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Get the fix for the error A disk read error occurred on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8.
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10/8/2018 A disk read error occurred: Fix for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8
Pressing the Ctrl , Alt and Del keys will only restart the computer and boot into the same error screen:
In most cases the error can appear for any of the following reasons:
The most common cases of this error are attributable to an incorrectly-flashed MBR to the system startup disk or the
absence of an active partition on the startup disk. In these situations, the recommendations below should resolve
the problem readily. If the problem is with hardware, additional diagnosis and the possible replacement of system
components may be needed.
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10/8/2018 A disk read error occurred: Fix for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8
1. Download Easy Recovery Essentials. Make sure to note your Windows version (XP, Vista, 7 or 8) before you
download EasyRE. This guide can help you identify what version of Windows you have installed.
2. Burn the image. Follow these instructions on how to burn the bootable ISO image very carefully, as making
a bootable CD can be tricky! Alternatively, these instructions explain how to create a bootable EasyRE
recovery USB stick/drive.
3. Boot up your PC from the Easy Recovery Essentials CD or USB you created.
4. Once EasyRE is running, choose the “Automated Repair” option and click Continue .
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5. After EasyRE scans your computer’s drives, identify and select the drive letter for your Windows
installation from the list, and then click on the Automated Repair button to begin.
Choose the drive associated with the Windows installation you’re trying to repair.
6. Easy Recovery Essentials will start analyzing the selected drive for problems. EasyRE will test for and
attempt to automatically correct errors with the disk, partition, bootsector, filesystem, bootloader, and
registry. No intervention is required, as EasyRE’s repair is fully automated:
Easy Recovery Essentials searches for errors and makes corrections to the selected Windows installation.
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10/8/2018 A disk read error occurred: Fix for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8
7. Once the process is complete, EasyRE will report its findings. Click on the Restart button to reboot your
PC and test the changes.
8. The “A disk read error occurred” error should now be fixed as your PC begins to load:
You can also try to move the single RAM module on a different slot to troubleshoot if any of your RAM slots are
damaged. To do that, simply follow these steps:
If “A disk read error occurred” still appears, move the RAM module on Slot #2 and start the computer again.
If you have more than 1 HDD, leave only the HDD with Windows installed and test multiple SATA/IDE ports
and cables
If the HDD cables and ports are not damaged, the issue can also be from the hard disk itself.
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To test if your hard disk is failing or it’s already failed, use Easy Recovery Essentials’ Automated Repair. Automated
Repair process will report any issues found with your hard disk or RAM memory:
2. Burn the ISO Image. Follow our instructions on how to burn a bootable ISO image. If you’d like to have a
recovery USB instead, follow our instructions on how to make a recovery USB.
5. Click Continue and wait for the Automated Repair process to finish. Automated Repair process will report
any issues found with your hard disk or RAM memory:
To revert your computer’s BIOS to its default settings or default configuration, follow these steps:
2. Press the key to boot into BIOS. This is usually any of the following keys: F2 , F8 , F12 , Esc or
Del . The key you need to press will be listed at the first screen when you boot your computer:
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10/8/2018 A disk read error occurred: Fix for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8
3. Once booted into BIOS, find a “Load Defaults” options. The option name to revert to default settings can
be different, depending on your computer manufacturer and BIOS version:
4. Select to revert the settings and hit Enter to select the option
If reverting to BIOS defaults doesn’t make “A disk read error occurred” disappear, you can also try to update the
BIOS version to the latest available.
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10/8/2018 A disk read error occurred: Fix for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8
chkdsk C: /r
Make sure you replace C: with the drive where Windows XP is installed
4. Press Enter
2. At the Install Windows screen, select Repair your computer to access System Recovery Options
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chkdsk C: /r
where C: is the letter of the drive where Windows Vista or Windows 7 is installed on
5. Hit Enter
1. Insert the installation media (DVD or USB drive) and boot from it
3. Click Next
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chkdsk C: /f /x /r
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If you have a Windows XP system, run the bootcfg utility. Bootrec is only available for Windows Vista, 7, 8.
bootcfg /rebuild
4. Press Enter
5. When bootcfg finishes the procedure, type exit and hit Enter to exit Command Prompt
If you have a Windows Vista or Windows 7 computer, run the bootrec command by following these steps:
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10/8/2018 A disk read error occurred: Fix for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8
bootrec /rebuildbcd
5. Type:
bootrec /fixmbr
6. Press Enter
7. Type:
bootrec /fixboot
8. Press Enter
If “A disk read error occurred” appears on a Windows 8, run the same bootrec utility:
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10/8/2018 A disk read error occurred: Fix for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8
3. Click Troubleshoot
bootrec /rebuildbcd
bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
More Information
Linked Entries
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10/8/2018 A disk read error occurred: Fix for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8
bootrec
bootcfg
chkdsk
Support Links
Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows – our repair and recovery disk.
It’s an easy-to-use and automated diagnostics disk. It’s available for Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows
Vista. It’s also available for Windows XP and Windows Server.
Get a discounted price on replacement setup and installation discs: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows
7, Windows 8.
Applicable Systems
This Windows-related knowledgebase article applies to the following operating systems:
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10/8/2018 A disk read error occurred: Fix for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8
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10/8/2018 A disk read error occurred: Fix for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8
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