How to Fix Hard Drive is Not Accessible and Recover Data in Windows 11/10/7

Home > HowTos > Troubleshooting Tips Updated by William on Sep 18, 2024 | Approved by Jennifer Allen

Losing valuable data due to an inaccessible hard drive is a nightmare for anyone who has ever experienced it. Whether it's cherished family photos or sensitive work documents, the sudden disappearance of our digital lives can be devastating. For this, you don't have to worry, and this blog provides multiple ways to fix drive is not accessible and recover data from inaccessible hard drive in Windows 10, 11, and 7.

Quick Navigation
Part1. The Common System Prompts for Hard Disk Damage
Part2. Why is My Drive Not Accessible
Part3. How to Fix Inaccessible Hard Drive without Losing Data
Part4. Tip for Avoid Hard Drive Access Denied
Part5. FAQs

The Common System Prompts for Hard Disk Damage

We all know how frustrating it can be when our computer issues a warning that our hard drive has been corrupted. Unfortunately, this problem can strike at any time, leaving us with the possibility of losing our precious data. You may encounter warning prompts such as:

It's essential to take action when faced with these warnings, as failing to do so can result in permanent data loss.

Why is My Drive Not Accessible

Your hard drive is an essential tool for work and leisure, so it's incredibly frustrating when it suddenly becomes inaccessible. There are many reasons for this, such as:

In any case, it's essential to identify the root cause of the problem and take the necessary steps to address it. Whether it's repairing hard drive is not accessible or recovering data from an inaccessible hard drive, resolving this issue will help you get back to using your computer easily.

How to Fix Inaccessible Hard Drive without Losing Data

A hard disk is an essential part of a computer that stores all your valuable information and data. However, it can be overwhelming when it suddenly becomes inaccessible, and all your data seems lost. But don't worry; there are solutions to fix hard drive access denied in Windows 11/10/7.

Ways 1. Fix Hard Drive is Not Accessible By Virus Scanning

If there are malicious programs or Trojans on your computer, they can corrupt the drive's file system or prevent you from accessing it. Therefore, you can update your antivirus software to the latest version and scan the correct hard drive.

Ways 2. Use Error Checking to Fix Hard Drive Access Denied

Its option is an essential feature of the Windows system, designed to help users identify and fix drive errors. So, you can follow the steps below to repair the inaccessible hard drive in Windows 10, 11, and 7:

  1. Open "File Explore" and find the access-denied drive in the left panel.
  2. Right-click to select "Properties" and switch to the "Tools" tab.
  3. Click Check > Scan and Repair Drive.

Ways 3. Fix Hard Drive Access Denied by Reloading/Reinstalling the Driver

Outdated or incorrect drivers can prevent the system from properly loading your hard drive. So you can use the following method to fix this error.

  1. Press and hold the "Start" and "X" keys simultaneously and select "Drive Management" in the expanded window.
  2. Double-click "Disk drives" to expand the sub-items
  3. Select your drive and right-click and click "Uninstall device."
  4. Confirm the uninstallation and wait for the progress to complete. At this point, your hard drive will disappear from the list.
  5. Click Action > Scan for hardware changes in the top menu.
  6. Go to Explorer and reopen your hard drive.

Tip: You can also click Update Driver > Search automatically for drives in step 3 to try to fix not accessible disk.

Ways 4. Reset Access for Your Disk

Sometimes your hard drive is not inaccessible due to corruption but due to encryption software or malicious programs tampering with its access rights. Therefore, you can use the following steps to change the authorization of the hard disk.

  1. Find the inaccessible hard drive in "This/My PC."
  2. Right-click to select "Properties" and switch to the "Security" tab.
  3. Select the login user of the computer in Group or user names.
  4. Click the "Edit" button and check "Full control" in the "Permissions for Authenticated Users" option.

