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The specified disk or diskette cannot be accessed

5 min. read

Updated onMarch 26, 2024

updated onMarch 26, 2024

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Key notes

If you’re getting theERROR_NOT_DOS_DISKerror code withThe specifieddiskor diskette cannot be accesseddescription, follow the troubleshooting steps listed in this article to fix it.

ERROR_NOT_DOS_DISK: Background

The specifieddiskor diskette cannot be accessed error occurs if thehard diskis not properlyformattedfor the appropriate file system. This error code prevents users from accessing and modifying the content of thedrive.

How to fixThe specified disk cannot be accessederror

1. Unplug and re-plug the external drive

If you’re getting this error with removable storage, unplug thestorage device. Close all software on your taskbar and plug the external storage back in. You can alsorestart Windowsbefore you plug the external HDD back in.

Then, retry the action that triggered the ERROR_NOT_DOS_DISK error code.

2. Reinstall external hard drives

Reinstalling the storage device might also fix this issue. Of course, you can’t do that for HDDs with Windows on them, but you can reinstall external storage drives affected by the ERROR_NOT_DOS_DISK error code.

3. Run a full system scan

Malware may cause various issues on your computer, including errors. Perform a full system scan in order to detect any malware running on your computer.

You can use Windows’s built-in antivirus, Windows Defender, orthird-party antivirussolutions.

4. Check your disk for errors

OnWindows 10, you can run adiskcheck using Command Prompt.

Start Command Prompt as administrator and type thechkdsk C: /fcommand followed by Enter. Replace C with the letter of your harddrivepartition.

As a quick reminder, if you do not use the /f parameter, chkdsk displays a message that the file needs to be fixed, but it does not fix any errors.

Thechkdsk D: /fcommand detects and repairs logical issues affecting your drive. To repair physical issues, run the /r parameter as well.

5. Install a third-party disk fixers

Third-party partition managers and disk repair tools nowadays come with a host of tools that also make them excellent for checking disk errors and issues, and they are sometimes more efficient than Windows’ native tools.

These includespecialized repair toolsthat help fix disk structure errors, such as the one described in this article, and a lot of these tools come with either a free trial or even a freeware version that you can use forever.

Besides, some of these software tools can perform complete system fixes, refreshing your PC’s registries and DLLs, thus preventing disk issues, BSoD errors, and more.

6. Clean your temporary files and folders

Here’s how to use Disk Cleanup onWindows 10:

The simplest and quickest manner todelete your temporary filesand folders is to useDisk Cleanup. As you use your computer or browse the Internet, your PC accumulates various unnecessary files.

These so calledjunk filesmay affect your computer’s performance and also trigger various error codes, including the ERROR_NOT_DOS_DISK error code. Clean your temporary files and then try to use your drive again.

7. Use the previous drive letter/ change the drive letter

If the ERROR_NOT_DOS_DISK error code occurred after you changed the letter of your drive, try restoring the previous letter.

8. Format your hard drive

If the solutions above didn’t work, tryformattingthe problematic drive. Formatting andrestoring the default drivesettings should fix this error.

Keep in mind thatformattingyour drive means deleting all the files and folders stored on the respective drive.

We hope that the solutions listed above helped you fix the ERROR_NOT_DOS_DISK error code.

As always, if you’ve come across other workarounds to fix this problem, you can help the Windows community by listing the troubleshooting steps in the comments below.

The specified disk or diskette cannot be accessed#

How to fixThe specified disk cannot be accessederror#

1. Unplug and re-plug the external drive#

2. Reinstall external hard drives#

3. Run a full system scan#

4. Check your disk for errors#

5. Install a third-party disk fixers#

6. Clean your temporary files and folders#

7. Use the previous drive letter/ change the drive letter#

8. Format your hard drive#