[SOLVED] The Directory is Invalid Error

Summary: This article will walk you through some of the best ways to fix “The directory is invalid” issue and restore all the mportant data using the best data recovery software – Bitwar Data Recovery software.

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Many Windows 10 users have reported, “The directory is invalid” issue, this issue occurs when the system is upgraded to Windows 10 and trying to plug in their USB flash drive, hard disk or memory or SD card. There will be no access to the external storage device, thus, preventing you from accessing your stored data as well.

There is no need to worry when you encounter the issue as this article will provide the best effective solutions to fix the issue and recover all your vital data using a data recovery tool for Windows.

Possible Causes

Some of the prime reasons that cause “The directory is invalid” issue are given below:

1. Faulty or damaged ports.
2. Disk errors.
3. Incorrect disk drivers.

Best Solutions to Fix “The Directory is Invalid” Issue on Windows

Solution 1: Change Ports

The easiest check to follow when you face “The directory is invalid” issue is by changing the ports. Try to insert the storage device into some other port as the previous port that you used could be dead or non-functional. If the issue is not solved, follow the below solutions to overcome the problem.

Solution 2: Check Disk Error

Disk check is an in-built software that checks for disk errors via scan and tries to fix them.

Step 1. Go to This PC by pressing Wins + E on the keyboard.

Step 2. Select Properties by right click on the Local Disk.

Step 3. Click on the Tools tab and select the Check button.

Step 4. Then, choose the Check option.

Step 5. Follow the instructions given on the screen for windows to find and fix the errors detected.

Step 6. Restart the computer system and check if the issue is resolved or not.

Solution 3: Update Disk Drives

“The directory name is invalid” issue can be caused due to wrong disk driver or when they are not updated. In such a case, we can try to fix the problem by updating the disk drivers.

Step 1. Open the Run window by pressing Wins + R key at the same time.

Step 2. Type devmgmt.msc command in the Run window and hit Enter to execute and open Device Manager.

Step 3. From the Device Manager window, expand Disk Drives.

Step 4. Right-click on the external drive, USB flash drive, or SD card and select Update Driver Software.

Follow the steps above and update the device drivers. After updating, restart your computer and check if the issue is resolved or not.

Solution 4: Create a New Partition

At times, creating a new simple partition with unallocated space can fix this problem. Follow the steps below to do so:

Step 1. Open Run window by pressing Win+R on the keyboard.

Step 2. Now, enter the command diskmgmt.msc in the Run box and press Enter to open Disk Management.

Step 3. Select New Simple Volume by clicking on the unallocated space.

Step 4. Follow the on-screen instructions to finish the remaining steps.

Step 5. Please Restart the pc and check if the issue is still there or not.

Once you have successfully fixed “The directory is invalid” error, we suggest recovering all the data by using a reliable data recovery software such as Bitwar Data Recovery Software for Windows.

Recover Data with Data Recovery Tool

Bitwar Data Recovery software is capable of recovering any software data such as audio, videos, images, docs, and others from any storage device such as an external hard drive, USB flash drive, memory card and SD card in no time. The software has a user-friendly interface and simple to use.

Follow the guided steps below to restore data on Windows:

Step 1. Download Bitwar Data Recovery and install it on the computer.

Step 2. Connect the USB, Hard drive or Memory card to the computer.

Step 3. Launch the recovery software and select External Devices Recovery option by clicking on it.

Step 4. Select the storage device that you wish to recover and then click on the “Next” button.

Step 5. Then, please select the File type to be recovered and then click on the Next button.

Step 6. Lastly, click on the Recover button to start the recovery process.

IMPORTANT NOTE: After you have successfully recovered all the data, save it at some safe location, DO NOT save it back on the same storage device that caused the issue.

Sum It Up!

“The directory is invalid” issue is usually happening when the users try to access data stored in their USB flash drives, SD/Memory cards or hard drives after updating the operating system to Windows version 10. This is due to non-functional ports, incorrect device drivers and disk errors, etc.

We highly recommend using Bitwar Data Recovery Software to retrieve any lost data throughout the process. The software is free to download from the official website, and it supports both Mac and Windows operating systems.

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