[Solved] How to Fix the Directory Name is Invalid with 8 Workable Solutions

March 19, 2025Amanda Brown

Many people believe that Windows 10 is an awesome update to the Windows operating system. Microsoft not only introduced artificial intelligence into Windows 10 but also upgraded lots of existing features.

However, more and more people reported that errors occurred after they upgraded to Windows 10. The error “The directory name is invalid”, for instance, is a common issue that can stop you from opening certain files or folders. But, don't worry! We are going to share multiple effective solutions to fix this problem and help you access your data smoothly.

Workable Solutions
Fix 1 Change a USB Port	Go to tutorial
Fix 2 Update Disk Driver	Go to tutorial
Fix 3 Check Disk Errors	Go to tutorial
Fix 4 Remove All Portable Devices	Go to tutorial
Fix 5 Run Command Prompt	Go to tutorial
Fix 6 Re-enable DVD Drive	Go to tutorial
Fix 7 Create a New Partition	Go to tutorial
Fix 8 Install the Latest Update	Go to tutorial

Part 1. Reasons for “The Directory Name is Invalid” Error
Part 2. How to Fix Directory Name is Invalid Error
Part 3. How to Recover Data after Fixing the Directory Name is Invalid

Part 1. Reasons for “The Directory Name is Invalid” Error

In general, this error happens when the Windows operating system can’t access the destination based on the given path. This could be led by various reasons.

Reason	Result	Description
Invalid Characters or Length	Illegal Characters	Windows has restrictions on characters allowed in folder names. Using characters like \ / : * ? " < > \| will immediately trigger this error.
Invalid Characters or Length	Excessive Length	The full path of a file or folder (including the drive letter and all parent folders) has a length limit. Exceeding this limit can cause this error.
File System Corruption	Damaged File System	Issues with the NTFS or FAT32 file system on the drive can lead to inconsistencies and errors in directory names.
File System Corruption	Bad Sectors	Physical damage to the hard drive can create bad sectors, which can corrupt directory information.
Software Conflicts or Bugs	Third-Party Applications	Some applications might interfere with file system operations, causing directory name errors.
	Windows Bugs	Occasionally, Windows itself may have bugs that trigger this error.
	Driver Issues	Faulty or outdated storage drivers can contribute to file system problems.
Network Drive Issues	Incorrect Network Path	An incorrectly typed network path can result in this error.
Malware or Virus Infections	Malicious Software	Some malware can corrupt file system data or modify directory names, leading to this error.
User Input Errors	Copying and Pasting Errors	Pasting directory names from unreliable sources can introduce invalid characters or formatting.
Issues with External Drives	Improper Ejection	Not safely ejecting external drives can corrupt their file systems. Physical damage or improper use can also lead to this
Registry Problems	In rare cases, corrupted registry entries related to file system operations can cause this error.

Part 2. How to Fix Directory Name is Invalid Error

Fix 1 Change a USB Port

First of all, you need to check whether your USB port is damaged when you need to connect your USB devices. Because your USB port can be easily damaged or corrupted by dust, water, malware attacks, etc. In that case, if you want to connect your USB devices to this port, many errors may arise, including “The Directory Name is Invalid”.

With this said, you can plug your USB devices into other USB ports on your system. If no USB ports are tested correctly, you can try other computers. If not, that may be led by other factors instead of your system or USB ports.

Fix 2 Update Disk Driver

The BIOS is important for all Windows owners. And if you see the directory name is invalid error, it is the time to update it. We share the standard procedure below.

Step 1.

Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog, input msinfo32 and hit the Enter key.

Step 2.

When the System Information window pops up, navigate to the BIOS Version/Date area, and write down the value.

Step 3.

Visit the official website of your manufacturer, and search for your device serial number.

Step 4.

Download the recommended update, and double-click on the file to update your BIOS and fix the error immediately.

Fix 3 Check Disk Errors

Sometimes, the invalid directory name error keeps appearing when you open files on certain disk. It means that something wrong with the disk. Fortunately, there is a native disk check tool in Windows.

Step 1.

Run This PC from your desktop, right-click on the disk and select Properties.

Step 2.

Go to the Tools tab, locate the Error checking section and hit the Check button.

Step 3.

When prompted, press Scan drive to start fixing the errors found.

Step 4.

Finally, restart your PC and check whether the error disappears.

Disk check also helps to fix green screen death, blue screen error on Windows computer.

Fix 4 Remove All Portable Devices

Most people have portable devices connected to their computers, such as extra keyboard and mouse, flash drive, and more. And they may be responsible for the directory name is invalid error.

Step 1.

Disconnect all removable devices from your computer.

Step 2.

Open the Device Manager from your Start menu.

Step 3.

Go to View-> Show hidden devices and find the Portable Devices entity.

Step 4.

Right-click on one device, select Uninstall device. Do the same on other devices.

Fix 5 Run Command Prompt

The directory name is invalid error occurs when you run Command Prompt, if you start it with a different user. You can follow the steps below to fix it.

Step 1.

Open your Start menu, search for cmd, right-click on the Command Prompt program, and choose Properties to open the Properties window.

Step 2.

Go to the Shortcut tab. If the default value in the Start in box is %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%, replace it with %WINDIR%.

Fix 6 Re-enable DVD Drive

When playing your DVD and encounter the directory name is invalid alert, you can fix it by re-enabling your DVD driver.

Step 1.

Open the Run dialog from your Start menu, type in dvmgmt.msc and hit OK to trigger the Device Manager window.

Step 2.

Unfold the DVD/CD-ROM entity, right-click on it and choose Disable device.

Step 3.

Next, right-click on the driver and select Enable to re-enable your DVD driver.

Step 4.

If the alert does not disappear, try to update DVD driver or re-install it.

Fix 7 Create a New Partition

SD card, flash drive, memory card and other external hard drive are connected to your PC via the USB port. If you have tried another USB port and the error persists, follow the steps below to fix it.

Step 1.

Input diskmgmt.msc into the Run dialog and hit OK to start the Disk Management dialog.

Step 2.

Right-click on the empty area and choose New Simple Volume. Then the onscreen assistant will tell you how to finish the rest of steps.

Step 3.

Access your USB drive again.

Fix 8 Install the Latest Update

The last solution to fix the directory name is invalid error is to update your Windows 10 to the latest version.

Step 1.

Hold down Windows + I to open the Settings app.

Step 2.

Head to Update & security section and press the Check for updates button.

Step 3.

If there is an update available, it will be installed in the background automatically.

Part 3. How to Recover Data after Fixing the Directory Name is Invalid

As you can see when fixing the error, there are chances of data loss, so we highly recommend you to grasp a data recovery tool, such as Aiseesoft Data Recovery.

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• Preview files before recovery.

• Lossless retrieve files in the original conditions.

• Compatible with Windows 10/8.1/8/Vista/XP.

Here’s how to recover data if the directory name is invalid.

Step 1.

Download and install Data Recovery on your PC and launch it. In the main interface, select the hard disk that stored the lost files originally, and hit the Start Scan button.

Step 2.

When it is done, you can preview the lost data by type and format. Make sure to select all desired files and click on the Recover All button. A few seconds later, the lost file will be restored to your disk.

Conclusion

In this article, we have told you what you can do to fix the directory name is invalid error on Windows computers. When the error appears, you cannot access your files and may face data loss. So, we shared eight methods to fix this problem under different situations. Our lab testing has proven these solutions are effective.

If you worry about data loss, we suggest you try Aiseesoft Data Recovery. It is a concrete way to get your files back.

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