Five ways to fix I/O device error. How to fix the error yourself, using built-in Windows tools or third-party applications. The Windows operating system is the most popular and probably the most common system for managing computer devices in the world.
Developed by Microsoft, it includes the latest innovative developments in computer technology and the best solutions taken from older versions of the program. The versatility of the system and the rich internal functionality of the “Windows” operating system make it indispensable for various devices: desktop personal computers, laptops, tablets, communicators, etc.
The essence of the problem device I/O device errors
Due to the widespread use and a wide range of opportunities, computer devices based on the operating system «Windows» are used in all areas of our lives.
Like industrial control, office service, solution consulting, financial and economic challenges, participation in the scientific and educational process. The creation of means of communication, the widest selection of gaming platforms and entertainment, etc.
At home, for each individual user, personal computers and other devices solve equally important tasks: creating and processing important documents, storing personal registration information, receiving and sending e-mail, editing and formatting photo and video files, social communication, leisure activities and much another.
One of the main elements responsible for processing and storing user information corresponds to the internal data storage: SSD «SSD» and hard drives «the HDD.» They have an unusually high speed of information processing and have a significant internal amount of disk space for storing any data array.
However, the amount of stored information held by the user is steadily increasing every year. And as a result, the capacity of internal disk storage is often insufficient.
If certain files are used quite rarely (for example, personal photos, and video albums), as well as backup copies of data or confidential user files, then external removable drives are the best way to store them.
How does device I/O errors work?
Connecting to a personal computer using a cable, they provide access to all user information at any time. However, they are not in constant contact with the computer and are stored separately. This method of data storage allows you to be confident in their safety, in case of failure of the main hard disk of the computer.
Due to the constant use of internal drives, the probability of their failure is much higher than that of external drives. As well as in the internal storage of the computer, the free space used by the user to solve his actual tasks is freed up.
However, the situation associated with the use of external drives may have, in addition to all its positive qualities, negative ones. Like any other device, external drives are subject to failures or breakdowns. Answer for yourself a few simple questions. How often do you connect your external drives to the computer?
Once a month or once a year? How often do you check the performance of your disk and the ability to access the information stored on it?
The situation is quite common when deciding to connect your drive to a personal computer or laptop, and the user could not access it. As a result, the operating system reports an input/output error from the device.
In this case, the situation seems critical, especially if important personal data or a backup copy of the system is stored on the external drive. But do not rush to panic, because an unpleasant situation can still be corrected. We will show you five ways to fix the input/output error from the device without losing any files.
What is an input/output device error from a device?
The input I/O errors are fairly common. Most often, we associate them with hardware problems, such as a wrong cable, a failure with a storage device, or an incorrectly configured driver. Based on the preceding, there are several different ways to correct an input/output error from a device. Eliminating most of these problems does not take you much time and is fairly easy to implement.
Before you begin to correct the input-output error from the device, restart the operating system, and then try again. Often, this action is quite enough to eliminate the error. But if the error has not disappeared, then proceed to the following methods. After each action, check if the problem with the error has been fixed. If not, go to the next method.
# Option 1: Cables
You need to perform a full scan, identifying and checking for vulnerabilities that may cause an I / O error.
The first action you need to do is simply adjust the connection cables. Check the cable and mounting mechanisms for damage, fractures, chips, or dirt. Disconnect and then reconnect the cable connecting the external drive to the computer. Perform such a check at both ends, and then try accessing the disk.
If the cable does not work after reconnecting, use another “USB cable” and try again. When you are not sure about the cable, connect it to another external device (of which you are completely sure) and connect it to your system. If it works, then you know that the cable is not broken, and maybe you have another reason for the error.
# Option 2: “USB port”
If the initial test showed that the cause of the error is not in the cable, then try using an alternative port to connect the drive. Most modern systems have several “USB ports,” as many external plug-in devices use a “USB connection.”
Also, check how clean your “USB ports” are. If they are dusty or heavily contaminated, they must be completely cleaned, taking care not to damage the contacts, and then try again.
# Option 3: Drivers
Another basic, but forgotten, correction of input-output error from the device is an update of the drivers in your system. The Windows 10operating system should automatically update all of your drivers.
The issue of constant updates was a very painful moment for many users when Microsoft released the Windows 10 operating system . Theoretically, the system is constantly updating the driver, has no flaws. And you should never have a problem with the drivers in “Windows 10”.
But in practice, the situation is slightly different. “Windows” does not always keep the driver versions up to date, and sometimes the permanent driver update system simply does not work. In this case, you can help third-party programs that monitor the system for the presence of outdated drivers.
