What causes error 1327 invalid drive?

A Windows shell folder such as My Documents still points at a drive letter that is no longer connected, usually a USB stick or network drive. The installer queries that path and fails.

How do I fix invalid drive without editing the registry?

Map the missing letter to a real folder temporarily with "subst X: C:\Temp", run the installer, then remove it with "subst X: /d".

Installation errors

Error 1327

Error 1327. Invalid Drive: X:\

The installer is trying to use a drive letter that no longer exists, almost always because one of your Windows shell folders still points at a disconnected drive.

What it actually means

Windows records where My Documents, Desktop and similar folders live. If one was ever redirected to a USB stick, a network drive or a card reader, the path stays in the registry after that drive disappears, and installers that query those folders fail on the missing letter.

How to fix it, in order

Ordered by how often each one is the answer, not by how clever it sounds.

01Note the drive letter in the message. That is the one Windows still expects to exist.
02Reconnect that drive if you still have it. Plugging the USB stick back in makes the error go away immediately and is the quickest test that this is the cause.
03Otherwise, temporarily map the letter to a real folder: in an elevated terminal run "subst X: C:\Temp", replacing X with the letter from the error, then run the installer.
04After installing, remove the mapping with "subst X: /d".
05For a permanent fix, correct the shell folder paths in the registry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders, replacing the stale drive letter with C:.

The subst trick is the fast way out

Mapping the missing letter to any real folder satisfies the installer without editing the registry. It takes one command, it is reversible in one more, and it avoids touching shell folder paths that are easy to get wrong.

Common questions

What causes error 1327 invalid drive?: A Windows shell folder such as My Documents still points at a drive letter that is no longer connected, usually a USB stick or network drive. The installer queries that path and fails.
How do I fix invalid drive without editing the registry?: Map the missing letter to a real folder temporarily with "subst X: C:\Temp", run the installer, then remove it with "subst X: /d".

Before you retry the installer

If the package came from anywhere other than the publisher, confirm it is the file they actually shipped. Check its SHA-256 against our index, which settles in seconds whether you are debugging an installer or a damaged download.