Steps to Fix Error Code 0146 on a Hard Drive

8 min readMar 27, 2024

This post is about the Dell trouble number 2000 0146. A problem with the security of the operating system and the mistakes that happen because of it. I will also show you how to solve this problem step by step.

There is a known problem with Dell error code 2000 0146 that can lead to blue screens or freezes during starting and software use. It might look like this is a big problem, but most of the time it’s just a small issue that’s easy to fix. This post will explain what error 0146 is, how it happens, and how to easily fix hard drive error code 0146. It will also show you how to get back all the data on a broken hard drive.

How do I fix the Dell PC problem code 0146?

Error 0146 is often linked to issues with starting up the operating system, reading or writing, and freezing. This problem can happen for a lot of different reasons, but the most common ones are thought to be damage or loss of information that the operating system needs to work properly.

For your computer to work right, it needs information that tells the hardware how to handle and do its job correctly. There is a logical order to these steps, and they begin with BIOS.

BIOS, which stands for “basic input/output system,” is software that is built into your computer’s hardware. This program is in charge of telling the devices what to do.

The BIOS tells the hard drive what to do when you turn on your computer. The hard drive and the BIOS work together to find the operating system and load it into RAM. Because of this, if the hard drive or BIOS has bad data, the operating system will not be able to start up correctly. There is a chance that the operating system will be able to start up, but it will fail while being used. This would make it hard to do almost any process, and any job could become harder because of multiple mistakes.

Error 0146 might look like a big deal, but it’s really not. When the damage or loss of information isn’t too bad, the steps to fix it are pretty easy. But when the damage is worse, the steps will be a bit more complicated. But don’t worry — I’ll show you how to fix it no matter how horrible the damage is.

What Could Lead to the Hard Drive Error 0146?

As I said before, error 0146 means that there is a problem with either read or written data. This means that one of the following could be the reason of the error.

Bad Sector or Pieces:

An metal disk is spun at high speeds (rpm) to write data through magnetic fields made by a slider (head). This is a regular problem with hard drives (HDD). Due to the way information is literally separated into sections, it’s possible that only some of it can’t be read. It is important to remember that the information on a hard disk is not physically ordered in the way that it is used, and there is a certain way to read information. This means that any damage or loss of information, no matter how small, will be enough to mess up the integrity of the information and make it impossible to read, which will make things more difficult and prevent the processes from running as planned.

Mode of SATA (IDE or AHCI):

It’s possible that the issue is caused by a setup mistake with the hard drive in the BIOS, IDE, or AHCI. These are all ways of talking to the storage units. The IDE (Integrated Development Environment) was made so that IDE devices, also known as PATA (Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment) devices, could talk to each other. SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) devices, on the other hand, use the standard AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface). You should follow the advice of your motherboard and hard drive when choosing between these two modes. If your system supports AHCI, selecting this mode is the best choice.

Error in the BIOS:

It’s important to remember that the BIOS is the software that finds the operating system on the hard drive and tells the computer to start it up. It does this by using RAM. If the BIOS is not set up correctly, it may not be able to recognize any hardware, which means the process can’t be done correctly. Also, if your hard drive breaks, you can check the settings in the BIOS to make sure they are right so that the computer or laptop can see all of its parts.
Damage to the hard drive’s build (broken or damaged parts): There are different models of hard drives that are more or less resistant to damage, but they can still be broken very easily by being hit, moving quickly, or even just wearing out over time. It’s also important to note that hard drives have an average useful life of 20,000 hours, so if they are used for longer than that, errors may start to happen. If the disk gets damaged, the information saved on it becomes less reliable and can lead to many mistakes, such as error 0146.

Getting a virus:

The information in the operating system can be damaged or changed by a virus. Luckily, this doesn’t happen very often because antivirus software and Windows are always adding new security patches. A better defense against the operating system has been built up over time, but malware has also gotten smarter, so it is helpful to scan files on a regular basis.

Broken system or registry files:

Log files are used by the computer system to make it work better. These files are very important, and it’s possible that they were damaged by mistakes that happened when the computer wasn’t supposed to, like a quick power shutdown, a hard disk failure, or a virus. When a log file fails, it may be enough for the whole operating system to have problems that make it impossible to use.

How do I fix the 0146 problem code on my Dell PC?

Step 1: Click “Settings” in the Start menu.

Step 2: Click on “Update & Security” and then click on “Windows Security.”

Step 3: Open “Virus & threat protection” and click on it.

