Fixed: There Is a Problem with This Drive. Scan the Drive Now and Fix It

Theo Lucia

Aug 04, 2023 • Filed to: Recover Files • Proven solutions

It is common to come across an error message saying, “There's a problem with this drive”. Scan the drive now and fix it” when you connect the removable drive to your computer. In most scenarios, your removable drive will become inaccessible after receiving this error on Windows PC. However, the good news is that you can get rid of this error with ease.

This post will help you know all the plausible reasons for this error and effective methods to fix the “There's a problem with this drive” error.

Part 1: Causes for the "There's a problem with this drive" Error

Before you learn how to fix this error, let’s first know all the possible reasons behind this error. This, in turn, will help you avoid this error in the future. Therefore, if you encounter “there was a problem repairing this drive” or alike errors, then one of the following could be the reason.

• Removing the device without the use of the Safely eject option.
• Removing the device abruptly.
• Using the device on many different computers, game consoles, or cameras.
• The device is virus-infected.
• The file system is corrupted or damaged (in this case, you will see an error message saying “The file or directory is corrupted or unreadable”/” The parameter is incorrect” first.

Part 2: How to Fix “There's a problem with this drive" Error?

Once knowing the reasons behind the error, the next step is to try all common workarounds with which you can easily get rid of this error. Here are ways to help you resolve the “There's a problem with this drive” error.

• Run Scan and Fix

When the drive shows this error, you will be asked to scan and fix the removable drive before using it on PC. So, the first thing you should try is to do as recommended, i.e., perform a scan for file system errors.

Step 1: On the prompted error window, select “Scan and fix (recommended)” and then tap the “Repair Drive” option.
Step 2: Wait for a while until your Windows PC finds and fix file system errors. Upon completion, you can quit the window.
Step 3: Reboot the PC and check if the error is gone.

• Try the Quick Removal Option

If you see an error “there was a problem repairing this drive”, then try the Quick Removal option that removable drives have. This option disables write caching. What’s more? Picking this option will ensure that you do not encounter this error message without first unmounting it.

Here’s how you can choose the Quick Removal option:

Step 1: To begin, enter the “device manager” in the search box and choose it.
Step 2: Tap “Disk drives” on the Device Manager window.
Step 3: Right-tap the listed removable drive and select “Properties”.
Step 4: Tap the “Policies” tab and then “Quick Removal”.
Step 5: Tap “Ok” to apply the changes.

• Check and repair bad sectors

In most scenarios, drive errors you encounter, including “There's a problem with this drive” are due to bad sectors. With the CHKDSK command, you can check and repair bad sectors.

Here’s how to check and repair bad sectors:

Step 1: Enter “cmd” in the Windows search box.
Step 2: Right-tap on “Command Prompt” and select “Run as administrator”.
Step 3: Enter “chkdsk G: /f /r /x” in Command Prompt and hit “Enter”. (Replace G with the drive letter of your removable drive).

• Turn to the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter tool

Hardware and Devices troubleshooter is an in-built tool of Windows. This tool comes in handy to resolve errors and problems with external storage devices. It includes fixing the “there was a problem scanning this drive” error as well.

Here’s how to use the Hardware and devices troubleshooter tool in Windows 7:

Step 1: Type “troubleshooter/troubleshooting” in the Windows search box and chose it from the list.
Step 2: Tap on “Configure a device” under the “Hardware and sound” category.
Step 3: Click on “Advanced” and check “Apply repair automatically” when a pop-up window appears.
Step 4: Tap “Next” to commence the pending operation and fix the issues it locates through the details and instructions.

In case you are using the new version of Windows, go to “Update and Security”>” Troubleshoot”>” Hardware and Devices”>” Run the troubleshoot”.

• Format the drive (backup data first)

If none of the above methods helps you fix the “there was a problem scanning this drive” error, we recommend formatting the device. However, before doing that, make sure to backup data first, as this process will erase the device. After formatting the device, it should work like before.

Step 1: Open the “This PC” or “My Computer”.
Step 2: Right-tap on your removable drive and choose the “Format” option.
Step 3: Select “Quick Format” and hit “Start”.  

Part 3: Rescue Data from The Drive If You Can’t Access It

If you are facing a minor issue with your removable drive, you will be able to close the error message pop-up and continue using the drive for a while. For most people, however, the drive becomes inaccessible to use. Therefore, all data and files on the device will be lost. But that does not mean that there is no way to rescue your important files present on the device you can’t access. All you need is a powerful data recovery solution to restore files to another safe location. That’s when Wondershare Recoverit comes in very handy.

Recoverit is an easy-to-use and reliable data recovery software designed to help retrieve data from all kinds of storage devices, including removable drives such as SD cards, USB hard drives infected with the “there was a problem repairing this drive” error.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to recover data from the inaccessible drive using Recoverit. To begin, download and install the software on your PC.

Step 1: Select your removable device

The software will first ask you to select a location you want to scan for lost files. In this case, you need to choose the removable drive that you can’t access and then hit “Start”.

Step 2: Scan the device

Now, the software will scan your device to look for lost files and data. You have to wait until the process is completed.

Step 3: Recover data from the device

Upon the completion of the scan process, the software will let you preview the files you can recover. If you want, you can preview them before starting the recovery process. Once you find the data you want to rescue, select the files and hit “Recover”.

Finally, select a location where you would like to store your recoverable data.

The Bottom Line

Facing errors like “there's a problem with this drive” can be maddening. However, the common workarounds mentioned here can help you fix this problem. If they are of no help to you, Recoverit Data Recovery is all you need to rescue your important files from storage devices that you can’t access. The great thing is that you require no advanced technical knowledge or skills to perform hard drive data recovery using Recoverit. 

People Also Ask

How do I scan a USB drive for errors?
To scan a USB drive for file system errors, you need to follow below steps:

• Right-tap “USB Drive”>” Properties”>” Tools”
• Check the option under the “Error-checking” category.
• Tap the “Scan and repair drive” option.

Does repairing a drive erase it?

No, scanning and repairing a drive with Windows's in-built feature - Scan and Fix won’t erase your device.

Should I scan and fix the hard drive?

If you are ejecting your USB drive using its Eject option and still encountering the “there's a problem with this drive” error, then it probably has a damaged file system. And Scan and fix may help you locate and resolve file system errors. So, you should give at least one try to the “Scan and fix” option.

However, you should keep in mind that this option may erase your important files unintentionally. Therefore, go for it only if you are willing to take the risk of losing the data from the device.

How long does it take to scan and repair drive?

Depending on your drive’s size and errors found, the scan and repair drive process can consume in excess of two hours.