Fix “The Volume Does Not Contain a Recognized File System.” 4 Working Ways
“I am trying to access data from an NTFS hard drive. But every time I do so, Windows shows me an error like, “The volume does not contain a recognized file system” Could anyone help me fix it?”
—A Question from Reddit
You have just installed Windows 11 on your system. Ready to use it you attach a USB with backup to copy files on your computer. But rather than seeing the backup files, you get a message stating that your drive’s file system is not recognized. There can be numerous reasons for this glitch. However, no need to freak out. In this post, you are going to learn what this error is, why it appears, and how you can overcome it using 4 efficient methods.
Part 1: What Does the Volume Does Not Contain a Recognized File System Mean?
The “the volume does not contain a recognized file system” glitch on a drive means your system cannot read or access some specific file formats. This is mostly applicable when you hook another drive such as a USB or an SD card to your computer.
You will instantly receive a message that says, “You need to format disk in drive X: before you can use it. Do you want to format it?” But if you choose not to format storage drive, you might get a pop-up displaying, “Drive X: is not accessible. Following this pop-up you’ll also receive a message namely “The volume does not contain a recognized file system” on a USB drive or any other external device you’re using.
Part 2: Reasons Behind the Volume Does Not Contain a Recognized File System
The reason why an error such as “the volume does not contain a recognized file system” could be numerous. Here are the most common causes out of many:
- Incorrect File System –If a particular drive has been formatted using a File System that’s not recognized by Windows then this error would occur. For example, if your computer facilitates NTFS and your drive has been formatted on EXT4 your file system will not be able to recognize it. This is because EXT4 is compatible with Linux.
- Corrupted File System –Damage from power loss or errors can corrupt file system on a drive.
- Hardware Issues – A faulty drive may prevent proper data reading.
- Uninitialized Drive– A new or unformatted drive without a drive letter may not be identified by Windows.
- Virus or Malware– Malicious software can corrupt a file system, making it unrecognizable.
Part 3: Easily Recover Data From Raw/Unreadable Drive
When your disk becomes RAW after you cancel formatting, the first thing you should do is recover data from it. Then, afterward, proceed with fixing “the volume does not contain a recognized file system RAW” error on your drive. As otherwise you might have to format it as a last resort, which will cause data loss.
So, it’s better to retrieve files from it. But you won’t find any manual way to reclaim data from a RAW/unreadable drive except by using dedicated data recovery tools like Tenorshare 4DDiG. It can recover files from many data loss scenarios like corruption, accidental or permanent deletion, formatting, virus attack, crashed system, lost partition, and many more. Here are important specs of this tool:
- Regains data from RAW/inaccessible drives with an impressive success rate.
- It’s easy-to-use, suitable for both beginners and experienced users.
- Can recover 2000+ file types like documents, photos, videos, and so forth.
- It offers a free preview of recovered files.
- Provides Quick Scan for fast results and Deep Scan for thorough recovery.
- It supports recovery from a wide range of internal/external hard drives, SSDs, SD cards, USB drives, and so forth.
Follow steps below to use this tool to recover data from a RAW/unreadable drive:
Step 1: Get this data recovery tool on your computer. Then, attach your unreadable external drive to your PC and choose it for scanning.
Step 2: The tool will search for all lost files, allowing you to pause or stop the scan anytime. Use Tree View or File View to browse categories like RAW Files, Deleted Files, etc.
Step 3: Once you’ve chosen your desired files, hit “Recover” to export them to your computer.
After the data is successfully recovered, you should no longer worry about the error message “bitlocker the volume does not contain a recognized file system.”
Part 4: How Do I Fix the Volume Does Not Contain a Recognized File System?
To fix “the volume does not contain a recognized file system” glitch on a drive start by executing an SFC scan. Then try other methods one by one mentioned below until as a last resort you can format drive:
Solution 1: Run a SFC Scan
SFC is a Windows-integrated tool that makes certain your system files are scanned and then fixed in case where they are corrupt. The primary use of this utility is in solving issues in file systems. But it can be quite useful to some extent in fixing issues in file systems such as “the volume does not contain a recognized file system USB.” The tool works by repairing related system management files, like drivers. Here’s how to execute an SFC scan:
Step 1: In Windows search field, type “cmd.” Then, open “Command Prompt” with admin privileges.
Step 2: Input “sfc /scannow.” (This command scans for corrupted system files and replaces them with a cached copy from “%WinDir%\System32\dllcache” folder). Hit “Enter.”
Step 3: Wait for scan to complete. Then, reboot your PC to check whether SFC scan was able to fix “the volume does not contain a recognized file system” error.
Solution 2: Run the Error Checking Tool
The SFC scan may not always resolve “Bitlocker the volume does not contain a recognized file system” issue. In that case, use “Error Checking Tool,” which is designed to fix file system errors. It can scan a specific storage device for problems like corrupted sectors and repair them by fixing file system entries, recovering data, or marking bad sectors. Here’s how to execute “Error Checking Tool:”
Step 1: Open File Explorer. Then, head to “This PC.”
Step 2: Right-click the drive in question. Select “Properties.”
Step 3: Beneath “Tools” tab, click “Check.” Then, hit “Scan drive.”
Step 4: Once done, close window and check if you can access your drive.
Solution 3: Utilize the CHKDSK command
It could be bad sectors that might manifest an error such as “the volume does not contain a recognized file system USB.” Therefore, run CHKDSK. It is a Windows-integrated tool that checks and fixes file system problems by repairing corrupted entry lists and can restore missing or damaged file if at all possible. To fix “the volume does not contain a recognized file system” snag on an external drive with CHKDSK, follow instructions below:
Step 1: In Windows search field, type “cmd.” Then, open “Command Prompt” with admin privileges.
Step 2: Input “chkdsk [drive letter]: /f /r.” Hit “Enter.”
Solution 4: Create a New Partition
When other methods fail to settle “the volume does not contain a recognized file system RAW,” problem on a drive, you’re left with no alternative. Except to format it. This usually fixes RAW/unreadable drive issue by creating a new file system.
But it will also clear away all data. To avoid losing files, use 4DDiG Data Recovery first to retrieve data from RAW or unreadable disk. Then, proceed with formatting by Disk Management:
Step 1: Right-click on “Start” menu. Then, tap “Disk Management” and open it.
Step 2: If drive is unallocated, right-click on it and select “New Simple Volume.” Tap “Next.”
Step 3: Specify volume size. Hit “Next” again. After this, assign a drive letter and click “Next.”
Step 4: Choose “Format this volume.” Select NTFS as file system. Hit “Finish,” reboot your computer and examine if issue is resolved.
Closing Words
The “volume does not contain a recognized file system” malfunction on a drive is often caused by file system corruption, hardware problems, or wrong formatting. To fix this, follow 4 solutions explained above. However, prior to that, it’s wise to recover your files from problematic drive to keep your important files safe.
4DDiG Data Recovery is highly recommended in that regard, as it can recover files from RAW/unreadable storage drives. It’s also user-friendly, and powerful, supports many file formats, and can reclaim files from various data loss scenarios.
