"You need to format the disk in drive J: before you can use it.

[smashman2000]

So I found my old laptop with Windows Vista and I am trying to copy files from it on to my Windows 10 PC. I get that Windows error on both computers. It is a 16GB Sandisk drive. I tried to do chkdsk in CMD but it won't work because the file system is RAW. It is Bitlocker encrypted by the way. Someone please help!

[grimreeper132]

formatting it should be able to fix the probe, in theory, so do that, unless there is data or something else that you need on the USB drive, if there is then you may need to get a program or something so you can read the data

[smashman2000]

1 minute ago, grimreeper132 said:

formatting it should be able to fix the probe, in theory, so do that, unless there is data or something else that you need on the USB drive, if there is then you may need to get a program or something so you can read the data

I don not want to format it because I have important files. You think I should find data recovery software?

[KenjiUmino]

12 minutes ago, smashman2000 said:

I don not want to format it because I have important files. You think I should find data recovery software?

important files and usb drives don't mix.

 

but maybe the drive is still fine.

 

you said the whole drive is encrypted?

 

my guess is that windows does not recognise that the drive is encrypted and tries to read it like any normal drive wich only returns gibberish so windows assumes the file system is broken or incompatible. 

 

i'm not familiar with bitlocker - how do you usually open this drive ?  do you need to start an application and enter a password or something ?

[smashman2000]

8 minutes ago, KenjiUmino said:

important files and usb drives don't mix.

 

but maybe the drive is still fine.

 

you said the whole drive is encrypted?

 

my guess is that windows does not recognise that the drive is encrypted and tries to read it like any normal drive wich only returns gibberish so windows assumes the file system is broken or incompatible. 

 

i'm not familiar with bitlocker - how do you usually open this drive ?  do you need to start an application and enter a password or something ?

Bitlocker is built in to only the pro or ultimate versions of windows, but a bitlocked drive can be accessed on any computer. When I pluged it in a popup would say to enter my password and it would be unlocked until I removed it or I locked it in Windows. Ever since i plugged it in my old vista computer it screwed it up.

 

[grimreeper132]

4 hours ago, smashman2000 said:

I don not want to format it because I have important files. You think I should find data recovery software?

sorry I was busy, there is probably programmes out there which would be able to read the RAW data file system,

 

 

this should give you a guide of how to fix it, do this move all files temperately onto your HDD then move back after formatting

 

https://www.m3datarecovery.com/raw-to-fat32/convert-usb-raw-to-fat32.html