Ways 5. Repair Access Denied Hard Drive from Safe Mode

After starting Windows PC normally, it will load many programs to ensure your normal use. However, some programs may prevent you from accessing the drives, which is where safe mode is handy. It only enables essential processes to ensure that the system can boot, so you try the following steps:

  1. Press "Win + R" and type "shutdown /r /o" in the opened dialog box.
  2. Select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Enable safe mode.
  3. Finally, press 4 to boot your PC in safe mode and try to open your hard drive.

Ways 6. Fix it by Format after Getting Files from Inaccessible Hard Drive

After the hard disk is damaged, we cannot directly access it, but we can do it with professional software. For this, you can rely on iBeesoft Data Recovery to recover data from inaccessible hard drive and fix this issue by reformatting it. Following are the detailed steps to fix not accessible hard drive without data loss:

  1. Download and install iBeesoft Data Recovery on your computer.
  2. After running it, move the mouse over the damaged drive and click on the "Scan" that appears.
  3. After completing the scanning, select the found files from the target hard drive and click "Recover" to save the data to a new location.
  4. Go to Explorer, find the corrupted drive, right-click, and select "Format."
  5. Select NTFS/FAT32 in the opened window (usually NTFS is suitable for the built-in drive of the computer) and click Start to format to repair the inaccessible hard disk.
  6. When the formatting progress is complete, you can migrate the found data to this repaired drive.

Ways 7. Fix Hard Drive is Not Accessible by Command Prompt

It is used to verify the logical integrity of the drive's file system or recover permanently deleted files using CMD. If an inconsistency is found, then you can enter commands to modify it. Here is the detailed guide on how to use it to fix access denied drive in Windows 11 or 10:

  1. Hit the "Start" key and type "Command Prompt."
  2. After finding the app, click "Run as an administrator."
  3. Type "chkdsk F: /f /r" and press Enter. (F is the drive letter that cannot access the hard disk.)
  4. Type "Y" and press Enter to force unmount the volume.
  5. Wait for the process of repairing the inaccessible disk to finish, and you should be able to reaccess it.

Tip: this way can also help you fix corrupted SD card without losing data in Windows PC.

Ways 8. Repair an Inaccessible Disk using the SFC Command

It allows you to scan all protected system files and checks the integrity of system files, and if it finds an error, it will fix it immediately. Here are the steps on how to use the command:

  1. Run "Command Prompt" as administrator.
  2. Type "sfc/scanboot" and press "Enter."
  3. After the repair progress is completed, you can try to open the target drive.

Tip: If you need to do something else now, type sfc/scanonce, which will fix access-denied drives on the next boot.

Ways 9. Recover Data from Inaccessible Hard Drive and Fix It with Service Provider

Losing important data due to the drive not being accessible is hopeless, but thankfully, data recovery services are available to help you retrieve them. These services use specialized software and equipment to restore files from an inaccessible hard disk that has been damaged for various reasons. Therefore, you can search for data recovery service providers near you through the map and consult related matters by phone.

Tip for Avoid Hard Drive Access Denied

Unsurprisingly, dealing with hard drive access denied errors can be extremely frustrating. Whether trying to access essential files or change settings on your computer, being met with a message that reads "Access Denied" can halt your progress and leave you feeling stuck. Fortunately, there are tips you can take to avoid these errors altogether.

Taking proactive measures and being mindful of how you're using your computer can significantly reduce the likelihood of encountering hard drive access denied errors.

FAQs

Conclusion

Losing access to essential files and documents on your hard drive can be a frustrating experience. Unfortunately, this happens more often than we realize and can be caused by virus, various factors, such as Bad sectors, file system errors, or a malfunctioning operating system. The good news is that fixing an inaccessible hard drive is not always impossible. For this, here blog provides various ways to solve this problem and help you recover data from inaccessible hard drive in Windows 11, 10, and 7. With patience and persistence, you could soon be back up and running with all your precious data intact. If all else fails, consider visiting a professional technician who can help diagnose and repair the problem.