You’ve spent hours recording footage on an SD card, only to plug it into your PC and be jolted by the ‘the parameter is incorrect external hard drive’ error. Nothing can be more horrendous than watching your hard work becoming inaccessible as this error locks you out of your files and folders.
Not acting soon, and you will risk saying goodbye to your hours’ worth of work. Though, worry not. In this post, we’ll share with you the parameter is incorrect meaning, 7 effective solutions to fix it, recover your data, and ensure your storage device is accessible again.
Part 1: What Does the Parameter Is Incorrect Mean?
An error message like ‘D is not accessible. The parameter is incorrect’ appears when you try to access a drive, and it blocks access to it. In computer terms, the parameter is incorrect meaning that the information you provided is wrong or unexpected.
This could be due to a typo, wrong format, or a value that’s not allowed. Although your data is likely still intact with this error, it remains inaccessible until the drive is repaired.
Part 2: Common Reasons Behind the Parameter Is Incorrect
The ‘the parameter is incorrect Windows 10/11’ error could appear due to various reasons such as the following:
- Bad sectors – Damaged sectors on a drive can destroy data, causing this error if essential files are affected.
- Decimal symbol – Due to regional settings, using a decimal symbol other than a period can also cause this issue.
- Corrupted system files – Damage to essential Windows system files can hinder communication between your computer and drive.
- Malware – Viruses can damage important parts of your system, including the hard drive, leading to this error.
- Physical damage – Damage to the drive or USB port can prevent proper reading, prompting this error if only a partial connection is made.
Part 3: Recover Data From Hard Drives With “Parameter Is Incorrect” Error
The ‘drive is not accessible. The parameter is incorrect’ error will make your drive inaccessible which means you won’t be able to reach your data. Fixing it might require formatting, which will permanently wipe your data, and recovering it will be challenging. Luckily, free data recovery software tools like Tenorshare 4DDiG can be a lifesaver. Here are the main benefits of using this tool:
- Regain data from internal/external Windows-based storage devices (hard disks, SD cards, drones, digital cameras, USBs, etc).
- Extracts 2000+ file types (videos, audio, archives, images, documents, etc).
- Retrieves data from a broad range of data loss situations like corruption, formatting, deletion, etc.
- Offers fast scanning, free technical updates, and a high recovery rate.
- Allows users to recover up to 2GB of data for free.
Follow the instructions below to use this tool to regain files from a drive with the ‘the parameter is incorrect external hard drive’ error:
Step 1: Download and install the data recovery tool on your computer and open it.
Step 2: Connect your external drive or choose your local drive with an ‘incorrect parameter’ error for scanning.
Step 3: You can pause or stop search anytime to preview files into “Tree View” for categories like Lost, Deleted, RAW, etc, and “File View” for different file types such as Photos, Videos, Documents, etc. You can also search for specific files or use filters to narrow down results.
Step 4: Once you find your target files, preview them and hit “Recover.” Avoid saving them on the same drive to prevent permanent data loss.
Part 4: 6 Ways to Fix the Parameter Is Incorrect on Windows 11/10
As we lay these solutions out for you, try them one by one from basic checking connections to advanced ones like formatting drives:
Way 1. Check Connections
A loose cable or faulty USB port can cause signal issues between the computer and drive leading to the ‘the parameter is incorrect Windows 11/10’ error. To fix this issue, securely reconnect the cable to the first USB port or try a different USB port if that doesn’t work. Also, consider connecting the drive to another computer. If you use a USB hub, connect the drive directly to a USB port.
Way 2. Run CHKDSK Tool
The ‘D is not accessible. The parameter incorrect’ error can result from file system errors or damaged areas on the drive called bad sectors. CHKDSK, a built-in Windows tool, scans and repairs these issues. To use it, follow the instructions below:
Step 1: Write “cmd” in the Windows search bar. Then, right-click “Windows Command Prompt” and launch it with admin rights.
Step 2: Write the following command: “chkdsk [drive letter]: /f /r /x.” Hit “Enter.” Restart your computer and try reaccessing your drive.
Way 3. Run SFC Scan
Sometimes, corrupted system files can cause a ‘the parameter is incorrect Windows 10/11’ error. SFC scan is another Windows built-in tool designed to find and repair these files. Here are the steps to run this tool:
Step 1: Write “cmd” in the Windows search bar. Then, right-click “Windows Command Prompt” and launch it with admin rights.
Step 2: Write “SFC /scannow.” Hit “Enter.”
Step 3: After the scanning and repair process finishes, write “exit.”
Way 4. Update Outdated Drivers
Old drivers might not work well with new updates in Windows, causing the ‘the parameter is incorrect external hard drive’ error. If that’s the case, update drivers to fix bugs and security issues that are leading to incorrect parameter errors. To do so:
Step 1: Click “Disk drives” to expand it, then right-click your drive. Select “Update driver.”
Step 2: Click “Search automatically for drivers” to allow Windows to find and install drivers. Or you can download a compatible driver from the manufacturer’s site and choose “
Browse my computer for drivers” to install it manually.
Way 5. Adjust Decimal Symbol Settings
In some regions, people use a comma (,) as a decimal point, while others use a period (.). If your computer uses commas but your external drive expects periods, it can cause the ‘the parameter is incorrect Windows 11/10’ error because they’re not understood the same way. To adjust decimal symbol settings, follow the steps below:
Step 1: Write “Settings,” in the Windows search bar. Open it then head to “Time & Language.”
Step 2: Choose “Region.” Following that, select “Additional date, time, & regional settings.”
Step 3: Next, choose “Change date, time, or number formats” under “Region.”
Step 4: Head to “Additional settings” and switch “Decimal symbol” to “.” (dot), and confirm.
Way 6. Assign New Drive Letter
This ‘the parameter is incorrect external hard drive’ error might happen if your external hard drive’s letter is already used by another drive. Giving it a unique letter not used by any other drive fixes this issue, so your system can recognize and access external drives properly. To do so:
Step 1: Right-click “Start menu” and pick “Disk Management.”
Step 2: Select the drive with the ‘the parameter is incorrect Windows 10/11’ error. Following that, pick “Change Drive Letter and Paths….”
Step 3. Click “Change” and choose a drive letter not in use from the list. Hit “OK.”
Way 7. Format Drive
If other methods don’t work and you still can’t access the drive due to ‘drive is not accessible. The parameter is an incorrect error, it might be because of logical errors like bad allocation tables. Formatting the drive is a last resort to fix this. It creates a new, organized file system and removes corruption. Remember, formatting erases all data, so use 4DDiG Data Recovery first to recover your files. Then, check out the following instructions to format your external drive:
Step 1: Right-click “Start menu” and pick “Disk Management.” Right-click on the problematic drive.
Step 2: Choose “Format.” Then, pick NTFS as a file system. Click “OK.”
Conclusion
The ‘the parameter is incorrect external hard drive’ error is hard to deal with as it locks you out of your drive, making it inaccessible. However, not only we’ve discussed the parameter is incorrect meaning but have also shared 7 solutions to fix it, ranging from checking connections to formatting the drive.
But remember if it comes to formatting, recover your data first to avoid permanent loss. Consider using 4DDiG Data Recovery for this job as it can retrieve inaccessible, formatted, deleted, hidden, lost, or corrupted data with a high success rate. This ensures you never have to lose any valuable information.