Does your PC sometimes display “location is not available” or “Parameter is incorrect” when you try accessing your drives? If this brings back any memories, stick with us to discuss the reason behind the errors and the possible solutions.
- What Does “Parameter Is Incorrect” Mean?
- Ways to Fix “Parameter Is Incorrect”
- What If None of The Fixes Works?
What Does “Parameter Is Incorrect” Mean?
When you try to access any external or internal hard drive, you should easily access them with the file explorer. But, for some reason, the external hard drive might get corrupted or damaged. When that happens, the system shows a pop-up message – the parameter is incorrect, or the drive is not accessible.
This error can happen due to the following reasons.
- Removing the Hard Drive Without Ejecting It Properly: Unauthorized removal of the external drive can damage the drive and even destroy the partition’s boot records leading to a “Parameter Is Incorrect” error.
- Damaged File System: The file system of the system is responsible for accessing data from the drive. If the file system is damaged, it loses its capability to access the data.
- USB Port Problem: If your USB port is damaged, the external hard drive cannot be connected properly. When the system knows that external devices have been connected but couldn’t access the data because of the lost or damaged connection, it shows the incomplete parameter.
- Virus Infection: A virus infection can also be the reason for the error. If your drive is affected by the virus, it will get damaged internally and become inaccessible.
Ways to Fix “Parameter Is Incorrect”
The parameter is incorrect error happen when the system cannot access the drive. If you even encounter such a situation, you can use the following fixes to solve the problem.
Fix 1: Run Check Disk Utility
CHKDSK command is a built-in tool that takes care of bad sectors and corrupted data in internal and external hard drives. With the CHKDSK, users can scan for the issues, and the system can repair the errors. Here’s how you can use this tool.
- Connect your external hard drive with the computer.
- Open the Command Prompt.
If you are using Windows 7: Type in cmd in the search box, then press Enter. Next, click “cmd. exe”.
If you are using Windows 11/10/8: Type in cmd in the search box, right-click Command Prompt, and choose “Run as administrator”.
- Enter chkdsk E: /f. Remember to replace the E with the drive letter of the drive you can’t access.
Fix 2: Run sfc/scannow
“sfc/scannow” is one of the best in-built tools for the Windows operating system. It repairs corrupt system files. That means this feature can also be used to repair Parameter Is Incorrect Error.
- Open Command Prompt option, methods are listed in the last fix.
- Now type: sfc/scannow and click enter to finish the scanning process.
Fix 3: Reformat the Drive
Formatting should always be reserved as a last resort because formatting erases all the data from the drive. So before, you go with a formatting solution, ensuring that you have tried and tested all the fixes, or you have a backup or data recovery plan.
- Go to the file explorer.
- Right-click the drive.
- Select the format.
- Click Start to proceed.
- Confirm the warning message.
Fix 4: Update the USB Driver
There is a possibility that your USB driver is outdated, and this is why your system is showing a “Parameter Is Incorrect” error. Follow the steps to update the USB driver.
- Go to the USB, Right-click to see their properties.
- Navigate to the hardware to see the driver powering the disk.
- If the device status shows any issue, there is some problem with the driver.
- Go to the properties > General tab.
- Now navigate to the Driver.
- Click Update Driver Software.
Fix 5: Scan the Drive for Antivirus
Sometimes the reason behind the incorrect parameter error can be a virus infection. When you encounter the incorrect parameter error, the first thing you can do is run a quick antivirus check. If the drive is affected by any virus attack, the antivirus will take care of it.
What If None of The Fixes Works?
Even after trying all the fixes we have listed in this article and the system is still showing “Parameter Is Incomplete”, there is a high possibility that your hard drive is permanently damaged and the problem cannot be fixed.
However, you do not have to worry about the data that has been stuck in the hard drive; there are many third-party data recovery tools that can help you recover the inaccessible data.