How to Fix ERROR_NOT_READ_FROM_COPY

The ERROR_NOT_READ_FROM_COPY error typically occurs when there is an issue with reading data from a source file or disk during a copy operation. The error message reads (0x151) The specified copy of the requested data could not be read. This error can be caused by file corruption, bad sectors on the disk, unsupported file names, file system incompatibility or problems with the storage device or its connection to the PC.

If you’ve downloaded the file or copied it from another source, try doing that again because a transfer error might have caused the file to become corrupted. Also, if you’re transferring the file from an external device, check its connection.

How do I fix ERROR_NOT_READ_FROM_COPY?

1. Run a Check Disk scan

1. Press the Start button, type cmd and select Run as administrator from the results.
2. Type chkdsk /f /r and press Enter.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to scan and repair the disk.

Scanning your drive for error is the first thing to try in this case and it usually fixes the problem.

2. Check for unsupported file names

1. Ensure that the file names do not contain unsupported characters such as ?, <, >, :, *, /, \, |, and “.
2. Rename the files if necessary to remove any unsupported characters.

Although it looks too simple to be a valid solution, removing any unsupported characters from the file name fixes the ERROR_NOT_READ_FROM_COPY for good. Also, the filename or extension might be too long.

3. Verify the file system compatibility

1. Ensure that the source and destination drives use compatible file systems (e.g., NTFS, exFAT).
2. If necessary, reformat the drive to a compatible file system.

Although it’s unlikely, file system incompatibility between the drives can cause this issue. If Windows cannot format a drive, click the highlighted link for solutions on how to fix this problem.

Additional possible issues and solutions

If you didn’t manage to fix ERROR_NOT_READ_FROM_COPY with the solutions above, you might consider properly inspecting the source you’re copying the data from.

Ensure that the storage device is properly connected to your computer and try using a different USB port or cable if you are copying from an external drive.

The data on the drive might simply be damaged and in that case, we recommend using data recovery software to retrieve it. That is only if we’re talking about unique files that cannot be retrieved from other sources.

Hopefully, you’ve managed to fix the ERROR_NOT_READ_FROM_COPY and now everything went back to normal.