How to Solve “The parameter is incorrect” problem on External Hard Disk in Windows

In this post I will show you what to do when you get “The parameter is incorrect” error on external hard drive. The steps I’m about to show you will help fix the error easily and also recover lost data from hard drive. In your case it could be a USB disk or Memory card. Whichever one, the steps here will work it. Have you ever tried accessing your files in your external hard disk drive or partition, but it gave you ‘the parameter is incorrect’? This type of error is common and normally affects the external hard drives, USB flash drives, SD cards, and many others, and they prevent you from accessing your files.

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Possible signs of “Parameter is incorrect” error

One of the most popular signs of the “The parameter is incorrect” error is the PC’s inability to access data on your hard drive. Everything will look fine when you turn on the computer, but when you go to “My computer or This PC” and left click with the mouse to open it, you will not be able to access it, and instead, you will get an error message “I:\is not accessible.” The drive letter could be any letter. We’re using the letter “I” because our drive letter is I. If this has just happened to you or someone you know, you don’t need to panic, you are in the right place as this post will get you the solutions to this error.

This post covers in detail the meaning of this error, the major causes, and the solutions on how to get rid of this error and free!

Causes of “The Parameter is Incorrect” Error

There are many causes of this type of error, and they are:

1. USB Port problem – a weak or bad USB port power supply may affect or damage the external hard drive/USB flash drive/Memory card. When the USB port is in bad condition, the drive you plugged in might not work. Also, the USB is the link between a computer and an external drive, and once it is not working well, any external drive you plugged in might be damaged.
2. Improper removal of the hard drive – removing the hard drive or any external drive from the computer directly without following the safe removal process damages the drive hence the cause of the error above. Safety removal of hard drives is very important. Always pay attention to all the prompts and instruction that pops up on your computer screen.
3. Bad sectors on the external hard drive – one bad sector in an external hard drive might make the entire partition inaccessible. A bad sector is simply a tiny cluster of storage space. It signifies that a sector of the hard drive is defective or damaged. These bad sectors might damage the whole drive.
4. File system corruption – the parameter is incorrect error is mostly caused by this reason. Managing the data on the partition is the role of the file system, and once it is corrupted, it cannot perform its role.

Ways to Fix “The Parameter is Incorrect” Error

There are probabilities of losing important data if the error is not fixed or a practical, workable solution is not applied. There are different solutions to fixing the parameter is incorrect error depending on the source or cause of the error. The below methods are some of the solutions with respect to the cause of the error.

Method 1: Formatting the Inaccessible Drive

The decision to format your external hard drive can be a tough one, but sometimes it is a solution to the error. Formatting a partition initializes its use, thus creating a new file system for the whole volume and changing the formats of the file system. Formatting can be done through low-level or high-level formatting. To do this, follow the following steps below:
Step 1: Connect the external drive to the PC. Right-click ‘This PC’ then ‘Manage’ then ‘Disk Management.’ You can easily get to the disk management option by simply using the “diskmgmt.msc” command. Press Windows + R key to open the Run Window. Note, you must have an administrative privilege to be able to access the disk management pane.

Step 2: Right-click the RAW or corrupted drive and select ‘format’, then click ‘OK.’
Step 3: Set the volume level, file system format, then check the ‘perform quick format’ option. Once done, click ‘OK’ to format.

Right-clicking on the RAW as shown in the screenshot above will take you to the screenshot below.

What if your files became inaccessible or were deleted accidentally after formatting the drive? Don't be panic! Just get Recoverit Data Recovery. It is the ultimate tool to help you recover lost, deleted, or formatted files. It supports different storage devices, including your external hard drive, USB Flash drive  and Memory card.

Method 2: Change Decimal Symbol Settings

If the decimal symbol is not set to “.” (dot), you may encounter the “device parameter is incorrect” error on your computer. Here are the steps to change the settings and get it fixed:

The risk level for applying this method is low and the difficulty level is easy

1.  Go to Settings > Time & Language > Region & language.
2. Click “Additional date, time, & regional settings”.
3. Under the Region section, click “Change date, time, or number formats”.
4. Click “Additional settings”, then in the Decimal symbol, type . (dot), and click “OK” twice. 

After this, restart the computer and try to access your hard drive, external hard drive, USB, etc., again.

Method 3: Get “The Parameter is Incorrect” Error Fixed without Data Loss

With the above methods, you might lose data. Here you can consider using the recommended software like Recoverit Software. The software has features and functionalities designed to recover files from external hard drives that have problems. The software uses an integrated algorithm to analyze damaged systems and scan through all drive sectors to recover all files and folders. The software operates in all versions of Windows as well as MacOS and can recover files from any kind of external hard drive irrespective of size and nature.

Below are some of the features of Recoverit Software

1. Recover lost or deleted files, photos, audio, music, emails from any storage device effectively, safely, and completely.
2. Supports data recovery from recycle bin, hard drive, memory card, flash drive, digital camera, and camcorders.
3. Preview before recovery allows you to make a selective recovery.
4. Supported OS: Windows 11/10/8/7/XP/Vista, Mac OS X (Mac OS X 10.8-10.15) on iMac, MacBook, Mac Pro, etc.

Download Recoverit Data Recovery on your computer for free, and connect the faulty hard drive and follow the next simple steps to perform external hard drive recovery.

1. Install and launch the Recoverit program on your computer.
2.  Connect an external storage device.
3. Select an external storage device.

Next step is to scan your external storage device.

When disk scanning is completed, preview and recover your data. Finally, you can try any of the solutions above-mentioned without any worry.

Protect drive against “Parameter is incorrect error” with these Tips

Though you will easily get rid of the error with the above-mentioned methods, this might not be the last time you will have to face this error as you may have to face it again in the future. Below are some take home tips for you to follow to keep your PC and drive safe from this error:

• Run a scan on your PC with anti-virus software regularly – The virus can also be a reason for the “Parameter is incorrect” error. You can do a quick check on your system to see if there is any malware or virus. For this, Go to the ‘Start menu”, and there you will find the option of “Virus & Threat protection”. Click on the option to perform a quick scan. If you find any kind of threat or malware, the first thing to do is immediately disconnect the external device connected to your PC as there is a high chance that it is the source of the virus. Many of the times, the system updates you about the virus as soon as it detects it.
• Keep a backup of important data and files – The outdated disk driver or USB can also be another reason for the error. Most times, windows show pop-up notifications to tell the user that the disk driver needs to be updated. If you are unaware of the same, you can check the status of the disk driver by going to the “Device Manager” menu from the Start Menu with the window’s logo at the left down corner of the home screen. If you click on the device manager and find an update driver among the options, it needs an update. Right-click on the option to update the driver. Also, if the new driver is found online, it will be automatically added to your system. Running the devmgmt.msc command in the Run Window will take you to the Device Manager as well.

In conclusion, one thing you must always bear in mind is every storage device is susceptible to failure or damage. To prevent your devices from being damaged or failed and you bearing the consequences of losing your vital and useful information that can affect your business or your personal life negatively, always make sure you back up your files, pay attention to on-screen system prompts and warnings, respond to messages displayed about the devices, handle your devices with utmost care, and always equip yourself with Recoverit External Hard Drive Recovery Software or any other Data Recovery Software available to you!