Normally, when CD/DVD drives get a CRC message from a disc, they try to read the disc again - hence the grinding sound. If this problem happens frequently with downloads, try using a download manager.įor CDs and DVDs, the problem is a little different.
#Data error cyclic redundancy check hdd software#
Less frequent causes are the result of system crashes, and buggy software (hello Microsoft), incomplete downloads (often identified by the misleading message 'This is not a valid Windows file', 'This is not a valid win32 application' or 'Corrupt Zip file'). Just before it appears, your CD/DVD drive will probably grind and whirl away - your PC may also become a little slugglish. The most common time you will see the cyclic redundancy check error message is when trying to read data from a damaged CD or DVD. If something goes wrong with the data between the time it leaves the source and arrives at its destination, the CRC sent at the source will no longer match the one that is calculated when the data arrives – this is when the cyclic redundancy check error will appear. When data is transfered, it is usually in small blocks and each block is given a CRC value. However, it does not mean all the data is lost forever. If you get this message, it means that the file being read by your PC or software is corrupted. It’s a checking procedure that quickly identifies when data has been damaged. That is, until one it day it suddenly appears and you think – what the hell does that mean? In simple terms, a CRC is bit of mathematics used to ensure that your data is OK when being transfered. Most times you won’t need to worry about this technobabble. There are plenty of technical resources on the Web that discuss cyclic redundancy checks (CRCs).