The Drive Is Not a Valid Backup Location: How to Fix It

You may need to format your USB drive to an acceptable format

5 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

Share this article

Improve this guide

Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help Windows Report sustain the editorial teamRead more

Key notes

System images are a great way to back up your computer. They allow you to create a snapshot of your entire system, including your files, settings, and programs. This is useful if you want to recover from a catastrophic event like ahard drive crashor virus infection.

However, things don’t always go as planned, and your selected drive may be written off as an invalid backup location. If this is the case, you’ll find this article worth your time as we explore why this happens and possible fixes.

Why can’t I create a system image on USB?

System images can be created using an external hard drive or the built-in Windows recovery tools. The best way to create system images is to use an external hard drive because this will ensure that you have a saved copy in case something goes wrong with the original one.

If you’re having trouble creating a system image on a USB drive, below are some possible causes:

Can I put a system image on a USB flash drive?

Yes, you can. You might be able to create a system image on USB, but it’s not recommended. System images are good for reinstalling Windows after installing a new hardware or software update.

To create a new system image, you’ll need to use anexternal hard drive that has enough spacefor the new image. If you don’t have an external drive, you can find out how much space is needed and get a USB drive with enough space.

How do I make a drive a valid backup location?

First things first, ensure the following are in check:

1. Format the drive

The main purpose of formatting a USB drive is to prepare it for use on your PC. This process makes sure the data you have stored on the drive is accessible by your operating system and that everything is in working order.

3. Use a third-party backup software

The most common reason for backup failures is a corrupt or damaged backup file. This is often due to insufficient storage space on your computer, but it could also be caused by malware or other issues.

If you’ve got an SSD and a backup hard drive, you might be wondering how to make your backups fast and reliable. The answer is simple: use a third-partybackup softwaresuch asAOMEI Backupper. It’s fast, reliable, and safe.

⇒Get AOMEI Backupper

Hopefully, you’re no longer stuck with a drive that is an invalid backup location after these steps. You may also experience aWindows backup error, so don’t hesitate to check out our helpful guide.

Let us know if you have been able to solve this issue in the comment section below.

The Drive Is Not a Valid Backup Location: How to Fix It#

Why can’t I create a system image on USB?#

Can I put a system image on a USB flash drive?#

How do I make a drive a valid backup location?#

1. Format the drive#

2. Share USB as a network drive#

3. Use a third-party backup software#