How to Fix Fix Error 0x80070570 — File or Directory Is Corrupted and Unreadable on Windows
Getting error 0x80070570 during Windows install, file copy, or update? "The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable" — fix this disk/file corruption error.
Symptoms
You might be experiencing this problem if you notice:
- •Error 0x80070570 during Windows installation from USB
- •Can't copy files — "file or directory is corrupted and unreadable"
- •Windows Update fails with error 0x80070570
- •Error when extracting ZIP or installing programs
- •Files on external drive show this error when accessed
- •USB flash drive suddenly shows all files corrupted with this error
Common Causes
- ⚠Corrupted files on the source media (USB drive, DVD)
- ⚠Failing or degraded hard drive / SSD
- ⚠Bad RAM causing data corruption during file operations
- ⚠Corrupted Windows Update download cache
- ⚠NTFS file system corruption on the target drive
- ⚠Faulty USB port or cable causing data transfer errors
Solutions
Solution 1: Fix During Windows Installation
- 1Most common cause: corrupted Windows installation USB
- 2Re-download the Windows ISO from microsoft.com
- 3Recreate the USB with Media Creation Tool or Rufus
- 4Try a different USB flash drive (some drives have bad sectors)
- 5Try a different USB port (preferably USB 2.0 for compatibility)
- 6If installing from DVD: check for scratches, try burning at slower speed
- 7Also test RAM: this error during install often indicates bad memory
Solution 2: Fix During File Operations
- 1Run chkdsk on the affected drive:
- 2CMD as Admin: chkdsk X: /f /r (replace X with drive letter)
- 3This scans and repairs file system corruption
- 4For C: drive: requires restart to run at boot
- 5If error is on external drive: try a different USB port/cable first
- 6Check drive health: CrystalDiskInfo (free) — look for Reallocated Sectors
- 7If drive health is bad: back up data immediately and replace the drive
Solution 3: Fix During Windows Update
- 1Clear the Windows Update cache:
- 2CMD as Admin: net stop wuauserv
- 3del /f /s /q C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download\*
- 4net start wuauserv
- 5Try the update again
- 6If persists: run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
- 7Then: sfc /scannow
- 8Test RAM: Windows Memory Diagnostic (mdsched.exe) — bad RAM can cause this
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