Fix Access Denied Error for Hard Drive in Windows

Causes of Access Denied for Hard Drive Error in Windows

        There are several possible causes of the "Access Denied" error for a hard drive in Windows. Here are some of the most common reasons:

1.    Permission Issues: The most common cause of this error is permission issues. If the user account that you are logged in with does not have the necessary permissions to access the hard drive or its files, you may get an "Access Denied" error.

 

2.    Ownership Issues: Ownership issues can also cause an "Access Denied" error. If the user account that you are logged in with is not the owner of the hard drive or its files, you may not be able to access them.

 

3.    Corrupted File System: A corrupted file system can also cause an "Access Denied" error. If the file system on the hard drive is damaged or corrupted, Windows may not be able to access the data on the drive.

 

4.    Malware Infection: A malware infection can also cause an "Access Denied" error. Some types of malware are designed to prevent users from accessing certain files or drives on their computer.

 

5.    Hardware Issues: Hardware issues can also cause an "Access Denied" error. If there is a problem with the hard drive itself, such as a physical failure or a bad sector, Windows may not be able to access the data on the drive.

6.    Encrypted Hard Drive: An encrypted hard drive can also cause an "Access Denied" error. If the hard drive is encrypted and you do not have the necessary encryption key or password, you may not be able to access the data on the drive.

To fix an "Access Denied" error for a hard drive in Windows, you can try the following solutions:

1.    Take ownership of the external hard drive:

 

a. Right-click on the external hard drive and select "Properties".

b. Go to the "Security" tab and click on "Advanced".

c. Click on the "Change" link next to the "Owner" field.

d. Enter your Windows user account name in the "Enter the object name to select" field and click "Check Names".

e. Click "OK" to close the dialog box.

f. Check the box "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects" and click "OK" to close the Advanced Security Settings window.

g. Click "Apply" and "OK" to close the Properties window.

 

2.    Change the drive letter:

 

a. Open "Disk Management" by right-clicking on the Windows Start menu and selecting "Disk Management".

b. Right-click on the external hard drive and select "Change Drive Letter and Paths".

c. Click "Change" and select a new drive letter from the dropdown menu.

d. Click "OK" to save the changes.

 

3.    Disable write protection:

 

a. Connect the external hard drive to your computer.

b. Open "Diskpart" by typing "diskpart" in the Start menu search box and selecting "diskpart.exe".

c. Type "list disk" to show all the disks attached to your computer.

d. Type "select disk #" (replace "#" with the number of the external hard drive) to select the external hard drive.

e. Type "attributes disk clear readonly" to clear the read-only attribute.

f. Close "Diskpart" by typing "exit".

 

4.    Check and repair the file system:

 

a. Connect the external hard drive to your computer.

b. Open "Command Prompt" as an administrator.

c. Type "chkdsk X: /f /r" (replace "X" with the drive letter of the external hard drive) and press Enter.

d. Wait for the process to complete.

 

5.    Update the device driver:

 

a. Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.

b. Type "devmgmt.msc" and press Enter to open Device Manager.

c. Expand the "Disk drives" category.

d. Right-click on the external hard drive and select "Update driver".

e. Follow the on-screen instructions to update the driver.

Note: Before trying any of these solutions, make sure to back up any important data on the external hard drive to prevent data loss.