Fix: ‘You Need To Format The Disk In Drive’ Error: 5 Ways to Fix it

The error message fix You Need To Format The Disk In Drive Error: before you can use it” may appear when you connect an external hard drive, USB flash drive, or SD card. Avoid formatting the drive right away in this situation because doing so could cause data loss.

Furthermore, there is no guarantee that formatting will make the drive usable. You need to be aware that this problem can affect your system’s internal drive in addition to external drives. We’ll talk about the possible causes of this error and how to fix it in this article.

Fix: ‘You Need To Format The Disk In Drive’ Error

Update/Reinstall Device Driver

1. Open “Settings” and open the “Update and Security menu.”
2. Click “Windows Update” to check for the latest versions available for download.
3. Tap the “View Optional Updates” option and click the “Drivers Updates” tab from there.
4. Click on the device driver you need to update and download its latest update.
5. Click the “Install” button.

Try Different USB Port or PC

1. Connect the disk to another USB port or another OS or PC and check if you can get to it. If the disk works appropriately on macOS and not Windows, the disk might have a file system format that Windows can’t read.
2. Now and again, there are some slip-ups by your PC; you can restart your PC and check whether it solves the issue. Or on the other hand, you can attempt to run virus protection software to see and kill conceivable viruses on your drive. That can resolve the concern of “you need to format the disk before using it” error.

Check Your Hard Drive for Errors

1. At the Start button, click Run.
2. Type “cmd” into the blank and hit Enter key.
3. Type “chkdsk n:/f” (replace n with the true drive letter of the problematic partition) into the Command Prompt window and then press the Enter button.
4. It will start repairing damaged files and you will see some of your filenames before it finally asks if you want to save lost chains into another location. Click “Yes” just in case.

Run an SFC and DISM Scan

1. Check disk doesn’t help, and error persists.
2. System files may be missing or corrupt.
3. Start with an SFC scan to check and replace any corrupt system files.
4. Follow that up with a DISM scan to fix the Windows installation image.
5. Ensure active internet connection for DISM scan to run smoothly.

Reset Windows

1. If nothing seems to work, and you see the error with every USB disk you try to connect to the system, consider a complete Windows reset.
2. It will remove all your system files and installed apps (though you can choose to keep personal files on the system drive).
3. However, before performing a System Reset, try System Restore using any available System Restore points.
4. If that fails, and a reset doesn’t seem to work, you can factory reset your Windows computer.

Why ‘You Need to Format the Disk Before Using It’ Error Occurs?

• The storage disk experiences an unexpected power outage.
• The disk is tainted by malware or virus.
• The file system of the storage device isn’t recognizable by Windows.
• Bad sectors in the USB, SD card, or external hard drive may be influencing the issue.

Quick tips to prevent disk errors and data loss

• Backup: Consistently create data backups. In this manner, you can prevent total data loss in the event that a disk is damaged.
• Eject the disk properly before removing it from your computer to ensure security. You risk damaging a disk if you remove it abruptly without first ejecting it.
• choosing quality over cost: Use only high-quality disks, please. Disks with lower quality are more susceptible to damage than disks with higher quality. When purchasing disks, look for those with a high reliability rating.