Go to any developer’s website, download and install the program (in some cases you will need your permission for the computer’s anti-virus security system), and then scan the system for out-of-date drivers.
Do not be surprised if the scan results reveal a large number of outdated versions. In many cases, the relevant applications and services still work fine. A simple scan program notifies you that the manufacturer has released a newer version of the driver and it is available for download and installation. Locate the driver for your device and update it, and then try using an external drive.
# Option 4: Appendix «Chkdsk»
Although I / O errors from the device are mainly related to hardware damage, we can try to use an integrated system application to fix the problem. The chkdsk application checks the file system for errors and fixes them.
To start the process of checking and correcting errors, you need to open the “Command line (administrator)” application. In the Windows 10operating system, there are many different ways to run the command line with administrator rights. We will show you only a few ways, and you decide which one is best for your future use.
Method 1:
Click the “Start” button in the lower left corner of the desktop and open the main user menu “Windows.” Using the scroll bar, move the slider down and select the “System Tools – Windows” section. Expand the submenu and locate the “Command Line” section. Right-click on it and open the pop-up menu. Select the “Advanced” section and call the submenu, in which click the “Run as administrator” section.
Method 2:
Open the Search application by clicking on the corresponding button located next to the Start button in the lower left corner of the screen. Enter in the search box the query “command” or “cmd.” In the “Best Match” section, find the application you are looking for and right-click on it. In the pop-up menu that opens, select the “Run as administrator” section.
Method 3:
Open the file explorer “Windows,” double-clicking the shortcut “This computer,” located on the desktop, and go to the following address: “C: \ Windows \ System32”. Find the executable file “cmd.exe” in the list of attached files, right-click on it, and in the pop-up menu, select the “Run as administrator” section.
Then in the Administrator: Command Line application, enter the following command: “chkdsk / f / r / x [letter of your disk],” and press the “Enter” key on the keyboard. Specify the drive letter that is assigned to your drive (in our example, the drive letter is “D:” ).
The scanning process may take some time, especially if the application detects sectors that need repair.
Upon completion, the application will submit a report on the actions taken and will list any repairs that have been made to fix the detected drive problems.
# Option 5: Use the program “Speccy” to test the disk
If the above remedy does not help, then you can check the overall status of the hard disk using the free software by the publisher «the Speccy.»
Download and install “Speccy” by performing a preliminary search for the developer’s site on the Internet. In the program window in the left pane, select the “Data Storage” section.
In the right pane of the window, you will see a detailed list of available storage devices, scroll down the page and find the corresponding disk. They usually have full labeling.
Under the specifications of the drive is a drop-down list of the attribute table “SMART.”
What does “SMART” mean?
“SMART,” means self-monitoring, analysis, and reporting technology that uses the built-in monitoring system and provides the user with a full assessment of the health of the hard disk. In the above image, you can see that the Speccy program assigns a specific rating to each monitoring indicator. First of all, you have to look carefully in the following indicators:
- 05: Reassigned sectors;
- 0A: Attempts promotion;
- C4: Reassignment Operations;
- C5: Unstable sectors;
- C6: Uncorrectable sectors.
A striking fact: The Google study showed that during the first sixty days after the first irreparable error occurred, the probability of a disk failure is thirty-nine times greater than for a similar disk without errors.
To be fair, note that the Google study also concludes that the SMART disk reliability ratings have limited usefulness in predicting impending drive failures. But it can provide a good general characteristic of the disk state.
Keep this in mind, if any of the above attributes shows errors (or several errors for several attributes), then this is a serious reason to think about transferring all data to another medium and replacing the drive.
Using the program “Speccy” does not necessarily eliminate the error of input-output from the device. But it helps to display the overall picture of the disk health.
For comparison, you can use other third-party programs that are widely represented on the Internet.
No more input/output device errors from the device!
We hope that after taking all the steps, your input/output error from the device will disappear. And after that, you will gain access to your drive. The occurrence of such an error does not always mean the approaching end for your disk.
But this, however, is a good indicator that something is probably happening to the disk. Therefore, it is not necessary to find out whether this error is the beginning of more serious problems.
You need to focus on back up files on another disk and think about purchasing a new hard disk.
Did you experience input/output errors from the device? What did you do to eliminate them? Were mistakes a harbinger of a breakdown of your disk? Did you avoid losing your data on such a disk? Share with us your experience in eliminating input error in the comments to our article.