How to fix "Unable to read from disk - Error Code 1117" error on Windows?

Error code 1117 is the Windows error ERROR_IO_DEVICE: "The request could not be performed because of an I/O device error." A disk did not return the data Windows asked for, so the backup, copy or restore stopped. Check the disk's cable and port first, then find out whether the disk itself is failing before you run long repairs.

Facts checked on 15 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2.

What "Unable to read from disk - Error Code 1117" (I/O device error) means

In Macrium Reflect the message reads "Backup aborted! - Unable to read from disk - Error Code 1117", followed by the sentence "The request could not be performed because of an I/O device error." The first part is Macrium's own text. The number and the sentence come from Windows.

Microsoft's list of system error codes names 1117 ERROR_IO_DEVICE. In hexadecimal it is 0x45D, written by some tools as 0x0000045d, and programs that use HRESULT codes show it as 0x8007045D. All of these are the same error. It means Windows sent a read or write request to a storage device and the device failed it.

Why error 1117 appears: causes in order

Most often the connection to the disk breaks for a moment: a loose SATA cable, a worn USB cable, a hub or a front panel port. Less often the disk has bad sectors or file system damage in the area being read. Rarely the cause is an old storage driver or firmware, or a disk that is close to the end of its life.

How to fix error code 1117 on Windows

Fix 1 takes a few minutes and solves the connection problems behind many 1117 errors. Fix 2 shows which disk fails and how healthy it is. Fixes 3 and 4 deal with bad sectors, Fix 5 with drivers and firmware, and Fix 6 with a disk that is failing.

Fix 1. Reseat the disk's cable and connect external disks directly to the PC

5 to 15 minutesNo riskEveryone, first of all with external USB disks or a PC that was moved or opened.

Error 1117 says the device failed the request. A data cable that is loose or worn, an unpowered hub or a weak front port can break the link for a moment, which looks the same to Windows as a bad disk.

1. Close the backup program and shut down the PC with Start > Power > Shut down.
2. External disk: unplug any hub, dock or extension cable and connect the disk with another cable to a rear USB port of the desktop.
3. If the external disk has its own power adapter, plug it in. A 2.5-inch disk on a laptop port may need a powered hub.
4. Internal disk on a desktop: unplug the power cord, open the case, and unplug and firmly reconnect the SATA data and power cables at both ends. Try another SATA cable and port on the motherboard if you have one.
5. NVMe SSD: check that it sits fully in its slot and that the screw holds it down.
6. Start the PC and run the same backup, copy or restore again.

Fix 2. Find the failing disk in the System log and check its health

10 minutesNo riskYou want to know which disk fails and whether it is safe to keep using it.

Microsoft names the System log events that point to disk errors and file system damage. They show which disk failed at the time of your backup, and whether it was removed, reset or slow to read.

1. Note the time the backup stopped. In Macrium Reflect the log of the failed job shows it.
2. Right-click Start, open Event Viewer and go to Windows Logs > System.
3. Select Filter Current Log in the right pane and type 55,98,129,153,157 in the event ID box. Select OK.
4. Look for events at the time of the failure and note the disk number or volume they name.
5. Right-click Start, open Terminal (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin), and run the command below.
6. Read the HealthStatus column for the disk that the events named.

List the disks and their health (PowerShell)

Get-PhysicalDisk | Format-Table DeviceId, FriendlyName, MediaType, HealthStatus, OperationalStatus

Fix 3. Check the failing disk with chkdsk and repair bad sectors

5 minutes to several hoursRead the warningThe backup stops at the same point, or the log shows events 55, 98 or 153.

Macrium's advice for a disk that cannot be read during imaging is chkdsk with /r. It moves file system clusters away from bad sectors, so the next backup no longer tries to read them.

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator.
2. Run chkdsk C: /scan with the letter of the disk that fails. Microsoft recommends this mode first because it changes nothing.
3. If it reports problems, or the backup stops at the same point, run chkdsk C: /r with the same letter. On the Windows drive, type Y to schedule it and restart.
4. Let it finish. On a large hard disk this can take hours. Do not turn the PC off.
5. Run the backup again right after chkdsk, as Macrium advises, so the image is made while the clusters are on good sectors.

