When you try to copy large files to an external hard drive or USB storage, an “Unable to copy file, the setting is incorrect” error may occur. This error mainly occurs if you have formatted the destination drive as a FAT32 file system. However, there are other reasons why you are encountering this confusing error.
In this guide, we have listed a few methods to help you fix the “the parameter is incorrect” error when copying files to external drives.
What causes “the parameter is incorrect” when copying files on Windows?
When you try to copy files larger than 4 GB, Windows may display this strange error. If you dig deeper, you might find that your destination drive is formatted as FAT32 and is causing all the problems.
The FAT32 format suffers from a 4 GB file limit for individual files. Therefore, when you try to move large files, you may experience the parameter is incorrect or the notorious error “The file is too large for the destination file system”.
Other reasons for this error include hard drive corruption, disk errors, malware infections, and hardware issues. Fortunately, you can fix this error by doing a quick reformat or checking Disk Utility scan.
1. Convert your drive from FAT32 to NTFS
An easy way to solve this problem is to convert your destination drive from FAT32 to NTFS. This way you can modify the file system without deleting the data on your disk.
To convert the file system of the destination drive to NTFS:
- hurry Win + E to open File Explorer. Then click on This PC to display all devices and drives.
- Locate your USB stick or external drive and write down the drive letter assigned to your destination drive.
- Then press To earn and type cmd. Then right click on Command Prompt and select Execute as administrator.
- In the Command Prompt window, enter the following command:
convert I: /fs:ntfs - In the above command, replace I: with the letter of the destination drive noted in step one.
- hurry Enter and wait for the process to complete. When done, close the command prompt and try moving the files again to see if the error is resolved.
2. Reformat the destination drive to NTFS
Another quick solution to correct the setting is incorrect error is to reformat your destination drive to NTFS. The Windows operating system comes with a built-in formatting utility to perform quick formatting. 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 following the steps below.
- Open File Explorer (Win + E) and click on This PC.
- Then right click on your destination drive and select Format.
- In the Formatting window, click on the drop-down menu to File system and select NTFS. Leave everything else by default.
- Click it To start up button then click Okay to confirm the action. After formatting is complete, you can move large files without any errors.
3. Check for drive errors with Chkdsk
If reformatting or converting the destination drive to NTFS did not help, check for the disk error with Chkdsk. This is a Windows utility for examining file system integrity and file corruption.
Note that Chkdsk may delete some data while attempting to repair. So, create a backup of all your files on the drive before following the steps below.
- press the Windows key, type cmd, and click Execute as administrator below Command Prompt.
- In the Command Prompt window, enter the following command:
Chkdsk I:/f/x/r - In the above command, replace I: with the drive letter associated with your external drive.
- Then press Enter to execute the command. Chkdsk will scan the disk for errors and resolve any file integrity issues. Depending on the size of your drive, the scan may take some time. So wait until the end of the process to see if the tool has resolved the issues.
- Once done, restart your PC and check if the copying files error is resolved.
You can also run the Chkdsk utility from the properties of the external drive. Here is how to do it:
- Open File Explorer and right click on your external drive.
- Then select Properties.
- In the Properties window, open the Tools tongue.
- Then click on the Check button in the Error checking section.
- To start an analysis, click on Scan and repair the drive.
Windows will scan the drive and resolve any issues. If no errors were found, click Close.
4. Update the drivers for your external drive
Missing or outdated device drivers can cause your hard drive to malfunction. With an external drive, driver problems are less common. However, if Chkdsk failed to detect issues with your drive, check for and install any pending driver updates to see if that helps.
To update the driver for your external drive:
- hurry Win + R to open the To run dialogue.
- Type devmgmt.msc and click Okay to open Device Manager. Otherwise, press Win + X to open the WinX menu and click Device Manager.
- In the Device Manager window, expand the HDDs section.
- Right click on your external drive and select Update the driver.
- Then select Automatically search for drivers. Windows will search for new drivers and install them if they are available.
Finally, restart your PC and check for any improvements.
5. Check for a hardware failure
Disconnect and connect your external hard drive to another available USB port on your PC. If the problem persists, check for hard drive failure. Often times, frequent freezes, reduced performance, system errors, and data corruption are symptoms of a drive on the verge of failure.
To learn more, see our guide to the signs of your hard drive failure. If you determine that the error is due to a hardware failure, consider replacing the drive to avoid complete data corruption.
Fixed “Parameter is incorrect” error when copying files on Windows
Many external drives still use FAT32 as the default file system format. However, due to the limitations associated with the format, you are more likely to encounter errors while copying large files. To resolve this problem, convert or reformat the drive to NTFS. Additionally, check for drive errors due to bad sectors or hardware failure.
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