Fix STATUS_DATA_LOST_REPAIR (0x80000803) Corruption Error

30-Second Fix: Reboot and Check Event Viewer

I know this error is infuriating — it usually pops up out of nowhere while you're working, and that “corruption in the file %hs” message doesn't help. Before you panic, let's rule out a fluke.

First, restart your machine. Yes, seriously — I've seen this error vanish after a clean boot. If it comes back, open Event Viewer (press Win + X, select Event Viewer), then go to Windows Logs > System. Look for events with source Ntfs or volmgr around the time of the error. They'll tell you which file or volume triggered the repair. Write down the file path — you'll need it later.

If the error doesn't reappear, you're done. If it does, move on.

5-Minute Fix: Run System File Checker (SFC)

This is where we start really digging. SFC scans protected system files and replaces corrupted ones from a cached copy. It works best on Windows 10 version 2004 and later, and Windows 11.

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator — hit Win + S, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, choose Run as administrator.
2. Type this and hit Enter:

   sfc /scannow

3. Wait. It takes 5–15 minutes depending on your disk speed. Don't interrupt it.

When it finishes, you'll see one of three messages:

• “Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.” — Good, but the error's cause may be deeper. Go to the next step.
• “Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.” — Reboot and test. If the error's gone, you're golden.
• “Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.” — Don't panic. Move to the advanced fix.

If SFC failed to repair everything, it's usually because the component store (the source for good files) is also corrupt. That's what DISM fixes.

Advanced Fix (15+ Minutes): DISM + Chkdsk

This combo tackles deeper corruption and disk errors. Run these commands in order, from the same admin Command Prompt.

Step 1: DISM to Repair the System Image

DISM (Deployment Imaging Service and Management Tool) fixes the component store that SFC relies on. On Windows 10 1903 and later, use the /RestoreHealth parameter with /Online and /Cleanup-Image.

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

This downloads fresh files from Windows Update. If you're offline, you can point it to a local source (like a Windows ISO) using /Source, but let's keep it simple. The scan takes 10–20 minutes. If it hangs at 62% for a while, that's normal — don't cancel it.

After it finishes, run SFC again to fix any remaining system files:

sfc /scannow

Reboot after this.

Step 2: Chkdsk to Fix Disk Errors

If the error still shows up, the corruption might be on the disk itself — bad sectors or NTFS metadata issues. Chkdsk (Check Disk) handles that.

Open an admin Command Prompt again and run:

chkdsk C: /f /r

Important: The /f flag fixes file system errors. The /r flag locates bad sectors and recovers readable data. These flags work together. You'll likely see a message saying the drive is in use and asking to schedule a scan at next reboot. Type Y and press Enter, then restart.

On reboot, Windows checks the disk before the OS loads. This can take an hour or more if the drive is large or has many errors. Let it finish. After it's done, Windows starts normally.

If you see STATUS_DATA_LOST_REPAIR again after chkdsk, check the Event Viewer log for the specific file path. Sometimes the corruption is in a non-system file like a game or app. In that case, reinstalling that program often fixes it.

When to Throw in the Towel

If none of this works, you're dealing with failing hardware — especially if you hear clicking from the hard drive or see reallocated sectors in SMART data. Use CrystalDiskInfo (free) to check your drive's health. If it's failing, backup your data now and replace the drive. The error won't stop until the hardware is swapped.

But nine times out of ten, the SFC + DISM + chkdsk sequence kills this error cold. You've got this.