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In attempting to organize/delete my favorites I get the following:


Cannot read from the source file or disk?

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Brief summary and next steps tied to the replies by , and .

The error "Cannot read from the source file or disk" when working with Favorites most commonly means either file-system metadata corruption or the Favorites folder (or some shortcuts inside it) live on media that is currently unreadable (local disk errors, a failing drive, or a redirected/network profile). was on the right track with chkdsk, and ’s KB pointer is useful background — but chkdsk must be run with the repair flags and may need to run at boot to actually fix things.

Practical, safe sequence to follow:

  1. Back up the Favorites folder first (it is usually at):
    C:\Documents and Settings\<YourUser>\Favorites

    Copy that folder to an external drive or another folder if possible.

  2. From an Administrator command prompt schedule a repair (on the system drive you’ll be prompted to schedule at next reboot):
    chkdsk C: /f /r

    /f fixes filesystem errors; /r scans for bad sectors and attempts recovery. Running plain chkdsk only scans and will report "f parameter not specified" — it will not correct problems, which explains the stage-2 stop you saw. Let the scan complete; it can take a long time.

If chkdsk cannot complete or keeps failing: check the drive’s SMART status with the manufacturer diagnostic tool, and do a full backup/drive image immediately. If the disk shows hardware faults or chkdsk reports unreadable sectors, replace the drive and restore data from the backup. If filesystem errors were fixed but Favorites remain problematic, try booting to Safe Mode, rename the old Favorites folder (for example Favorites_old) and create a new empty Favorites folder, then copy good shortcuts back.

Cautions: do not interrupt a running chkdsk /r; always keep a backup before running repair operations. If unsure or if the drive reports physical failure, consider cloning the disk or consulting a recovery specialist before further writes.

Recommended Answers

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Member Avatar for abu taher

please check it. I think it will help you.

Member Avatar for hradwarez

Try before deleting these files, to open a command prompt (cmd) and execute the following command: chkdsk for your C drive. Good luck

Member Avatar for djm123

please check it. I think it will help you.

NOTE ...."f" Paramater not specified....STAGE 2 and this stopped?

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