I’ve been using Windows’ free tool called CHKDSK to check my external drive (My Passport) every now and then. But recently, when I tried to run it, I got this error message: “CHKDSK is not available for RAW drives.”
I have no idea what a RAW drive is or why this happened. Does that mean my data is lost?
The error “CHKDSK is not available for RAW drives” means the file system on your external drive is damaged or missing, so Windows can’t access it. That’s why CHKDSK doesn’t work. Your data isn’t necessarily gone—it’s probably still there, but the system can’t read it. Don’t format the drive, as that will erase everything. Instead, use any professional data recovery software
like Stellar Data Recovery, Recuva, TestDisk, or EaseUS to try and get your files back. After recovery, back up your data and format the drive to fix the file system.
If Windows can’t recognize the file system of your drive, it will show as RAW. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean your data is lost. In many cases, the data may still be intact, but keep in mind that formatting the RAW drive or writing new data to it can make recovery more difficult.
Since Windows doesn’t include built-in tools for recovering data from a RAW drive, you’ll need third-party software to either repair the file system or scan the drive for recovery. Also, read:
How to Recover Data from RAW Drive & Fix RAW Drive?
Once you’ve recovered your data from the RAW drive, you have three options to restore it to NTFS format:
When Windows says your drive is “RAW,” it means it can no longer read the file system (like NTFS or exFAT). It doesn’t mean your data is deleted, just that the operating system can’t make sense of how the files are stored anymore.
So, is Your Data Lost?
Not necessarily. Your files are likely still physically; they’re just inaccessible through normal means. Try any data recovery tool.
