These are the most common Windows storage‑related error codes for HDD, SSD, NVMe, and SATA devices — what they mean and how to fix them.
Storage / Disk Error Codes & Fixes
| Error Code | What It Means | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| 0xF4 – CRITICAL_OBJECT_TERMINATION | Storage device stopped responding (SSD/HDD freeze). | Check SATA/NVMe cables, update firmware, test drive health. |
| 0x7A – KERNEL_DATA_INPAGE_ERROR | Windows could not read required data from the disk. | Check drive health, test PSU, reseat cables, scan for bad sectors. |
| 0xC000000E – STATUS_NO_SUCH_DEVICE | Drive disconnected or failed to initialize. | Reseat drive, replace cable, check BIOS detection. |
| 0xC000009C – STATUS_DEVICE_DATA_ERROR | Bad sectors or unreadable disk blocks. | Run disk scan, clone drive, replace failing HDD/SSD. |
| 0xC0000185 – STATUS_IO_DEVICE_ERROR | I/O communication failure between drive and controller. | Replace cable, try another port, check motherboard SATA/NVMe slot. |
| 0x1 – UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME | Windows cannot read the boot partition. | Repair boot sector, check drive health, reseat drive. |
| 0xA – IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL | Storage driver or controller fault. | Update storage drivers, reset BIOS, check SATA/NVMe mode. |
| Code 10 (Device Manager) | Drive failed to start or initialize. | Check cables, update firmware, try another port. |
| Code 14 (Device Manager) | Device needs to be restarted. | Restart PC, reseat drive, check BIOS detection. |
| Code 43 (Device Manager) | Drive reported a hardware failure. | Test drive health, update firmware, replace drive if errors persist. |
| SMART Warning | Drive self‑diagnostics detected failure conditions. | Back up data immediately, replace drive. |
| NVMe Fatal Error | NVMe controller reported a critical fault. | Update BIOS, reseat NVMe drive, check motherboard slot. |
| SATA CRC Error | Data corruption during SATA transfer. | Replace SATA cable, check PSU stability. |