Have you tried to access a drive and got an I/O device error? You’re not alone: it’s a common problem that can affect external and internal drives, as well as USB flash drives, SD cards, CDs and DVDs.
Errors like this can have a logical or a physical cause, and repeated repair attempts can make things worse. If the files matter, see how lab data recovery works, starting with a free diagnosis.
The good news is that, when the cause is a connection or driver problem, the fix is usually simple. In this article, we explain what an I/O device error is, what its main symptoms are and how to fix it safely.
What is an I/O device error?
An I/O (Input/Output) device error usually occurs when you try to read, write or copy data on a device. The most common message is “The request could not be performed because of an I/O device error”.
You may also see messages such as “Only part of a ReadProcessMemory or WriteProcessMemory request was completed” or I/O error codes such as error 6, 21, 103, 105 or 131. In all these cases, you won’t be able to access the files on the device, and you may not be able to run a disk check or format it either.
So what causes this error? Common reasons include a poor connection between the drive and the computer, outdated drivers and hardware problems, such as bad sectors or a failing drive.
How do I fix an I/O device error?
If you get an I/O device error when you try to access your external drive or any other drive, there are a few things you can try. Start with the safest ones, listed first below. If the drive is clicking, making unusual noises or getting very slow, skip the repairs and go straight to data recovery.
Check all cable connections
Connection problems are a frequent cause of I/O device errors, so the first step is to check all the ports and cables. Make sure there are no loose connections or bad contacts.
Try connecting the drive to other ports on your computer or, if you have one available, to another computer. You can also try a different USB cable and see if that solves the problem.
Update or reinstall the drivers
An outdated driver can also cause an I/O device error, so update or reinstall the drive’s driver. With the problem drive connected, press Windows + X and open Device Manager. Expand “Disk drives”, right-click the drive you need to fix and select “Update driver”, then “Search automatically for drivers”. Restart your computer and see if the problem is solved.
Change the device’s transfer mode
On older computers with IDE drives, the error can appear when Windows uses a transfer mode the device doesn’t support. In that case, open Device Manager and expand “IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers”. Right-click the channel the drive is connected to and select Properties.
In the Advanced Settings tab, set the transfer mode for that drive to “PIO Only”, click OK, close the windows and check whether the problem is solved. This option doesn’t apply to modern SATA or USB drives.
Use the Command Prompt
If none of the above has worked and the drive is not showing signs of physical failure, you can try Windows’ own repair tool in the Command Prompt. Connect the problem drive, open the Start menu and type “cmd”. When Command Prompt appears, click “Run as administrator”.
Then type chkdsk E: /f, replacing “E” with the letter of the drive you want to fix, and press Enter. The system will try to fix file system errors and, if all goes well, the drive will be accessible again. Avoid the /r option on a drive that may be failing: it reads every sector and can make the damage worse. And bear in mind that CHKDSK writes to the drive, so if the data matters, recover it first.
How do I recover data from a drive with an I/O device error?
If none of these solutions work, stop trying to repair the drive. From this point on, a drive with physical damage should be handled by professionals to avoid further damage and even the loss of your data.
If the drive can’t be repaired, you can still try to recover the data. You can try the steps below at home, but we only recommend this if you already have some technical knowledge and the drive has no physical faults. Otherwise, you may damage the drive further and compromise any chance of recovery.
Step 1 – Run the data recovery software
You can recover data from your external drive with dedicated software, such as EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, which has a free version. Run the program, select the problem drive and click “Scan”.
Step 2 – Find the data on the drive
The files found will appear in the panel on the right, where you can also filter by file type, for example.
Step 3 – Recover the data
Once you’ve found the files you want, select them, preview them and click “Recover”. Then choose a different drive to save the data to (never the drive you are recovering from) and wait while the program copies the files.
However, these programs, especially the free ones, don’t always work, and they can’t handle drives with physical faults. Also, depending on how much data you need, recovering it this way can be very time-consuming.
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Conclusion
That’s why there are companies that specialize in data recovery, such as Bot. Our specialists work carefully to recover your data without causing further damage to the drive. Follow us on social media to find out more about our work!