1. Scan the drive without changing anything. Type the command below and press Enter. Replace C: with another drive letter to check that drive. This scan only reports; it does not fix anything.

   chkdsk C:

   

2. If errors were found, run the repair. Run chkdsk with /f to fix file system errors. On the Windows drive (C:) chkdsk cannot lock the drive while Windows is running, so it offers to check it at the next restart.

   chkdsk C: /f

   

These steps were written for Windows 11 and Windows 10 (the steps are the same). The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Check a disk for errors (chkdsk)

Macrium adds that you may need to run chkdsk more than once until an image is made without errors. Full steps and where to read the result: Check a disk for errors (chkdsk).

Fix 4. Let Macrium Reflect continue past bad sectors

5 minutes plus the backupRead the warningYou back up with Macrium Reflect and chkdsk did not end the error.

Macrium treats an unreadable sector as fatal and aborts the image. Its Ignore bad sectors option lets the image continue and lists the clusters it could not read, so you get a backup of everything else.

1. Open Macrium Reflect and select Other Tasks > Edit Defaults.
2. Select Advanced.
3. Select Ignore bad sectors. Optionally also select Log each bad cluster detail to list every bad cluster in the log.
4. Select OK and run the backup again.
5. Open the log when it finishes and look for lines such as Bad Sectors: 112 Clusters located in bad sectors. Data may be lost.

Macrium documents this option for its Error Code 23 (a bad sector, cyclic redundancy check). We could not confirm a Macrium page that ties it to Error Code 1117 as well. If the image still aborts with 1117, the disk is not answering at all, which points to Fix 1, Fix 5 or Fix 6.

Fix 5. Update storage controller drivers and the disk firmware

15 to 30 minutesLow riskEvent 129 resets appear, or the error appears on one PC only.

Microsoft's first step for disk errors is up to date storage drivers and firmware from the hardware vendor. An old controller driver or SSD firmware can time out on reads, which Windows reports as an I/O device error.

1. Right-click Start and open Device Manager.
2. Expand Storage controllers and IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers and note the controller names.
3. Install the chipset and storage drivers from your PC or motherboard maker's support page, or from Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates.
4. On the disk maker's website, look up your model (the FriendlyName from Fix 2) and install any firmware update its own tool offers.
5. Restart and run the backup again.

Step by step for any driver: Update, roll back or reinstall a driver. Back up before a firmware update, because a failed firmware update can make a disk unreadable.

Fix 6. Copy what you can off a failing disk and replace it

30 minutes or moreNo riskHealth shows Warning or Unhealthy, the disk clicks, or the error appears on every PC and cable.

When the disk fails reads everywhere, the fault is inside it. Macrium notes that bad sectors can mean the disk is near the end of its life, and each new attempt puts more strain on it.

1. Connect a healthy disk with enough free space.
2. Copy your most important folders first, one at a time, with the robocopy command below. It retries a file a few times instead of stopping the whole copy.
3. Read the summary at the end. Files listed as FAILED sit on unreadable areas.
4. Replace the failing disk, then restore your data or a Macrium image to the new one.
5. Check whether the old disk is under warranty on the maker's website.

Copy a folder with few retries (Command Prompt)

robocopy "C:\Users\You\Documents" "E:\Rescue\Documents" /E /R:2 /W:5

After the copy, set up a regular backup on the new disk: Back up your files (Windows Backup, File History, Time Machine). If the disk is no longer detected at all, a data recovery service is the safe choice for files you cannot lose.

If error code 1117 is still there

Collect these facts before you contact Macrium support, the disk maker or a technician. They show whether the cable, the driver or the disk failed.

• The full error line from the program's log, with the time it appeared.
• The disk's make and model and its HealthStatus from Fix 2.
• Event Viewer, Windows Logs > System: the events 55, 98, 129, 153 and 157 at that time.
• The result of chkdsk /scan and, if you ran it, chkdsk /r (Fix 3).
• Which cables, ports and PCs you tried (Fix 1).
• Your Windows version: press Win + R and type winver.
• When it is hardware: health shows Warning or Unhealthy, the disk clicks or gets hot, or it fails on every PC. No Windows setting fixes those.

