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Fix error 0x80070057: The parameter is incorrect

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Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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Key notes

The parameter is incorrectis a fairly frequent error message that pops up for some users when attempting to copy a file or folder from a PC to USBdriveorexternal hard drive.

When that happens, an Error Copying File or Folder window opens stating,The parameter is incorrectorDrive is not accessible, the parameter is incorrect.Consequently, the file or folder doesn’t copy to thestoragedevice.

This might just be due to your targetdrivenot having enough storage space, a corrupted file system or that the file you’re attempting to copy exceeds the maximum file size the externaldrivecanstore.

Let’s see how you can fix error 0x80070057, the parameter is incorrect when copying files to an external drive.

How to fix parameter is incorrect on Windows 10

1. Check the Amount of Space on the External Storage Device

First, check how much space is available on theUSB driveor external harddisk. You might not have enoughstoragespace for the file you’re copying.

You can check available drivestoragespace in File Explorer by right-clicking the pertinent drive and selectingProperties. That opens the window directly below which shows both free and used space.

Alternatively, if you need a USBflash driveor an external harddiskwith a biggerstoragecapacity, here are some suggestions:

2. Compress or Split up a Larger File

If there’s enough storage space on the external drive, check the size of the file that isn’t copying. Does it eclipse four GB?

If so, that’s probably why you can’t copy it to the external storage device. Lots ofUSB sticks, and other storagedrives, still have the FAT32 file system that supports file sizes up to four GB only. So you can’t save files larger than four GB to FAT32 external storage.

If the file is larger than four GB, you might be able to fix the parameter error by reducing the file’s size. You can do that either bycompressing or splitting it up into smaller pieces. 7-Zip is a freeware utility that you can both compress and split files with.

Click either the 32 or 64-bitDownloadlink on thiswebsite pageto save the software’s installer to Windows. Once you’ve installed the utility, you can compress and split four GB files as follows.

Feel free to check outthis guideto learn what are the best file compression tools for PC.

3. Convert the Storage Device to NTFS

Alternatively, you can convert thestorage deviceto NTFS, which is a file system that supports single files larger than four GB. You can convert external storage drives to NTFS with apartition manager softwaresuch as Mini Tool Partition Wizard, Paragon Partition Manager or AOMEI Partition Assistant.

Download the tool of your choice and run the installer on Windows. Run through the setup wizard to add the software to Windows. Then convert thestoragedrive to NTFS as follows.

4. Format the Drive to NTFS

Or you can convert thestoragedrive to NTFS by formatting it. However,formatting drivesalso erases their files. So if you need to keep the drive’s content intact, back it up before formatting.

Then format thestoragedevice to NTFS as follows:

5. Fix the Drive’s File System

If you can’t copy files less than four GB to the external drive, yourstoragedevice might have acorrupted file system. You canfix storage driveswith the Check Disk, or Chkdsk, tool in Windows.

That’s a tool that scans file systems ondrives, and Check Disk provides repairs for anything that needs fixing. This is how you can scan storagedriveswith Check Disk.

How to fix incorrect parameter errors depending on the programs they occur on

If you’re getting thiserroron particular programs, such as incorrect format parameter errors, there are specific methods that you can use to fix it.

This error is specific to Windows 7 and usually occurs when doing a Windows Experience Index performance scan. Many users confirmed that third-party antivirus tools such as Avast and AVG trigger this error. To get rid of this error code, you can either temporarily disable your antivirus orinstall a new antivirus solution.

If you’re getting incorrect parameter errors on 7-Zip, this indicates there’s a problem with the RAR format. Make sure you’re using the latest 7-Zip version and the tool supports the respective RAR file format.

The parameter is incorrect on Virtual Disk Manager usually occurs when you assign a new drive letter. To fix this issue, first back up your data, and try removing the partition, reboot your machine, and change the drive letter and path. Once you’ve done that, add the virtual partition again.

This error can also affect the Office Suite and particularly Microsoft Word. The error occurs when users try to open documents in Word.

To fix incorrect parameter errors on Microsoft Word, repair the Office installation folder from Settings > Apps > Apps & features > Microsoft Office. Select Change and let the tool automatically repair Office.

This error occurs due to two main reasons: the file system of the partition got corrupted or the volume encryption driver has been changed. Sometimes, this error indicates that data might have been lost.

To fix diskpar incorrect parameter errors:

Those are a few effective fixes for external drives with parametererrors. In most cases,The parameter is incorrecterroris usually due to the drives’ four GB file restriction. So the best fix is probably to convert the storage drive to NTFS.

Fix error 0x80070057: The parameter is incorrect#

How to fix parameter is incorrect on Windows 10#

1. Check the Amount of Space on the External Storage Device#

2. Compress or Split up a Larger File#

3. Convert the Storage Device to NTFS#

4. Format the Drive to NTFS#

5. Fix the Drive’s File System#

How to fix incorrect parameter errors depending on the programs they occur on#