, Chkdsk may take several minutes to several hours to complete.



MORE INFORMATION
Chkdsk saves each repaired file in the root folder as a File .chk file, and each repaired folder in the root folder as a Found. folder, where  is a number.

For information about how to use Chkdsk, click Start, click Help, click the Index tab, type "chkdsk" (without quotation marks), and then double- click the "Chkdsk Command" topic.

For more information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

ARTICLE-ID: 156571

TITLE : How to Perform Scandisk in Windows NT 4.0

ARTICLE-ID: ID: 160963

TITLE : CHKNTFS.EXE: What You Can Use It For

ARTICLE-ID: 161801

TITLE : Chkdsk reports an erroneous Event ID 41

Additional query words: corruption autochk

Keywords: kberrmsg kbprb kbsetup KB176646

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