Restart to Repair Drive Errors Keep Showing Up After Reboot in Windows 10/11

Windows errors are common, and most can be fixed with a restart or repair utilities like chkdsk. However, it can be frustrating when errors, such as Restart to Repair Drive Errors, occur in a loop, preventing access to data even after multiple reboots.

Generally, the problem happens after using an error checking tool to resolve internal drive errors or other system problems. Any interruption during the error checking, troubleshooting, or running system optimization programs can also result in the same situation.

PC users affected by this issue reported that they encountered the error after recently running the Disk Error utility on their hard drive. The tool might have found errors and prompted a reboot, which the user did. But on subsequent reboots, the error showed up.

Some users also complained about getting the error after a recent Windows update was installed on their PC. If you see the message once or twice, simply restart your PC and let the system carry out the disk error checking operation. But if you continue to see it, then you need some troubleshooting.

If you’re faced with a similar problem, where ChkDsk leads to this error, then this post can help you. In this article, we will provide you with the most suitable solutions to try to successfully resolve this issue.

What Is “Restart to repair drive errors” in Windows?

When you run into some problems on your computer, the first step to fix it is by restarting the PC. Similarly, when any errors are detected by the error checking tool, whose main responsibility is to scan and repair the drive, Window will prompt you to restart to continue fixing the drive errors.

The Restart to repair drive errors usually appears in the action center on a Windows 10/11 computer. What does this error mean exactly? This error usually indicates the following things:

• Windows found problems on this drive that need to be repaired.
• You have to restart your PC to fix the drive errors found by the built-in Windows checking tool.
• You won’t be able to access your data until you reboot your PC after repairing the drive.

Once you reboot your computer, you might get the following result:

• The problem has been resolved automatically by the system after restarting.
• The problem persists and you are still asked to do a restart for fixing the drive errors.

The second result might drive you crazy. Undeniably, the Windows disk errors are quite a common thing. This is the reason why there are disk diagnostic tools built in all the Windows systems to detect and fix disk errors.

What Causes “Restart to repair drive errors”?

It is a common occurrence to receive errors, just like the “Restart to repair drive errors” on your Windows computer. But every error that pops up has a reason. “Restart to repair drive errors” is not an exception. Here are some possible causes behind it.

• Hard drive issues
• Failed updates
• Bloated Windows registry

How to Fix “Restart to repair drive errors”

The error message urges you to restart your PC so that Windows can run a check disk operation, scanning your disk drive for errors and fixing them during the startup process.

The trick is to simply restart your PC and let the OS perform the check disk automatically by not pressing any button during startup so as not to skip the process. The check disk may take some time, depending on the size of the drive and amount of stored data on it. If it’s not absolutely necessary, never interrupt the process before it is completed.

To fix this error, here are some solutions you can try:

Fix #1: Use Startup Repair.

For startup repair, you will need a Windows 10/11 system repair or installation disc. You can also use a third-party tool to create a Windows 10/11 bootable USB drive. Then do the following:

1. Plug the bootable USB drive or disc into your PC.
2. Press the power button to turn it on, then immediately start pressing the Boot Menu option key, usually F12, to enter the boot menu.
3. Use the Up/Down button to choose the bootable USB drive or system repair/installation disc and hit Enter.
4. On the Windows setup screen, click Next > Repair your Computer.
5. Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced Option > Startup Repair. Wait until the system is repaired.
6. Then remove the installation/repair disc or USB drive and restart the system and let Windows 10/11 boot normally.

Fix #2: Run SFC – System File checker Tool.

1. Open a Command Prompt window by pressing Windows + R, then typing in cmd. Press Enter.
2. Then, on the command prompt, type in sfc /scannow and press Enter.
3. Now, the system scan will begin, wait until it is completed.

Once completed, all issues will be fixed and you can start using the drive. Otherwise, try the next method.

Fix #3: Run DISM.

DISM – Deployment Image Servicing & Management tool is an in-built tool Microsoft offers to fix corrupt system files that would lead to these sorts of errors. Below steps explains you the best on how to use it:

1. Open command prompt by pressing Windows key + R.
2. Type in the following command: exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
3. Now, the tool starts restoring the system files online to fix the corrupted files.
4. If the DISM tool fails to retrieve those files, then you can use your installation media.
5. Just insert it and type the following command: DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:C:RepairSourceWindows /LimitAccess

In the source path, replace “C:RepairSourceWindows” with the path of your installation media.

Fix #4: Use CHKDSK.

Windows has a CHKDSK (check disk) tool that helps in resolving the logical file system errors and bad sectors. CHKDSK helps fix most problems with the hard drive and makes it accessible again.

Follow the below steps to run CHKDSK on your hard disk:

1. Press Windows + R and type cmd.
2. Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator.
3. When prompted, click YES.
4. In the Command Prompt window, type chkdsk X: /r /f, where X is the external hard drive letter and /r & /f are the CHKDSK parameters.
5. Hit Enter to start the scan and repair process.
6. Wait until CHKDSK completes its job.

Next, reconnect the external hard drive to start using it again or restart the system if the internal hard drive was scanned.

Fix #5: Use PowerShell.

Windows 10/11 has a powerful tool called PowerShell that can be used to check and resolve the drive errors via the Repair-Volume command. To do this:

1. Press Windows + S and type in PowerShell.
2. Right-click on Windows PowerShell and select Run as administrator.
3. In the PowerShell command line, type Repair-Volume C –Scan, where C is the volume or drive letter. This command will scan the hard drive volume for errors.
4. If errors are found, run the next command: Repair-Volume C –OfflineScanAndFix.
5. Hit Enter to perform an offline scan and resolve the errors found on the drive. Wait till the process is completed.
6. Restart the PC after repair and type Repair-Volume C –Scan in PowerShell to check if the errors are fixed.

Fix #6: Run System Restore.

This fix depends on you having a system restore setup. If you did not create a restore point before you began to see the error, there isn’t much you can do. But if you did, you’re lucky. Here’s how you can restore your computer:

1. Boot Windows 10/11 into Safe Mode.
2. Once in safe mode, open File Explorer.
3. Enter the following in the location bar, and tap Enter: Control Panel\System and Security\System
4. In the column on the left, click System Protection.
5. Select the C drive or your Windows drive, and then click System Restore.
6. Select a point to restore the system to.
7. Once the restore is complete, the error should be fixed.

Summary

The Restart to Repair Drive Errors issue can lead to serious data loss, so you need to resolve it as soon as you encounter it. Make sure to make a backup of your drive before troubleshooting this error to safeguard your data in case of accidents. Any of the steps above should help you, but checking them out one by one won’t hurt.