How to Fix "The File or Directory is Corrupted and Unreadable" Error

Few things are more worrying than plugging in a USB drive, opening an external disk, or clicking a familiar folder and suddenly seeing "The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable." The message can make it look as though every file inside is already lost, but that is not always the case.

In Windows, this error usually points to a problem with the file system, the storage connection, or the drive itself. The safest next step depends on whether the storage device is still stable and readable. If the drive is disconnecting, making unusual noises, or contains irreplaceable data, avoid repeated repair attempts until the important data is secured.

Part 1. What Does "The File or Directory Is Corrupted and Unreadable" Mean?

Windows uses the error code 0x80070570 (ERROR_FILE_CORRUPT) for the message "The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable." It can appear when Windows cannot reliably read the file-system information needed to access a file, folder, or volume.

The message does not tell you exactly which component failed. The problem may be limited to file-system metadata, a bad connection, an interrupted write, a damaged storage device, or an individual file inside an otherwise healthy drive.

Part 2. How to Fix the File or Directory Is Corrupted and Unreadable

Start with the least invasive checks. Do not jump straight to a repair command if the drive appears unstable or contains the only copy of important data.

1. Reconnect the Drive and Rule Out a Connection Problem

Use this when: The error appears on a USB flash drive, SD card reader, external HDD/SSD, or another removable device.

Close programs that are using the drive, safely disconnect it when possible, and reconnect it. Try a different USB port, cable, card reader, or another computer if one is available. A weak connection can make a healthy file system appear unreadable.

2. Save Important Data Before Repairing the File System

Use this when: The drive is still readable enough to copy some data, or the files are valuable and you have no backup.

File-system repair tools modify metadata. If the storage device is physically unstable, repeated writes or intensive scans can complicate later recovery. Copy accessible files to another healthy drive first when possible.

Stop and protect the data first if the drive makes clicking or grinding sounds, disconnects repeatedly, becomes extremely slow, or disappears from Windows. Those symptoms can point to a hardware problem rather than a normal file-system error.

3. Run Windows Error Checking

Use this when: The affected drive is stable and Windows still recognizes it.

Windows includes an Error Checking tool that can inspect the file system and repair detected logical errors.

Step 1. Open File Explorer, right-click the affected drive, and select Properties. Open the Tools tab and choose Check under Error checking.

Step 2. Follow the Windows prompt to scan the drive. If errors are found, allow Windows to repair them, then reopen the affected folder.

4. Run CHKDSK With the Correct Drive Letter

Use this when: Error Checking does not resolve the problem and the drive remains stable enough for file-system repair.

Microsoft documents CHKDSK as a file-system repair tool. The /f switch fixes logical file-system errors. The /r switch also looks for bad sectors and attempts to recover readable information, so it is more intensive and should not be the first choice for an unstable drive.

Step 1. Note the drive letter in File Explorer. Then open Command Prompt or Windows Terminal as administrator.

Step 2. Replace E: with the actual affected drive letter and run:

chkdsk E: /f

If Windows reports physical-sector problems and the data is already backed up, you can consider the more thorough command:

chkdsk E: /r

Wait for CHKDSK to finish and review its result before reconnecting or writing new data to the drive.

5. Try a Fresh Copy If Only One File or Folder Is Affected

Use this when: The drive itself works normally, but one recently downloaded, transferred, extracted, or synchronized item shows the error.

Delete or move the damaged copy only if you already have another source available. Then download, extract, or transfer the item again from the original trusted source. If the fresh copy opens normally, the original file was probably damaged during transfer rather than by a drive-wide file-system problem.

6. Check Windows System Files for 0x80070570 During Update or Installation

Use this when: You see 0x80070570 during Windows Update, Windows setup, or another Windows servicing operation rather than when opening an external drive.

Microsoft associates 0x80070570 in Windows servicing with component-store corruption. In that situation, run DISM first, then System File Checker:

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /Restorehealth

sfc /scannow

Restart Windows after the commands complete. If your problem is specifically the Windows error code rather than an unreadable storage volume, the dedicated 0x80070570 troubleshooting guide covers that path in more detail.

Part 3. When the Problem May Be the Drive Itself

Logical corruption is only one possibility. If the device shows signs of physical instability, repeatedly repairing the file system is not the safest next move.

Repairing the storage volume and repairing the contents of an individual Word, Excel, PDF, ZIP, photo, or video file are different tasks. Fix the storage problem first whenever the whole drive or directory structure is affected.

Part 4. Repair Individual Corrupted Files After the Drive Is Accessible

Once Windows can access the drive normally again, you may find that one or more individual files still refuse to open because their internal data is damaged. That is the point where file repair can be useful.

Repairit File Repair is designed for supported corrupted files such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, ZIP, and other supported formats. It does not repair a damaged disk, rebuild a file system, or recover an entire unreadable directory. The broader Wondershare Repairit toolkit also includes repair workflows for damaged media files.

Key Features of Repairit File Repair

Wondershare Repairit - File Repair

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• Repair damaged files with all levels of corruption, including blank files, files not opening, unrecognizable format, unreadable content, files layout changed, etc.
• Support to repair all formats of PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Zip, and Adobe files.
• Perfectly repair corrupted files with a very high success rate, without modifying the original file.
• No limit to the number and size of the repairable files.
• Support Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista, Windows Server 2003/2008/2012/2016/2019/2022, and macOS 10.13~macOS 27.

Repair a Corrupted File With Repairit

Use this workflow only after the drive or file-system issue has been resolved and the remaining problem is an individual supported file that is still corrupted.

Step 1. Open File Repair. Launch Repairit and choose More Types Repair > File Repair.

Step 2. Add the corrupted file. Select + Add and import the supported file that still will not open.

Step 3. Start the repair. Select the file and click Repair.

Step 4. Preview and save the repaired file. Preview the repaired result when the format supports preview, then save the repaired copy to a healthy location.

Conclusion

"The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable" is usually a storage or file-system problem first, not a single-file repair problem. Start by checking the connection and protecting important data, then use Windows Error Checking or CHKDSK on a stable drive. If the error appears as Windows servicing code 0x80070570, use DISM and SFC instead. Only after Windows can access the drive normally should you move on to repairing individual files that remain corrupted.