Forum Discussion
Why is the file name damaged on Windows 11?
Many of my file names have suddenly become corrupted, displaying garbled text, random symbols, or question marks instead of their original names. This issue affects files across multiple folders and drives, and I cannot open or rename them, making it impossible to access my important data.
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Garbled names across several folders or drives, together with files that cannot be opened or renamed, indicate more than a display-language problem. Stop writing to the affected drives first; repeated renames or repairs can reduce recovery options. Copy any still-readable critical files to a separate known-good drive, but do not overwrite your only backup. Run a full Microsoft Defender scan, followed by Microsoft Defender Offline scan, because widespread unexpected renaming can also require a malware check. Then open an elevated Command Prompt and run chkdsk X: /scan for each affected NTFS volume, substituting its drive letter. That checks file-system metadata without applying the repairs performed by /f or /r. Record the results and check whether one drive or all drives fail. If CHKDSK reports corruption, the drive disconnects, or important files remain unreadable, stop there and use a backup or professional recovery service before attempting repairs.
