How to Fix the File System Error (-1073741521) in Windows? - MiniTool

File system errors commonly happen on people’s computer and the error can trigger a series of linked malfunctions. This article on MiniTool Website will give you a series of fixes to targeting the file system error (-1073741521). Please keep on with your reading.

File System Error (-1073741521)

In the Microsoft forum, some users reported that they got the file system error (-1073741521) in Windows and want to know why this error happens. More than 180 users have the same question and wait for the troubleshooting.

The reason that triggers file system error (-1073741521) is hard to identify and when this error occurs, you will be prevented from running anything with Administrative Privileges and executable files. In some cases, the file system error can cause system crashes and freezes, making it difficult for users to perform any tasks on their system.

Of course, if this error is caused by some corrupted hard drives, the data in it will be lost and hard to find it back. That’s why we stress the importance of backup. You can use MiniTool ShadowMaker – a one-in-all backup program – to back up your system to an external hard drive so that you can directly recover the system.

If you, unfortunately, run into it, the following methods may be helpful.

Fix the File System Error (-1073741521)

Fix 1: Run the SFC and DISM Scans

SFC scan can help scan for damaged system files and repair them. To run it, you can do as follows.

Step 1: Input cmd in the Search box and run Command Prompt as an administrator.

Step 2: Then type the command – sfc /scannow to press Enter.

Step 3: When it finishes, input the following commands and press Enter after each of them to execute the DISM scan.

• DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
• DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
• DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Wait until the process ends and restart your computer to see if the file system error 1073741521 persists.

Fix 2: Uninstall the Latest Windows Update

If you have updated Windows recently, you can try to uninstall it in case the damaged installation affects the system performance.

Step 1: Open Settings by pressing Win I and click Update & Security.

Step 2: Scroll down to choose View update history and then Uninstall updates.

Step 3: Choose the related Window update to uninstall it and then restart your computer to check if the error has been resolved.

Fix 3: Scan for Viruses or Malware

Another method is to scan for viruses to avoid further issues accompanied by the file system error 1073741521 with the Windows operating system.

Step 1: Go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Virus & threat protection.

Step 2: Click Quick scan and wait the scan finishes to see the result.

Or you can choose other scan options to scan for potential dangers. For details, you can read this article: How to Run Windows Defender Full/Quick/Custom/Offline Scan.

If the above methods can’t resolve your issue, you can choose to reset your PC; but before you do that, it is highly recommended to back up your important data with MiniTool ShadowMaker first.

Bottom Line:

The file system error (-1073741521) is kind of hard to get rid of but this article has listed some available methods for you. You can follow the steps to troubleshoot your issue. Hope this article is useful for you.

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