The Device is Not Ready? How to Fix without Data Loss?

"The Device is Not Ready" Error in Disk Managemt

Why This Error Occurs?

The "The device is not ready" error usually appears when Windows cannot communicate properly with a connected storage device. This can happen due to several reasons, including:

1. Loose or Faulty Connection: A damaged USB port, loose cable, or improperly connected device can prevent the system from detecting the hardware.

2. Corrupted or Unsupported File System: If the device uses a file system not recognized by Windows (e.g., RAW or Linux-based Ext formats), or if the file system is corrupted, access may be denied.

3. Device Not Initialized or Formatted: New or recently formatted disks that haven’t been initialized or assigned a drive letter in Disk Management may trigger this error.

4. Driver Issues: Outdated, missing, or corrupted drivers for USB controllers, hard disks, or external drives can cause communication failures.

5. Hardware Failure: The storage device itself may be physically damaged or failing, making it unreadable to the system.

6. Power Supply Problems: Inadequate power—especially for external hard drives or USB hubs—can lead to devices not spinning up or being recognized.

7. Write Protection or Security Restrictions: Some devices have physical write-protection switches or firmware-level restrictions that can prevent access.

How to Fix the "The Device is Not Ready" Error Without Data Loss?

Before jumping into fixes to the error "The device is not ready" in Disk Management or CMD, it's important to understand that this error may signal an underlying issue with the drive or connection. If you have important data stored on the affected device, avoid formatting or reinitializing it right away. Instead, follow a safe approach that prioritizes data recovery first, then troubleshooting.

Step 1: Recover Data First (If Necessary)

If the drive is recognized but inaccessible, use a professional data recovery tool like MyRecover to scan and retrieve your files before attempting any fixes.

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1. Download and install MyRecover on your Windows PC.

2. Connect the problematic device (USB, external HDD, SD card, etc.) to your computer.

3. Launch MyRecover and select the target drive. Click "Scan", wait for the process to finish.

4. Once the scanning is completed, use the Search or Filter feature to quickly locate target files. Select those you need to recover, and click on "Recover". You can also preview them before recovery if necessary.

5. Choose another location to save the recovered files from the affected drive.

Step 2: Fix "The Device is Not Ready"Error [8 Methods]

Once your data is recovered and saved to another secure location, try the following solutions to get rid of "the device is not ready" error.

✔️1. Check Physical Connections

Begin by inspecting the physical connection of your device. Unplug the USB drive, external hard drive, or SD card and plug it back in securely. A loose or partially connected device may not be detected correctly.

Also, try connecting it to a different USB port, especially one directly on the back of your PC, as front panel ports or USB hubs may have unstable power supply. If possible, test the device on another computer to rule out issues with your current system or port.

✔️2. Restart Your Computer

Sometimes, Windows fails to initialize connected devices due to temporary system glitches or driver conflicts. Restarting your computer can refresh hardware detection and resolve such minor issues automatically.

After rebooting, reconnect the device and check whether it's recognized properly. This step may seem simple, but it's surprisingly effective, especially if the error occurred right after a system update or a long period of continuous use.

✔️3. Update or Reinstall Device Drivers

Outdated, missing, or corrupted drivers are one of the most common causes of the "The device is not ready" error, especially when it comes to USB drives or external storage. Updating or reinstalling the driver can help Windows properly recognize and communicate with the device.

1. Press "Win + X"> "Device Manager".

2. Find the target drive or USB controller.

3. Right-click on the device and choose "Update driver". Select Search automatically for drivers to let Windows find and install the latest version.

If updating doesn’t help, right-click again and choose "Uninstall device". After uninstalling, unplug the drive and restart your computer. Then plug the device back in—Windows will attempt to reinstall the correct driver automatically.

✔️4. Make the Drive Online

If your storage device is visible in Disk Management but marked as Offline, Windows won't be able to access or assign it a drive letter, resulting in the "The device is not ready" errorin Disk Management.

