WD Elements error - parameter is incorrect

Portable Drives My Passport
1

HELP

All my clients photos are stored on the hard drive - its coming up with the above error (and yes I know i should have done a back up… but I didnt!!) my brother did a bit of research and it said for him to do a chkdsk/f/r which we have done but it is still on 11% (and its been running for 2 days). Do I take it out? what do I do next? how do I recover the images? im really stressing out :frowning:

2

“The Parameter is incorrect” is one of the common issue related to external drives which may lead to 2 major issues:

i) Cannot Copy Files
ii) Drive becomes inaccessible

“The parameter is incorrect” issue can occur due to various reasons like Virus infection, Unsafe removal of hard drive, Power failure, Bad sectors, and Corrupt file system. Though the issue can be resolved; below are the few possible solutions to fix the issue:

  1. Run CHKDSK
  2. Run SFC Scan
  3. Use Antivirus Program
  4. Format the external drive

Further, you can check the below link to know the detailed process to fix the issue:

Hope that will help!

3

Simply put, there’s a problem with how the drive is being accessed or recognized by your computer.

Symptoms:

  • X:\ is not accessible. The parameter is incorrect.
  • Virtual Disk Manager: The parameter is incorrect.
  • Error 0x80070057: The parameter is incorrect.
  • Error Copying File or Folder: The parameter is incorrect.

Causes:

  • Outdated or corrupted disk drivers
  • Hardware failure
  • Loose or faulty cables, or issues with the USB port or connection
  • Corrupted file system or bad blocks
  • Improper formatting

CHKDSK is indeed an effective method to fix ‘The parameter is incorrect’ error, but only if your hard drive is in a healthy state. If your drive is dying, CHKDSK will mess things up. So, try a few basic fixes at home first. If all fails, it’s best to send it for manual repair.

4

Since you’ve already tried running chkdsk /f /r and it’s been stuck at 11% for two days, that’s a sign there may be deeper issues with the hard drive. It’s probably best to stop the CHKDSK process now, as it doesn’t seem like it’s going to finish. Read about drive is not accessible the parameter is incorrect recently a lot of useful tips here https://www.hаndyrecovery.com/drive-is-not-accessible-the-parameter-is-incorrect/. Maybe that will help you

6

If your chkdsk is stuck at 11% for two days, it likely means the drive is struggling to read certain sectors, so it’s best to stop the process. Don’t remove the drive yet, but try connecting it to a different USB port or another computer to see if it’s recognized. After that, use windows data recovery to scan the drive and recover your photos. These tools can often retrieve files even from corrupted drives. If the software doesn’t work, your best option is to take the drive to a professional data recovery service. It’s important to focus on recovery before making any further changes to the drive.