Windows 10: Windows asks to format USB Drive when SD card is inserted

I have SD card with Raspbian OS on it. When I insert the card using the card reader adapter, Windows asks me to format the E:\ drive, and it shows two different drives where it supposed to be just one (the boot with Raspbian OS on it). Recently it also shows the message: "Location is not available E:\ is not accessible. The parameter is incorrect." but the boot is on I:\ drive and this E:\ drive should not even exist.

- When I format E:\ drive it shows empty E:\ drive and full boot on I:\ drive. When I eject the boot drive, both drives disappear, however, the I:\ (boot) drive is no longer working properly. (does not boot the OS on raspberry pi)

- When I reinsert the SD card it does not show me any errors. When I then format the SD card (I:\) boot drive, the E:\ drive disappears and I'm left just with I:\ drive. (when I put fresh Raspbian on I:\ drive, the error to format E:\ shows up again)

- When I put some files onto the SD card it does not seem to show any other drives when I eject and reinsert.

It is only happening when I have an image located on the SD card.

I tried:

• Different USB ports
• Different SD card readers / adapters
• chkdsk /F /R /X I: (from the command line)
• chkdsk /F /R /X E: (from the command line (is says that the file system is RAW))

:)

 

how to remove license on the pc

To format the drive:

1. Insert the Windows 10 install media (DVD or USB)

2. Restart your computer

3. When asked if you want to boot from your DVD drive, do so.

4. Choose your language, click Next.

5. Click 'Repair your computer'

6. Select operating system you want to repair.

7. Click the Command Prompt

8. At the command prompt, type: FORMAT C:/

Hit Enter on your keyboard

Type Y for Yes

Hit Enter

Wait while the drive is formatted.

Type EXIT to close the prompt and click shut down to turn off the computer.

For more instructions about how to boot from a USB or DVD:

BIOS/UEFI Setup Guide: Boot from a CD, DVD, USB Drive or SD
Card

 

My Nokia Lumia 520 (Windows Phone 8) creating duplicate entries of Music and Videos on microSD card.

Slightly contradictory; in 1 above you say 'first remove SD Card from phone' but then you say 'Don't ever remove your SD Card'.

Under phone storage press 'SD card', then 'remove SD card' to remove SD Card when phone is switched off or 'format SD card' to format card in in the phone.

 

Ignore the message, its because Windows can't natively see the second Linux Partition. You'll only be able to see the fat 32 Boot partition in Windows. If you want full access you'll need to install a third party program that handles Linux Partitions in Windows. I had a link to one I was going to try but can't find it at the moment. If you format the drive/card in Windows it won't work in your Pi anymore and you'll have to reimage it.
What are you wanting to do with the card? Reclaim it for use with Windows? Or modify some of the Raspbian files. The config.txt file is on that boot partition and can be edited with notepad in Windows. There is a lengthy Raspberry Pi thread in the chillout room if your interested. The Raspberry Pi Thread [3]

 

alphanumeric, thank you for the response. On a fresh install of Windows 10, or previous versions of Windows, when I inserted the sd card it just showed the drive and the files which would be booted on Raspberry Pi (linux). Now it does not behave as expected. Normally you would insert SD or USB or CD or anything and you can look into it and see what's on that drive without any previous error messages. Mine is always trying to format the drive when I insert the SD card, I just do not want to see these multiple error messages each time I insert SD card. I perform multiple SD backups daily and these are critical, sometimes I accidentally format the SD card as the message appears straight in the middle of the screen when I insert SD card. Is there a way to repair it? It happens after latest update of Windows 10 (PS. this does not happen on any other PC in my company when I do the same operation). From what you said it seems like Windows need to ignore Linux system partition how do I disable that?

 

I've always seen that message with my Raspbian SD cards, and just ignore it. If you insert a normally formatted SD card (one not used for Raspbian etc) you won't see that message. If I corrupt one of my Raspberry Pi SD cards I just reimage it with a backup or new image. NOOBS, and KODI Raspberry PI cards will through up the same error. It's just because Windows doesn't like the second Linux partition on the card. If your trying to reuse one of your SD cards for storage etc, you need to wipe it clean and repartition it. Do that, which will remove the Linux partition, and you won't get any more error messages. The SD Card Formatter will do it for you. SD Memory Card Formatter 5.0 for SD/SDHC/SDXC Or just plug it into a camera and format it via the cameras menu system.

 

alphanumeric, I do not understand why it happens on certain PC's like yours and mine and not on others, if they run the same configurations and system versions, and why If I format none existing E:/ drive it still shows 2 drives, only when I repartition or format boot as you said then I get one, but when I put Raspbian on it, it shows me two drives again. And I do not understand why I did not have this issue 10 days ago and I have been doing this operation for 5 years never had an issue and suddenly now I do.

 

It happens to me on any PC I plug that SD Card into. Except my Raspberry Pi. If I plug it into my Pi I get two prompts to open in file manager. One for each drive. Clicking format may be just formatting the Fat 32 partition, which won't get rid of the message. I've never done it myself, not that I can remember. Just doing a format will not repartition the drive, it just formats the existing partition, the Fat 32 one. Deleting all partitions lets windows use the full drive with just the one partition.

 

Could it be that you got the Creators Update 10 days ago?

CU supports multiple partitions on a standard USB Flash Drive

 

That's true. Windows versions before the Creator's update would only see the first partition on the card, and if the first partition was FAT32, no error because it would not even see the second partition on the SD card.

 

As far as I know I I've been getting that error message since I first started using My Raspberry Pi? Unless my mind is slipping? Anyway, my advice is still to just ignore it.

 

I also get a "There is a problem with this drive, scan it to fix it" message when I plug a thumb drive in that I have used on my raspberry Pi. I also ignore it. Those thumb drives only have the one fat 32 partition on them. Maybe that's the one I've been getting from day one? Starting to second guess myself now. Sucks to get old I guess, lol. I'm so used to just ignoring the message I don't read it anymore. I just close the message window.