The ‘Parameter is Incorrect’ Error on an External Hard Drive – FIXED

Has it ever happened to you that the PC is working fine until one day you try to access a drive on it, and it shows the inaccessible drive error that says “The parameter is incorrect”? If you are facing the issue or have a device with a similar error, do not panic, as the error can be resolved with proper diligence and fixes. 

The error usually appears on hard drives that have corrupt data. The first and foremost concern of a user is about the existing data, as the issue lies on a hard drive, which is usually used to back up the majority of PC data. To resolve this issue permanently, without hampering the existing data, you must try a certain set of steps. 

Keep reading; this post will help you understand how to fix the incorrect error parameter on an external hard drive while keeping your data secure. 

What Causes the Parameter to Incorrect Error?

While using the drive, if you come across the error, the chances are that the data on it has gone corrupt. Some of the core reasons why you may be encountering the situation include – 

• Corrupt File System
• Bad Sectors on Hard Drive
• Virus Infection
• System File Errors
• Virus/Malware Issues

Using corrupt or outdated drivers also causes issues with the hard drive and makes it inaccessible. However, when the error is specific to the Parameter is incorrect, you might not have the driver’s impact, although it is good to give it a check too. 

Knowing the exact reasons, you now know where the problem may lie. Hence, this gives us a direction to fix and resolve the issues. Check out the next section to find these troubleshooting methods. 

Ways to Fix Parameter is Incorrect Error on External Hard Drive

To get rid of the error, you must first check if the drive is showing the same error on all the PCs. If the drive is accessible on another PC, the issue may be with the drivers of your existing driver. In that case, update the USB controller drivers and get over the error. However, if the drive is not accessible in any of the devices that you connect, try the following fixes. 

Fix 1 – Run SFC to Find and Fix Corrupt System Files

Step 1 – Go to the Start menu and launch Command Prompt as admin using the Windows search.

Step 2 – In the Command Prompt, use sfc/scannow command and hit enter.

Step 3 – Let the command run and finish the process. Restart the PC once it is over. 

Fix 2 – Run Chkdsk Command to Treat Bad Sectors of the Drive

Step 1 – Step 1 – Go to the Start menu and launch Command Prompt as admin using the Windows search.
Step 2 – In the Command Prompt, use the chkdsk F:  /f /r /x  command and hit enter.

Step 3 – Let the command run and finish the process. Restart the PC once it is over. 

Fix 3 – Quick Format the Drive

Step 1 – Go to the Windows Explorer and Navigate to This PC.

Step 2- Select the connected drive and right-click to find the Format option.

Step 3 – Select the NTFS file system and quickly format the drive. 

Please note that formatting the drive will remove all the existing data from it. 

Besides these fixes, you can also run a quick scan on the drive to check if it is a virus error. If you have third-party antivirus software, simply select the drive, right-click, and choose the scan for virus option. However, if you are looking for an antivirus to protect your computer, try T9 antivirus software. Read the product review to know more about it. 

How to Save Your Data After a Parameter is Incorrect Error?

Usually, when this error occurs, the ultimate solution to resolve it is to format the drive. You see, if the drive has a corrupt file system, you must recover it by resetting the same, which is only possible using the quick format option available on Windows. But that means losing all your data. 

Usually, people do not pay attention to this, but recovering the data is possible. The issue with the Parameter is incorrect error is that it makes the drive inaccessible. This means you can’t even take a backup before formatting the drive. In such cases, data recovery software like Advanced Disk Recovery is the ultimate solution you can choose.

With the help of Advanced Disk Recovery, you can easily select the drive in question and recover the data from it after you have formatted it. Yes, it works with formatted drives as well. All you need to do is – 

Step 1 –  Download and Install the Advanced Disk Recovery tool on your computer.

Step 2 – After doing the same, launch the app, select the Removable option, and then use the dropdown to select the hard drive that keeps showing the Parameter is incorrect error.
Step 3 – After selecting the drive, click Start Scan Now to find all the recoverable files on your drive.
Step 4 – Use the Quick Scan if you have recently formatted the drive, as it is enough to complete the job. Let the Scan finish, and it will help you with all the existing files you can recover.
Step 5 – Select the files you want to recover by marking them and later click on Recover to finish the process. 

After pressing the recovery button, you must select a different recovery destination, as you can not restore on the same drive while in recovery mode. Finish the process and check if the files you wanted are restored. 

This way, your data stays secure while you resolve the parameter is an incorrect error on an external hard drive. This also brings us to the end of this post. If you face any issues in troubleshooting the error or restoring your data, feel free to reach out via the comments section. Thanks for reading, good luck!

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