5 Fixes for The Directory Name Is Invalid Error on Windows
Imagine this: you’re ready to open an important work document stored on your pen drive, and suddenly, the “Directory Name Is Invalid USB” error appears. Error messages like this may be due to several reasons, including connection issues or problems with drivers supporting the device.
No matter whether you have your files saved on a USB, external hard drive, or SD card, the “the directory name is invalid” error is not something new and can easily be fixed. In this guide, there are easy techniques that you can follow to resolve this error and easily use the files stuck in your storage device.
Part 1. Overview Of The Directory Name Is Invalid Error
What Does The Directory Name Is Invalid Mean?
After seeing the directory name is invalid error on Windows 10/11, the first thing that comes to mind is what this error means and why it occurs. This error simply signifies that there is a problem with the way that Windows is reading the storage device you want to use. In other words, the name Windows assigned to the directory does not mean anything to the operating system.
The directory name is invalid error is quite a frequent issue, and it occurs when you plug in an external device such as a USB flash, an HDD, or a mapped network share. It can also occur when attempting to access folders on the principal drive of your computer’s system.
Reasons Behind The Directory Name Is Invalid Error
The following are the reasons why the directory name is invalid USB error occurs:
- Incorrect folder path
- Corrupted folders
- Problems in USB
- Permissions issues
- Issues related to the networking device
Part 2: Recover Data from Drive Experiencing the Directory Name Is Invalid Error
Whenever the directory name is invalid error appears, you may have no access to valuable files on your PC or storage drives. To handle such a situation, you can retrieve data using data recovery software like the 4DDiG Data Recovery tool.
This program searches drives thoroughly to recover data that had disappeared after directory corruption is done securely. This tool uses special algorithms, thus providing excellent recovery rates of up to 98% in most instances. Moreover, it works with 2000+ storage hardware types to recover deleted, formatted, or corrupted files.
Here is how to use 4DDiG to recover lost data due to the directory name is invalid USB error:
Step 1. First, get the application on your device and launch it with your Windows PC. You will find a list of drives in the main window on your system. Choose the drive or external device, resulting in a directory error and files becoming untraceable.
Step 2. Once you’ve chosen the target drive, click the “Start” button to start the scan process. 4DDiG will then deeply scan every folder and the drive, looking for both existing and deleted files that are recoverable.
Step 3. After scanning the device, all the files that 4DDiG can recover will be displayed within the program interface. You can preview images and document files. Finally, check the files you want to recover and click “Recover” to store the recovered data in another space on the PC or externally.
Part 3: How Do I Fix ‘The Directory Name Is Invalid’ Error?
SD card the directory name is invalid error occurs for various reasons, but whatever it is, you cannot access your files. Therefore, this error needs to be fixed quickly. Here are some quick ways that will resolve this problem:
Fix 1: Rule Out Connection Issues
If you get “the directory name is invalid” error, unplug the USB Drive or any other connected devices. Another reason you may get this error is a damaged or corrupted USB Driver Port. Yes, your system’s USB ports are vulnerable to damage from dust, water, etc., and corruption via malware attacks.
To solve this issue, you must connect your external device to another USB port on your system. If your system’s USB ports cannot respond positively, you should try connecting your device to the other computer. That might fix this problem, and if it does not, then it can not be a fault with the USB ports of your System.
Fix 2: Repair the Problematic Drive Using Chkdsk
Another main cause of this error is disk errors. These disk errors can occur due to data corruption, wrong format, heating of the disk, or even damage to the disk. To correct the disk errors, plug your Drive into the System using one of the available ports. When your Drive is connected, follow these steps:
Step 1. To open it, plug in your Windows PC, and from the home screen, press the keys “Win+R.” This will open a “Run” search mini window. Next, type “cmd” and hit the enter key, and a window with the title Command Prompt will open. This should bring out the Command Prompt window on your System.
Step 2. Now type “chkdsk #: /f /r” after the /help to clear the chat box, type the appropriate letters to confirm the command, and press Enter. As you will see, you must change the “#” in the command with the Drive Letter of the specific drive you want to repair.
Step 3. After this, CHKDSK program will look for the Disk errors and repair them. Once it’s 100% done, you can close the Command Prompt window. Open your drive to see if the “SD card the directory name is invalid” error persists.
Fix 3: Boot Into Safe Mode
One effective way to fix the “the directory name is invalid” error on Windows 10/11 is to perform a clean boot. This way you can disable particular software/application is causing this error. Here’s how:
Step 1. To do this type, use MSConfig in the start search box, then choose the Open System Configuration option from the results.
Step 2. On the Boot tab, check the box next to Safe boot. Then, click on “Apply” to save the change.
Step 3. Restart your computer.
Fix 4: Update Disk Driver
The directory name is invalid can also occur due to issues with the disk driver. In this event, you are advised to attempt to update the disk driver and see if that fixes the problem.
Step 1. Press the “Windows + R” Key.
Step 2. You’ll need to open the device manager with the command devmgmt.msc in the Run dialog, which is accessible by pressing Windows+R.
Step 3. Expand “Disk Drives”.
Step 4. First, right-click on the externally connected hard drive, USB, SD card, or any comparable drive and click “Update Driver.”
Fix 5: Run the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter
To run ‘Hardware and Device Troubleshooter,’ follow the given steps:
Step 1. Open the Run dialog box. Then, write “msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic” and click “OK.”
Step 2. Now click on “Next” to run the troubleshooter. After that is done, turn the Windows PC back on. Check if the error is solved.
Conclusion
The directory name is invalid error can be quite annoying and will interfere with your work by making it very hard to access your files. Knowing this problem’s causes may be beneficial, but sometimes, the above solutions might not retrieve lost files. When such a situation occurs, Tenorshare 4DDiG can help you recover data from inaccessible/unreadable drives in a few easy steps.
