5 Ways to Overcome The Parameter Is Incorrect in Windows

 If you try to copy files on Windows, you may encounter a strange error message that says "The Parameter Is Incorrect". Here's how to deal with the parameter is incorrect in Windows.

When you try to copy a large file to an external hard drive or USB storage, a “cannot copy file, the parameter is incorrect error” error may occur. This error usually occurs if you have formatted the destination drive as a FAT32 file system. However, there is another reason why you are experiencing this confusing error.

In this guide, we have listed several methods to help you fix the “the parameter is incorrect” error when copying files to an external drive.

What Causes The Parameter Is Incorrect When Copying Files In Windows?

When you try to copy files larger than 4GB, Windows may show this strange error. If you investigate further, you may find that the destination drive is formatted as FAT32 and causing all the problems.

As we know FAT32 Format has only 4GB file limit. As a result, when you try to move large files, you may encounter wrong parameters or “file is too large for the destination file system” error.

Other reasons for this error include hard drive corruption, disk errors, malware infections, and hardware problems. Luckily, you can fix this error by performing a quick reformat or checking a disk utility scan.

How to Overcome The Parameter Is Incorrect

As the admin mentioned before, there are several ways to deal with the parameter is incorrect. So try one by one the methods below, until you find one that works for your error.

1. Convert Drive From FAT32 To NTFS

An easy way to fix this problem is to convert your destination drive from FAT32 to NTFS. This way, you can change the file system without erasing the data on your drive.

To convert the destination drive's file system to NTFS, follow the instructions below:

Convert Drive From FAT32 To NTFS

1. Press Win + E to open File Explorer. Then, click on This PC to see all devices and drives.

2. Find your USB drive or external drive and note the drive letter assigned to your destination drive.

3. Next, press the Windows logo and type cmd. Then, right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

4. In the Command Prompt window, type the command “convert F: /fs:ntfs“.

5. In the above command, replace F: with the destination drive letter noted in the first step.

6. Press Enter and wait for the process to finish. When finished, close Command Prompt and try moving the file again to see if the error is resolved.

2. Reformat Destination Drive As NTFS

Another quick solution to fix the parameter is incorrect error is to reformat your destination drive as NTFS. Windows OS comes with a built-in format utility to perform a quick format.

Follow these steps to reformat the drive. Note that the reformatting process will erase all data on your drive. So, back up your data before proceeding with the steps below.

Reformat Destination Drive As NTFS

1. Open File Explorer (Win + E) and click on This PC.

2. Next, right-click on your destination drive and select Format.

3. In the Format window, click the drop-down for File System and select NTFS. Leave everything else as default.

4. Click the Start button and then click OK to confirm the action. Once the format is complete, you can move large files without error.

3. Scan for Drive Errors With Chkdsk

If reformatting or converting the destination drive to NTFS format doesn't help, look for disk errors with Chkdsk. This is a Windows utility for checking file system integrity and file corruption.

Note that Chkdsk may delete some data during the repair attempt. So, back up all your files on the drive before following the steps below.

Scan for Drive Errors With Chkdsk

1. Press the Windows key , type cmd , and click Run as Administrator under Command Prompt.

2. In the Command Prompt window, type the command “Chkdsk F:/f/x/r“.

3. In the command above, replace F: with the drive letter associated with your external drive.

4. Then, press Enter to run the command. Chkdsk will scan the disk for errors and fix any problems with file integrity. Depending on the size of your drive, it may take a while for the scan to complete. So, wait for the process to complete to see if the tool has fixed any issues.

5. Once done, restart the PC and check if the file copying error is resolved.

Alternatively, you can also run the Chkdsk utility from the external drive's properties. Here's how to do it:

1. Open File Explorer and right click on your external drive.

2. Next, select Properties.

3. In the Properties window, open the Tools tab.

4. Then, click the Check button in the Error checking section.

5. To start the scan, click Scan and repair drive.

Windows will scan the drive and fix any problems. If no errors are found, click Close.

4. Update External Drive Drivers

Missing or out-of-date device drivers can cause your hard drive to malfunction. With external drives, driver issues are less common. However, if Chkdsk fails to detect problems with your drive, look for and install a pending driver update to see if that helps.

To update your external drive's drivers, follow the instructions below:

Update External Drive Drivers

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.

2. Type devmgmt.msc and click OK to open Device Manager. Alternatively, press Win + X to open the WinX menu and click Device Manager.

3. In the Device Manager window, expand the Disk drives section.

4. Right click on your external drive and select Update driver.

5. Then, select Search automatically for drivers. Windows will scan for new drivers and install them if they are available.

6. Finally, restart your PC and check if the error is resolved.

5. Look for Hardware Failures

Disconnect and connect your external drive to another available USB port on your PC. If the problem persists, check for hard drive failure. Oftentimes, frequent crashes, reduced performance, system errors, and data corruption are symptoms of a drive that is about to fail.

If you encounter errors due to hardware failure, consider replacing the drive to avoid damaging the data you store on the drive.

Conclusion

So that's how to solve the parameter is incorrect in Windows. Many external drives still use FAT32 as the default file system format. However, due to format-related limitations, you will most likely encounter errors when copying large files. To fix this, convert or reformat the drive as NTFS. Also, look for drive errors due to bad sectors or hardware failure.