Drives & data

External drive shows as RAW and won't open

A drive reported as RAW has a corrupted file system table, not necessarily failed hardware; the data is often still recoverable if you don't format it right away.

Difficulty
Moderate
Time
30–90 minutes
DIY cost
$0–$80
Pro cost
$150–$600

Symptoms

  • Windows asks to format the drive before you can use it
  • File Explorer shows the drive with 0 bytes used and 0 free
  • Properties show file system as RAW instead of NTFS/exFAT
  • Drive was unplugged suddenly or the PC crashed while it was connected

Likely causes

  • CommonFile system table corrupted by an unsafe removalPulling a drive out during a write can damage the index that lists files.
  • PossiblePartition table damage from a failing driveBad sectors can corrupt the structures Windows needs to read the drive.
  • Less commonMalware or a bad sector overwrote file system dataLess common but can produce the same RAW symptom.

What to do

  1. Do not click Format; that can overwrite the remaining file references.
  2. Stop using the drive immediately to avoid writing new data over the old files.
  3. Run 'chkdsk /f' from an elevated command prompt only if you don't need to recover specific files, since it can delete unreadable ones.
  4. Better first step: use file recovery software to copy files off before repairing anything.
  5. Once files are safely copied elsewhere, format the drive to restore normal use.
  6. If recovery software can't read the drive at all, it likely needs professional lab recovery.

Tools and parts

  • File recovery software

When to call a pro

If the RAW drive holds data you can't lose and consumer recovery tools fail, a data recovery lab can often still get it back.

Safety

Generally low risk

Generally low risk for a careful person. Stop if anything looks different from what this guide describes.

Related guides

Operator provides AI-generated troubleshooting information. It can be wrong. For safety-critical, electrical, gas, structural, medical, automotive safety, or other high-risk problems, consult a qualified professional.