Check disk is not available for raw drives

If you've encountered the error message "The type of the file system is RAW. CHKDSK is not available for RAW drives", you’re not alone. This issue is common when a drive becomes unreadable or corrupted, and unfortunately, Windows' built-in Check Disk utility (CHKDSK) can’t help in this situation.

What Is a RAW Drive?

A RAW drive is a storage device (like a hard drive, SSD, USB flash drive, or SD card) that Windows cannot recognize as having a valid file system. Normally, your drive would be formatted with a file system like NTFS, FAT32, or exFAT. When something goes wrong—such as file system corruption, improper ejection, bad sectors, or malware—the file system structure can break down, and Windows can no longer read it. At that point, the drive is labeled as RAW.

Why CHKDSK Doesn’t Work on RAW Drives

The CHKDSK utility in Windows is designed to scan and repair file system errors. But it needs a recognizable file system to work. If the drive is in a RAW state, CHKDSK has no file system to check or repair, and therefore, it can't run.

That’s why you get the error:

"The type of the file system is RAW. CHKDSK is not available for RAW drives."

In other words, CHKDSK is like a mechanic that needs to know what kind of car it's working on. If the entire engine is missing (in this case, the file system), the mechanic can’t do anything.

What Causes a Drive to Become RAW?

Several factors can lead to a RAW drive:

Sudden power loss or improper shutdown

Removing external drives without safely ejecting

File system corruption

Virus or malware infection

Bad sectors or physical damage on the drive

Formatting errors

How to Fix a RAW Drive

Here are a few approaches you can take:

1. Recover Data First (Important!)

If the data on the RAW drive is important, your top priority should be data recovery before attempting to format the drive.

Use third-party data recovery software like:

Recuva

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard

MiniTool Power Data Recovery

These tools can often scan RAW drives and recover files even when Windows can't access them.

2. Use Disk Management

Check the drive's status in Disk Management:

Press Win + X → Select Disk Management

Look for the RAW drive

If it shows as Healthy (RAW), you might be able to format it

⚠️ Warning: Formatting will erase all data on the drive.

3. Format the Drive (if Data Recovery is Done or Not Needed)

Once you’ve recovered any important data, or if you don’t need the data on the drive:

Right-click the drive in Disk Management

Choose Format

Select NTFS or exFAT as the file system

Click OK

After formatting, the drive should become usable again.

4. Use Command Line (DiskPart)

If Windows Explorer or Disk Management can't format the drive:

Open Command Prompt as Administrator

Be very careful with DiskPart. Selecting the wrong disk could wipe the wrong drive.

Final Thoughts

When a drive shows up as RAW, it's a sign of a serious file system issue. CHKDSK can’t help here because it needs a valid file system to function. Instead, focus on recovering your data, and then reformat the drive to restore functionality.

If the drive becomes RAW repeatedly, it could be a sign of failing hardware. In that case, replacing the drive may be the safest long-term solution.