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5 Fixes for Your Disk Can’t Replace Bad Clusters Error

Give a try to these quick solutions right away

8 min. read

Updated onJune 26, 2024

updated onJune 26, 2024

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Key notes

When executing CHKDSK on a drive, you may have encountered this error message: disk does not have enough space to replace bad clusters.

Most impacted people tried to perform the procedure but repeatedly had the same result, and unfortunately, this problem isn’t limited to a single Windows version.

In layman’s terms, this error message implies the hard disk is possibly degraded and could crash. Many also reported thatWindows was unable to repair the drive.

You might also check our guide on how to recover the data from a hard drive with bad sectors.

In this article, we explore all possible fixes and share some enlightenment on the possible reasons this may happen.

How does chkdsk replace bad clusters?

First and foremost, you must realize that the CHKDSK program’s free space is not the same as your regular disk space. Every hard drive has some unutilized space reserved for replacing defective sectors if they occur.

Even though every sector is given a unique number, your drive has extra sectors at the end that aren’t numbered. These additional sectors are employed if a sector fails and needs replacing.

Here ishow CHKDSK replaces the bad clusters:

It corrects defective sectors by deleting the number allocated to them and reallocating it to sectors with no number. If the utility displays thebad clusterserror notice, this means that the amount of the identified bad sectors exceeds the number of extra sectors.

What causes bad clusters on my computer?

There are a few possible scenarios that can result in this CHKDSK error warning:

There may be a few minor reasons for this error other than the two major causes above, but regardless of these the solutions proffered in the next section should be effective enough to rectify the problem.

Note that this cluster error is different from theA disk read error occurred c0000483error, even though they are both very similar.

How do you fix a disk that says there is not enough space?

1. Allow the CHKDSK process to complete

Do not close the CHKDSK dialog when you see the error that says yourdisk does not have enough space to replace bad clusters. Doing this will cause an unfinished procedure to be interrupted.

The CHKDSK utility will continue to attempt to repair your drive, although this operation could take up to 4 hours.

With too many sectors to repair, the duration of this process may be extended by an additional 1 or 2 hours. However, the faulty sectors should be resolved when the CHKDSK utility scan is performed.

Try implementing any additional solutions listed below if you’re still having the disk problem.

2. Scan and repair bad drive sectors

Each time a damaged sector is encountered in your disk, the program prompts you to repair it. You should have successfully repaired all damaged sectors at the end of the scan.

3. Regenerate bad sectors with Victoria

4. Extend the data volume of your drive

5. Decongest the disk

Many people save to the desktop by default, but this is not a good practice. These files occupy working memory since they are constantly displayed. This increases the number of memory places that are unavailable to be reallocated.

You should remove unnecessary desktop files from the computer and save the rest in the Video, Documents, and Photos folders. You’ll create some extra space on the hard disk when they are deleted.

It’s possible that you won’t be able to fit all you need on your laptop or desktop.

We recommend backing up crucial files to a cloud storage account regularly. Google Drive and One Drive are two common storage examples you may try.

It will free up space and serve as a way to secure your data in the event of loss or if your hard drive eventually fails.

All these methods that help decongest the drive are effective solutions for when your disk that says there is not enough space.

If you want a central workstation that will help you take care of all disk cleaning tasks,CCleaneris the way to go. The app helps you delete redundant files, has a built-in uninstaller, and can also clean your registry.

Does formatting fix bad sectors?

All files on that volume are deleted, and the drive is checked for faulty sectors when you perform a full volume. A Quick format removes the partition’s files but does not examine the disk for damaged sectors.

A soft or logical sector is a storage cluster on a hard disk that seems to malfunction. They may be indicated as faulty sectors, but they can be fixed by conducting a low-level format or overwriting your drive with zeros.

Do bad clusters mean failing hard drive?

Bad clusters may sometimes mean that your drive is failing. This could be normal if you have had the drive for a while.

If you’re still having problems after trying the solutions above and your faulty sectors persist, your drive is likely approaching the end of its life cycle, or the disk does not have enough space to replace clusters.

In this case, you must instantly start backing up your data. If there is still time on your warranty, you should claim it.

You should now be able to resolve any problems associated with your disk being unable to replace bad clusters.

Remember that the primary tool on Windows to help with disk-related problems is the CHKDSK utility. Your best bet is to wait patiently for a scan to complete and only proceed to other solutions if the scan is unsuccessful.

This error also indicates that your disk may have served you well and long enough. Every disk has an estimated lifespan, and as that time approaches, you can expect it to malfunction more often than usual.

This isn’t the only cluster error you can encounter and we wrote aboutError 1460 cluster shared volumerecently in a separate guide.

In this case, or if you have insufficient disk space to correct errors, you should purchase a new HDD or alarge SSD hard drive.

5 Fixes for Your Disk Can’t Replace Bad Clusters Error#

How does chkdsk replace bad clusters?#

What causes bad clusters on my computer?#

How do you fix a disk that says there is not enough space?#

1. Allow the CHKDSK process to complete#

2. Scan and repair bad drive sectors#

3. Regenerate bad sectors with Victoria#

4. Extend the data volume of your drive#

5. Decongest the disk#

Does formatting fix bad sectors?#

Do bad clusters mean failing hard drive?#