Guide to Fix “Drive is not accessible. Access is Denied” Error

Nothing is more frustrating than seeing the “Drive is not accessible. Access is denied” error when you urgently need to access a particular drive containing your important files, photos, videos, etc. Ever been in this situation? Oh! You are right now? Don’t worry, if luck would be by your side, the following hacks might do the trick. So, let’s get your “Drive” out of the soup.

Fixing “Drive is not accessible. Access is denied” Error

This error message specifies that there is some problem with your Hard Disk, which has made the drive(s) inaccessible. As the error is not limited to just a particular version of OS (Operating Systems), follow the workarounds ahead for Hard Drive Recovery accordingly.

1. Format the Hard Disk to Get Rid of “Drive is not accessible. Access is denied” Error on Windows 10”

This workaround should be considered only if you can live with the loss of your data in case this method turns out to be unfavorable. Agree to the condition?

Well, the catch here is to first format your hard disk (Google for tutorials on formatting Hard Drive) and then consider using a reliable software recovery tool to restore files. Numerous recovery software are available online that claims to be effective enough in recovering a formatted hard disk. Well, if you are ready to take the risk, you know what to do.

2. Steps To Clear the “Drive is not accessible. Access is denied” Error on Windows 10

If you are seeing this error on your Windows 10 system, you may follow the steps below to access your inaccessible drive:

Navigate to your inaccessible drive and right-click on it.
From the expanded menu, select the ‘Properties’ option.
In the Properties box, access the Security tab and click the Edit button.
This will display the “Permissions for New Volume (E:)” box on your screen.
Here, click the ‘Add’ button to proceed.
Provide a new user name – “Authenticated User” and tap OK.
Now, in the Permission section, tick the checkbox under Allow option next to the “Full control” option and click OK.
Then, tap Continue and exit the window.
You should now check if the drive is accessible or not.

3. How to Fix “Drive is not accessible. Access is denied” Error on Windows 7?

Windows 7 users generally face this error when they – Run a HomeGroup > Share a root drive > and then Leave the HomeGroup. This process sometimes denies access to the shared drive, leading to the “Drive is not accessible. Access is denied” error message. To resolve this issue, consider following these steps:

Visit Windows Explorer and right-click on the inaccessible hard drive.
Select the Properties option from the expanded menu.
Next, go to the Security tab > Advanced option.
Then, click Edit under the Owner tab.
Now, modify the ownership of the desired account.
Check if the error is now cleared.

3. Fix “Drive Access Denied” Error in Windows Vista

In case you are facing a similar issue (like Window 7) on your Windows Vista, follow these steps to check the permission of the file or folder.

Right-click on the file or folder.
Select the Properties option from the prompted menu.
Next, access the Security tab.
Check the permission by selecting your name under the Username or Group section.

Sometimes, the problem can also be caused due to an encrypted file. In such a case, follow these instructions:

Right-click on the inaccessible drive.
Select the Properties option.
Go to the General tab-> Advanced.
Check whether encrypt checkbox is selected or not.
If it is selected, fetch the certificate used for encryption to access the file. The encryption certificate should be with the person who creates the file.

Conclusion

Giving a try to the above-mentioned solutions (except the first one) is worth it as they won’t cost you anything. Moreover, if you are willing to risk your data, you may even consider the first workaround above to clear the error.

However, if you do not wish to risk your data and looking for the safest way to recover your hard disk, Data Recovery Vision is the place where your search ends. The leading data recovery service provider, Data Recovery Vision (https://www.datarecoveryvision.com/) possesses the right tool and a professional team of experts – ensuring nothing but 100% recovery of your data inaccessible due to “Drive is not accessible. Access is denied”. For free estimation of Hard Drive Recovery from our experts, contact us at [email protected] | +1 (800) 915-5457.