An invalid partition error usually occurs while installing Windows on an SSD. It is a very common error but is not unheard of. Such errors can prevent you from using your PC and cause data loss so you must rectify this as soon as possible.
Causes Behind Invalid Partition Table
1. Corruption-
Malware, viruses, improper shutdown, and other interruptions could cause your partition table to get corrupted and seen as invalid.
2. Conflicting BIOS Settings-
Incorrect or conflicting BIOS settings could easily cause issues, users can rectify this by resetting BIOS settings and fixing their invalid partition table.
3. Disk Errors-
Physical damage or bad sectors present on the disk could cause parts of your drive to be unreadable and cause a variety of issues.
4. Incorrect Disk Operations-
Improper use of disk management tools may cause errors and inconsistencies that could result in an invalid partition table.
Solutions to Fix Invalid Partition Table
1. Reset Boot Sequence
A boot sequence is the order in which hardware components start. An incorrect or conflicting boot sequence can cause a lot of issues including an invalid partition. Resetting your boot sequence might fix it. You can try it for yourself using the steps below-
Step 1: Start your system.
Step 2: Press F12 or Delete on your keyboard to boot up the BIOS menu.
Step 3: Navigate to the advanced BIOS feature.
Step 4: Select Hard Disk Boot Properties.
Step 5: Verify if BIOS is set to boot from the correct disk.
2. Upgrade the BIOS version
An incompatible BIOS will prevent your partition from working causing it to become invalid. If that’s the case you can follow the steps below to resolve the issue-
Step 1: After your Windows OS boots up, open the start menu and click on the power button.
Step 2: Hold Shift and click on Restart.
Step 3: Select the Troubleshoot option and click on Advanced Options.
Step 4: Access UEFI Firmware Settings.
Step 5: Click on Restart
Step 6: Once the BIOS Opens, locate and select the BIOS Update option.
Step 7: Connect the USB and choose the BIOS update file.
Step 8: Wait for BIOS To complete the upgrade process.
3. Perform Startup Repair
Startup Repair is a built-in Windows tool you can use to troubleshoot when faced with an invalid partition. If the repair is successful the computer will reboot automatically. Follow the steps below-
Step 1: Insert Windows Installation Disk or bootable media USB drive and start your system.
Step 2: Upon seeing the install Window, you have to select the language, time, and
other details. Click on Next.
Step 3: Click on Repair Your Computer.
Step 4: Go to the Advances Startup Environment and click on Troubleshoot.
Step 5: Click on Advanced Options.
Step 6: Select Startup Repair.
Step 7: Select the Operating system for diagnosis and click on continue.
4. Use Diskpart
Diskpart is a command line disk partitioning tool that is used to manage disk partitions and columns. You can use Diskpart by following the given instructions-
Step 1: Boot Windows.
Step 2: Open the command prompt, type in DISKPART and press Enter.
Step 3: Type in LIST DISK and press Enter. You will be presented with all available disks.
Step 4: Type in SELECT PARTITION X (replace X with disk number) and press Enter.
Step 5: Type INACTIVE to mark your disk partition as inactive.
5. Rebuild MBR
A corrupted MBR aa system from working and blocks users from accessing files within it. You can fix an invalid partition by resetting the MBR. you can do it yourself by following the given steps-
Step 1: Boot your computer from the installation CD or USB.
Step 2: Click on Repair your Computer.
Step 3: Click on Troubleshoot and Choose the Command Prompt Option.
Step 4: Type in bootrec /fixboot and press Enter.
Step 5: Type in bootrec /scanos and press Enter.
Step 6: Type in bootrec /fixmbr and press Enter.
Step 7: Type in bootrec /rebuildbcd and press Enter.
6. Windows Error check
Windows Error Checking tool is an inbuilt troubleshooting tool that you can hopefully help with an invalid partition. Follow the steps below and try it out
Step 1: Open Windows File Explorer and locate the drive.
Step 2: Right-click on the drive and select Properties from the drop-down list.
Step 3: Click on Tools.
Step 4: Click on Check.
Rescuing Data From Invalid Partition
When it comes to partition repair, protecting your data is a top priority. Rikvr Recovery Software is a professional data recovery software that can help you recover lost data from your invalid partition. It’s an advanced algorithm and user-friendly interface that allows anyone to easily recover data within a few clicks. You can try it out for yourself by downloading Rikvr Recovery Software now!
Step 1: Download, Install, and Launch Rikvr Data Recovery.
Step 2: Use the Find My Drive option to locate the invalid partition.
Step 3: Select the partition and click on Start Scan. The scan time may vary
depending on the size of the partition.
Step 4: After the scan, all the data recovered from your invalid partition will be listed.
Step 5: You can preview all the recovered files after the scan.
Step 6: Select the files that you wish to recover and save them in a healthy drive.
Conclusion
As this article comes to an end, I hope that you were able to fix your invalid partition using the solutions provided. If you are unable to recover data from your partition, you will need to approach a professional service. If you have any further doubts or queries please reach out.
Frequently Asked Question
An invalid partition table is considered to be invalid when-
1. The partition table becomes corrupted or stores invalid information.
2. Your PC is unable to boot, read, or access data within the partition table.
There are several solutions that you can use to adopt a partition table and some are listed below-
1. Reset boot sequence
2. Update BIOS
3. Perform startup repair
4. Use Diskpart
5. Rebuild MBR
6. Use Windows Error Checking Tool
7. Consult with a professional repair service
You can adopt the following practices to protect your data from an invalid partition table error-
1. Take regular backups
2. Shutdown your PC carefully
3. Use reliable disk management tools
4. Regular disk maintenance
5. Regularly configure BIOS /UEFI settings