Error Orphan Name Exhausted 799 (0x31F): How to Fix it

ERROR_ORPHAN_NAME_EXHAUSTED appears if there’s a problem with your recovery directory. However, the issue can be easily fixed by following these steps.

How can I fix ERROR_ORPHAN_NAME_EXHAUSTED?

1. Move the files from the Recovery Directory

1. Open File Explorer and go to the root folder. This is usually C: or D:.
2. Next, go to View, expand Show, and choose Hidden Items.
   
3. Look for the FOUND.000 folder and open it.
4. Look for files that look like FILE0000.CHK and move them to another location.
5. Rename them if necessary.

2. Run chkdsk

1. Press the Windows key + S and type cmd. Choose Run as administrator.
   
2. Run the following command: chkdsk C: /f /r /x
   
3. Press Y to schedule a scan and restart your PC.
4. Once the scan is finished, check if the problem is gone.

3. Repair your files

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator.
2. Next, run the following: sfc /scannow
   
3. Once the scan is finished, check if the problem is still there.
4. If the issue persists run this command instead: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
   

4. Other tips to try

1. Defragment your drive, if you’re using HDD.
2. Run the following command to check the status of your drive: wmic diskdrive get status
3. Back up your drive and format it if nothing else works.

ERROR_ORPHAN_NAME_EXHAUSTED often comes with the following message 799 (0x31F) Orphaned files exist on the volume but could not be recovered because no more new names could be created in the recovery directory, files must be moved from the recovery directory.

In most cases, this can be fixed by moving the files from the Recovery Directory, but in some cases, you might have to repair your files.

This isn’t the only problem, and we wrote about ERROR_OBJECT_NAME_EXISTS and ERROR_INVALID_NAME in our previous articles, so feel free to check them out.