When you encounter this error, it sometimes recommends you format the drive.

Formatting the drive results in data loss, and you very likely don’t want this to happen.

Moreover, you may not be able to use the drive again after formatting.

Person using an external storage device on a computer

So, what do you do?

Why Does This Error Pop Up?

you might encounter a format disk error on your PC for various reasons.

checking disk drives on device manager

It could occur because you forcibly unplugged your external hard drive from your machine.

This action results in the corruption of the rig, which leads to an unreadable drive.

You may also receive the format disk error if you have a corrupt file system.

searching automatically for driver updates

How to Fix the Format Disk Error on Windows… Luckily, these methods can fix this error without formatting your hard drive:

1.

Try this and check to see if it works or if the same error occurs.

If no errors happen, the issue lies with your PC and not the external drive.

use error checking tool on pc

Most times, this stems from an incompatibility issue between the drive and your setup.

Use an Effective Antivirus

Virus ormalware attackscan cause severe damage to the file system.

This could lead to a format disk error.

Results of scanning drive

This will also stop the virus from damaging your PC even more.

Update/Reinstall the machine Driver

Oftentimes, the format disk error is because of a faulty or outdated machine driver.

Therefore, you should venture to update or reinstall your machine drivers to resolve this error.

When the prompt asks you how you wish to update, selectSearch Automatically For Updated Driver Software.

You’re all set.

To do this, simply follow the steps below.

OpenFile Exploreron your PC by clicking the Start Menu and typingFile Explorerin the search bar.

Once File Explorer is opened, right-choose the affected drive and chooseProperties.

From there, you’re able to scroll through and find theTooltab.

When you initiate the Tool tab, poke the button labeledCheck,and finally, click onScan drive.

The first thing you should do is have a go at diagnose and fix the issue before actually formatting.

Fortunately, the steps outlined in this article have been proven to fix this disk error.