How to stop error 1117 from coming back

Frequently asked questions

What does error 1117 mean?

It is the Windows system error ERROR_IO_DEVICE, 0x45D in hexadecimal, with the text "The request could not be performed because of an I/O device error." A disk did not complete a read or write request that Windows sent to it. The program that shows the error, such as Macrium Reflect, only passes the code on. The cause sits in the disk, its cable or its connection. Start with Fix 1 and Fix 2 on this page.

What is WinError 1117 or Win32 error 1117 (0x0000045d)?

The same error in other spellings. Python shows Windows errors as [WinError 1117], and other tools write the code as Win32 error 1117 or in hexadecimal as 0x0000045d. Programs that use HRESULT codes show 0x8007045D. In each case a script or program asked Windows to read or write a file, and the disk failed the request. Check the disk that holds the file with Fix 2 and Fix 3 instead of changing your code.

Is my hard drive or SSD failing?

Not always. A loose or poor cable gives the same error, so try Fix 1 first. The disk is likely failing when the error comes back at the same point, the System log shows many event 153 entries for that disk, health shows Warning or Unhealthy, or the disk clicks. Macrium notes that bad sectors can signal that a hard drive is coming to the end of its life. In that case copy your files off it now (Fix 6).

Will reinstalling Macrium Reflect fix error code 1117?

Very unlikely. The old advice was to reinstall the program first, but the code comes from Windows and reports that the disk failed a request. A new install of Macrium Reflect reads the same disk in the same way. Reinstall only if other parts of the program are broken too. Fix the connection and the disk first with Fix 1 to Fix 3, and use Fix 4 to let an image continue past bad sectors.

Can SFC fix the I/O device error?

No. The System File Checker repairs damaged Windows system files, while error 1117 reports that a disk failed to read or write. The old version of this page suggested sfc /scannow, but it does not check the disk surface or the file system of a data disk. Chkdsk is the right tool for that (Fix 3). Run SFC and DISM only if Windows itself also misbehaves. Step by step: Run DISM and SFC to repair Windows system files.

Can malware cause error 1117?

We found no source that ties this code to malware. The error reports that a storage device failed a request, which is a hardware or connection matter. A malware scan does no harm if the PC behaves strangely in other ways too, but do not expect it to end error 1117. Fixes 1 to 3 on this page deal with the real causes.

Does error 1117 appear during System Restore or a restore of a backup?

Yes. Users report error 1117 when System Restore or a Macrium restore fails. During a restore the program reads the backup and writes to the target disk, so either disk can be the one that fails. Use Fix 2 to see which disk the System log names at the time of the failure. Then check that disk with Fix 3. If the backup disk fails, copy the image to another disk before you try again.

What is ERKR-1117?

Most likely a typo of ERR-1117 or error 1117, since R and K sit next to each other on the keyboard. We found no Windows or Macrium code spelled ERKR-1117. If your screen shows "Unable to read from disk" or "I/O device error" next to 1117, this page is for you. If the code comes from another program, read that program's message for words such as disk, read or device.

Is code 1117 on a truck or engine the same error?

No. Search results for code 1117 also show an engine fault code used on Cummins engines and Freightliner trucks. That code has nothing to do with Windows or your PC. This page is about the Windows error 1117, the I/O device error that stops backups, copies and restores. For an engine fault code, use the engine maker's service information or a qualified mechanic.

What did Enable file write caching in Macrium Reflect do for this error?

The old version of this page told readers to turn on a write caching option in Macrium Reflect's defaults. We could not confirm that option or any link between it and error 1117 in Macrium's current documentation, so it is no longer a fix here. Error 1117 is about a disk that failed a request. The Macrium setting that does help with unreadable sectors is Ignore bad sectors under Other Tasks > Edit Defaults > Advanced (Fix 4).