1. Press "Win + R", type "diskmgmt.msc", and press "Enter" to open Disk Management.

2. Locate the disk that is listed as Offline in the bottom section.

3. You might see something like “Disk 1 – Offline” or a warning message next to the disk.

4. Right-click on the Offline disk, then choose "Online". If prompted, confirm the action. Windows will attempt to reactivate the disk.

Once the disk is back online, it should be accessible. If it still doesn't show up in File Explorer, make sure it has a drive letter assigned: Right-click the volume > Change Drive Letter and Paths... > Add or Change.

✔️5. Run CHKDSK (If Detected)

If your drive is still listed in File Explorer or Disk Management and has a drive letter (e.g., D: or E:), you can try fixing logical errors and bad sectors using the built-in CHKDSK (Check Disk) utility. This tool can help repair file system corruption, which is a common reason for the “The device is not ready” error.

1. Press "Win + S", type cmd, right-click "Command Prompt", and choose "Run as administrator".

2. In the command window, type the following and press Enter: g: /f /r

(Replace G: with your actual drive letter)

• /f tells CHKDSK to fix errors it detects
• /r locates bad sectors and recovers readable data

Wait for the scan to complete. The process may take time depending on the drive’s size and condition. After the scan, reconnect or restart your device and check if the issue is resolved.

✔️6. Use Windows Troubleshooter

Windows provides a built-in Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter that can automatically detect and fix many common hardware issues, including problems causing the "The device is not ready" error.

1. Press "Win + I" to open Settings.Navigate to "Update & Security".

2. Choose "Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters".

3. Find Hardware and Devices in the list and click the "Run the troubleshooter" button next to it.

4. The troubleshooter will start scanning for issues related to connected devices.

5. Follow the on-screen instructions to apply any recommended fixes.

After the troubleshooter completes, restart your computer and reconnect the device to see if the error persists.

✔️7. Disable Write Protection (if applicable)

Sometimes, "write protection" on USB drives, SD cards, or external storage devices can prevent Windows from accessing the device properly, leading to the "The device is not ready" error in Disk Management. Write protection can be a physical switch on the device or a software-level setting.

A. Check for a Physical Write Protection Switch

Many SD cards and some USB flash drives have a small switch on the side.Make sure the switch is in the unlocked position.

B. Disable Write Protection via Registry Editor

If no physical switch exists, you can check the Windows registry for write protection settings:

1. Press "Win + R", type "regedit", and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.

2. Navigate to the path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies.

If it doesn’t have a folder named StorageDevicePolicies to create one: Right-click on the current catalog Control. In the menu, select "New" and find "Key"; name it StorageDevicePolicies.

3. Look for a key named "WriteProtect"on the right pane. If it exists and is set to "1", double-click it and change the value to "0".

If the key doesn’t exist, you can create it: Right-click on "StorageDevicePolicies"> New > DWORD (32-bit) Value > name it "WriteProtect"and set its value to "0".

4. Close Registry Editor and restart your computer.

Or you can run the following commands in Command Prompt as an administrator, first input "diskpart" and hit on "Enter" to launch Diskpart too. Then execute the commands:

• diskpart
• list disk
• select disk X
• attributes disk clear readonly
• exit

Replace "X" with the disk number of your USB or external drive as shown in the list. After clearing write protection, reconnect the device and check if the error is resolved.

✔️8. Force Initialize or Format the Disk

In most cases, you can initialize an unrecognized disk using Disk Management or DiskPart to solve "The device is not ready" error. However, if these methods fail, it’s time to turn to a third-party disk manager for help.Tools like AOMEI Partition Assistant can force initialize or format a disk drive when the Windows native tools won’t work as expected.

Final Words

Encountering the "The device is not ready" error in Disk Management or Command Prompt can be incredibly frustrating. In this guide, you can learn how to recover your data and restore access without permanent loss. Start with data recovery to ensure your files are safe, then proceed with the troubleshooting solutions one by one. If all else fails, consider using third-party disk tools or seeking professional help.