The file system structure on the disk is corrupt and unusable – SBS2003

filesystemswindows-sbs-2003

I'm getting the following error all the time on a clients SBS2003 box. The server is a Dell PowerEdge T300. I've run the Dell diagnostics on the SAS controller and both drives, and everything comes up good. Everytime the server is rebooted, it requests a chkdsk, which runs, completes, sometimes fixing errors, then boots normally. I am seeing some other things, like trying to update the LogMeIn client, and it says the directory is corrupt, and won't install. It doesn't appear that I have a hardware failure, so i'm at a bit of a loss on how to correct this, as the system doesn't seem to be able to itself. Otherwise, the server seems to run with no other issues.

Event ID 55
The file system structure on the disk is corrupt and unusable. Please run the chkdsk utility on the volume C:.

EDIT: This is now accompanied by a taskbar balloon: The file or directory C:\$MFT is corrupt or unreadable

Best Answer

If you don't have a good backup, get one ASAP. You've probably got a ticking time bomb there.

If CHKDSK isn't fixing the filesystem inconsistency you either have some type of damage that CHKDSK is unable to fix or new inconsistencies are being introduced by software or hardware after AUTOCHK (CHKDSK during boot) completes.

Personally, I wouldn't trust the filesystem again, even if a utility proported to "fix" it.

I'd get the machine backed up (twice, if possible), promote a secondary domain controller (hopefully you already have one), then restore the box from backup. If I had some spare drives I'd restore to the spare drives and see if the problem occurs again (potentially ruling out the drives as having a problem).

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