Step 4: Choose “Scan options” from the list of “Current threads.”

Step 5: Click “Windows Defender Offline scan” on the next page.

Step 6: If you choose “Scan Now”, Windows will ask you to save your work before restarting the machine.

Check the disk.

Step 1: Click Windows Key + E to open a new File Explorer window, then click on “This PC” to begin. Click “Properties” after right-clicking on the drive you want to check, which is usually your C: or D: drive.

Step 2: Now, the Properties box for the drive you chose will appear. Press the “Check” button under the “Error-checking” area after clicking on the “Tools” tab.

Step 3: It will tell you in a window that you don’t need to check the drive. It’s possible to do a CHKDSK scan instead, though. Just click on “Scan drive” below this.

Step 4: Things will start to be checked by the CHKDSK function. That depends on the size of the drive you choose and how much data is on it. This process could take anywhere from a few minutes to thirty minutes.

Step 5: if everything goes well, you’ll be told that the drive is done and no mistakes were found. If the CHKDSK check does find mistakes, it will try to fix what it can.

Fix the PC registry

Step 1: Press the Windows start button.

Step 2: In the search box, type “cmd” and press “Enter.”

Step 3: Select the command window from the list and right-click it.

Step 4: Select “Run as administrator.”

Step 5: step is to type sfc /scannow.

Step 6: Turn your PC back on.

Do the PSA Diagnostics.

Step 1: Turn your Dell machine back on.

Step 2: Press the F12 key on your computer until you see the Dell logo.

Step 3: Watch for the “One Time Boot” menu.

Step 4: To choose “PSA Diagnostic,” press the “Down Arrow” key of your term.

Step 5: Press the “Enter” key.

Step 6: PSA will now start up by itself. Just do what it says on the screen to fix it.

Clear the BIOS settings

Step 1: Turn on your computer again, and when the Dell logo shows up, go to the BIOS setup.

Step 2: Go to the “Exit” area. This is where you can go back to the original settings. After that, click “Save Changes” and press “F10” to leave.

Get into safe mode and run System Restore>

Step 1: You have to hold down “shift” and click on “Restart” at the same time to get into safe mode.

Step 2: Click on “Troubleshoot” now.

Step 3: Press the “Advanced Options” button.

Step 4: “Startup Settings” should be clicked.

Step 5: Press the “Restart” button.

Step 6: Choose “Option 4” to turn on Safe Mode.

Step 7: Type “Recovery” into the Start screen.

Step 8: Click “Open System Restore.”

Step 9: Pick a place to go back in time and click “Next.”

Safe Mode and Clean Boot should be used to fix your computer.

Step 1: To open “System Configuration Utility,” press “Windows” and “R” at the same time, type “msconfig,” and then press “Enter.”

Step 2: Mark the “hide all Microsoft services” box, then click “Services” to turn them all off.

Get your information back

If you were unable to fix problem 0146 with the steps above, it’s possible that your hard drive is physically broken and you will need to purchase a new one. If this is the case, I will now show you how to easily get back the data you need from a damaged disk using BLRTools.

When they are being used, physically broken hard drives are often unstable because they can be turned off at any time. They might not boot up or take too long to process the information, which makes it impossible to complete any job. So, the best thing to do is to buy a new drive, connect it to your computer, and install Windows on it. Then, connect the broken drive to the new drive to start the data recovery process.

Get the BLR data recovery tool and put it on your new hard drive. Then, do the easy steps that come next.

Step 1: Pick a Drive

Find out more about “Hard Disk Drives” in BLR Tools. You’ll have drive. Pick “Start” and click on it.

Step 2: Check your drive.

The drive will be scanned by BLRTools. You’ll have great tools to make the scan and repair process go more quickly. You can, for example, just check the box next to the file types you want to rescue instead of all of them.

Step 3: Look at the drive data and get it back.

When the check is over, a long list of the files it found will be shown. Selecting all the files or just a few at a time and clicking “Recover” will get them back. You can choose where to save the files after they are all recovered. Just be careful, and don’t save the files on the drive that is broken.

Words to End

It might look like Error 0146 is a big deal, but it’s not. You can fix hard drive error code 0146 with a number of tools, and as you can see, it’s not hard to do. However, if the problem is caused by physical damage to your hard drive, you will need to get a new one. Thank goodness this doesn’t mean you’ll lose your data; with BLRTools, it will only take a few clicks and minutes to get what you need back.