Fix "The Parameter Is Incorrect" for Hard Drives and USB Drives

What is the parameter incorrect error on a hard drive? The "Incorrect parameter" issue is a common problem associated with internal hard drives (HDDs/SSDs), external hard drives, USB flash drives, and SD cards. When you try to open the disk, the "Location is not available" window appears and says "Drive is not accessible. The parameter is incorrect".

With this error, you cannot properly access the drive, and as a result, files are lost, for example, the drive appears in File Explorer but is inaccessible; the partition might show as RAW in Disk Management.

Why does my hard drive say the parameter is incorrect?

The drive becomes inaccessible, and so does the internal data. But don't worry, there are several ways to fix the hard drive parameter incorrect error. Now, before we solve the problem, let's take a brief look at the possible causes, which can help us solve the problem more effectively. The main reasons are as follows:

• Removing the hard drive without safely ejecting. Forcibly removing an external hard drive can damage or destroy the partition's boot record, resulting in a parameter error. Remember to use the "Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media" option every time before you remove a USB disk.
• USB port issues. USB ports act as the bridge between your computer and the hard drive. If there's a problem with the USB port, communication may fail.
• Bad sectors on hard drives. Even a singly bad sector can make the hard drive inaccessible.
• File system errors. The file system is responsible for managing how data is stored and accessed on the drive. Once it's damaged, you may not be able to open the drive.
• Viral infections. Malware or viruses can corrupt the drive and lead to inaccessibility.

Note: After understanding the possible causes of the error, we recommend using data recovery software to retrieve your files before attempting any repairs. That's because any repair attempt (like CHKDSK or formatting) can lead to permanent data loss. Hence, the first and most important step is recovering your data.

So let's take a look at how to recover data from inaccessible hard drive.

How do we recover data from an inaccessible hard disk with the "incorrect parameter" error?

If you want to recover data from inaccessible hard drives, you'll need professional data recovery software. It is recommended that you use DiskGenius which is known for its powerful algorithms, rich features, and excellent recovery results. It supports various recovery scenarios, including RAW drive recovery, BitLocker partition recovery, Ext4 data recovery, and RAID recovery.

The following is a step-by-step guide for recovering lost data from an inaccessible drive.

Step 1. Connect the inaccessible hard drive to your computer. Download and launch DiskGenius. Select the unreadable drive, and then click the Files tab on the right pane, as shown below.

Browse and preview lost files, and then copy them to another health drive.

Tip: In many cases, DiskGenius can automatically display files of the corrupted partition after it is launched. If not, go to the next step.

Step 2. Select and right-click the inaccessible partition and click the Load Current Partition Intelligently, as follows:

If the original file system was NTFS and it's not damaged that much, this feature can rapidly load lost files without scanning the entire partition from beginning to end. If files are correctly loaded, you can copy them to another working partition and complete the recovery. Otherwise, move to Step 3.

Step 3. Select the inaccessible drive again and click the File Recovery button in the toolbar to open the "Recover Files" window.

Click the "Start" button, and DiskGenius begins searching for missing files and directories. It displays lost files in real-time during the scan and constantly updates the scan results as more files are found.

Step 4. Preview lost files.

The file preview function allows users to preview the file content while the scan is working. Users can also pause or stop the scan if all the required files are already found and no further scan is needed.

Step 5. Save lost files to a safe location. Select the files and folders you want to restore, right-click on the selected data, and choose "Copy To".

How do I fix the parameter incorrect error on my hard drive?

Method 1: Format the corrupted hard drive

A lot of times the hard disk incorrect parameter error is caused by corrupted file systems, so we can fix it via formatting the drive. We can use DiskGenius Free Edition to format partitions.

Warning:

• Formatting will erase all data. Make sure you've recovered your files first.
• If formatting fails, the issue may involve bad sectors or deeper partition table damage.

First, right-click the inaccessible drive you want to repair, and click the "Format Current Partition" menu item. Then the program will pop up the "Format Partition" dialog box.

Second, Select the desired file system type and cluster size in the dialog box, and click the "Format" button to prepare the formatting.

Before starting the formatting operation, the program asks for confirmation to prevent accidental formatting. The figure below:

Finally, click "Yes" to start the formatting immediately.

Method 2: Check and repair bad sectors for the hard drive

If the drive cannot be formatted by DiskGenius or Windows File Explorer, the drive may have bad sectors. It is common to see that the "The drive is not accessible. The parameter is incorrect" has something to do with bad sectors. DiskGenius Free edition provides the function of verifying and repairing bad sectors for hard drives and USB disks.

IMPORTANT: Repairing bad sectors can damage data, so please back up important files you want to keep prior to trying following steps. If large numbers of bad sectors are found, the disk may be failing and should be replaced.

Step 1. Launch DiskGenius Free Edition, select the disk you want to check bad sectors and click Tools > Verify Or Repair Bad sectors.

Step 2. Click Start Verify, and DiskGenius starts to scan the disk and check if there are bad sectors on it.

Method 3: Change or assign a new drive letter

Sometimes the error stems from a missing or conflicting drive letter, which can prevent Windows from accessing the volume properly.

Step 1. Press Windows + R, type diskmgmt.msc, and hit Enter. This opens Disk Management.

Step 2. Right-click the drive with no letter or the one showing the incorrect parameter error. Then choose Change Drive Letter and Paths.

Step 3. Click Add (if no letter) or Change (if conflicting). Next, you can choose a new letter not currently used and confirm.

If you're able to access the drive after the letter change, the error was likely due to letter conflicts. If the error persists, continue with other fixes.

Method 4: Update or reinstall the disk driver

Step 1. Press Win + X to open the menu and select "Device Manager".

Step 2. Expand "Disk drives", right-click the problem hard drive, and select "Update Driver" or "Uninstall Device".

Step 3. Restart the computer, the system will automatically reinstall the driver, and check whether the problem is solved.

Method 5: Check the hardware connection

- Replace the USB interface, data cable or hard drive box (for external hard drives) to ensure a stable connection.

- Connect the hard drive as a slave to another computer to rule out the problem with the original computer's motherboard interface.

Bonus tip: How to protect a drive from getting incorrect parameter errors?

After trying the methods provided above, you can now access your storage devices and data without any obstacles. That was not the end, however. It's also important to catch some useful tricks to prevent the parameter incorrect errors on hard drives, external hard drive or USB flash drive.

• Backup important data regularly. Use cloud storage or mobile hard disk to regularly back up important files to avoid data loss.
• Plug and unplug devices correctly. Always remove external devices through the system "Safely Remove Hardware" to avoid forced unplugging.
• Install antivirus software. Enable real-time protection and scan viruses regularly to prevent file system damage.
• Update drivers and systems. Keep disk drivers and Windows systems updated to fix potential compatibility issues.
• Monitor hard drive health. Use tools such as DiskGenius to regularly check hard drive SMART information to detect signs of physical damage in advance.

FAQs

1. Can I recover data after formatting?

Yes, but only if new data hasn't overwritten the old files. DiskGenius supports recovery from formatted hard drives.

2. Why does CHKDSK say "Access Denied"?

You must run Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell as Administrator.

3. Will formatting guarantee the issue is fixed?

Not always. If the drive has physical damage or bad sectors, formatting may fail or only offer temporary relief.

Also read

• [Solved] The volume does not contain a recognized file system in Windows 11/10
• Solved: The type of the file system is RAW. CHKDSK is not available for RAW drives