windows 7: Event 55 The file system structure on the disk is corrupt and unusable

Question

Here is a real bad one!

Windows 7 RTM with SP1 installed [Version 6.1.7601].

Recently tried to delete some folder on my hard drive and Windows prompted "Error 0x80070570: The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable", and at the same time placed an Event 55 describing "The file system structure on the disk is corrupt and unusable. Please run the chkdsk utility on \Device\HarddiskVolume2."

Ran chkdsk, first with /f option, then with /r option. Result in both cases was: no errors found, 0 bad sectors. No problems chkdsk found at all!

Went through StackExchange, Google and spent over 6 hours on this. Still cannot figure out the problem. Re-installing/Re-Formatting is not an option!

What did I try:

• Hotfix - Windows6.1-KB982927-x64.msu - gave me an error about incompatibility with my computer, however it totally matches my system. CRC of hotfix was ok.
• Windows Repair Console found startup errors and fixed those, but this didn't help an issue, even by running chkdsk c: /R from it.
• http://support.microsoft.com/kb/246026 does not promise anything good.
• sfc /scannow does not help too.
• Replaced hard drive by cloning an old one using True Image, repeated all steps above.

At the same time, some minor glitches started to appear in my Windows, like side panel and notification area settings are getting reset.

Goal is to delete the folder and get rid of Event 55. Sounds like NTFS bug.

Please help. This is completely ridiculous.

Answer 1

I remember reading about a similar issue once and it was solved by deleting the folder in Linux.

If you have a Linux partition, you are good to go. If not, download the Ubuntu Live CD and try it from there.