Fixed: Drive Is Not Accessible Access Is Denied Windows 11

Why does it say D :\ is not accessible?

Having trouble accessing your D drive on Windows 11 and wondering "why my D drive is not accessible"? Maybe you already use this drive on multiple PCs to store various files such as audio, text, or images. This repeated use may cause the drive to become damaged or inaccessible.

The error message "drive is not accessible access is denied Windows 11" means that your computer has imposed restrictions on access to this specific hard drive, causing an "Access Denied" prompt to appear when browsing the system.

Typically, when you encounter this error, you will not be able to access the drive or its data. Several factors can cause your D drive is not accessible on Windows 11, including:

☞ The hard drive gets corrupted or damaged.

☞ Files are infected with viruses.

☞ The driver is too outdated.

☞ Your Windows user account lacks administrator permission.

How to fix drive is not accessible access is denied Windows 11

If you encounter an "access denied in Windows 11" warning when using your hard drive, don't worry. Here are a few troubleshooting tips to fix access denied Windows 11 issue.

Fix 1. Claim the ownership via Properties

When the "D is not accessible Windows 11" error occurs, it means that you don't have the correct privilege settings in Windows. You need to take ownership to fix this issue. Follow these steps:

Step 1. Navigate to "My Computer".

Step 2. Right-click on the inaccessible hard drive and select "Properties".

Step 3. Click the "Security" tab and select "Advanced".

Step 4. Under the "Permission"s tab, click "Change permissions".

Step 5. In the following dialog box, double-click the username or account whose permissions you want to adjust.

Step 6. Select "This folder, subfolders, and files" from the drop-down list next to "Applies to".

Step 7. Click "OK" to apply the changes.

Now, try to access the hard drive; the "Access Denied" error should be resolved.

Fix 2. Assign a different drive letter

Sometimes the drive is inaccessible due to its assigned drive letter. You can change the drive letter as follows:

Step 1. Press "Win + X" to access the quick access menu.

Step 2. Select "Disk Management" from the menu.

Step 3. Right-click on the partition of the drive in question in the window.

Step 4. Select "Change Drive Letter and Paths...".

Step 5. Click "Change". Then select an unused drive letter from the drop-down list.

Step 6. Click "OK" to save changes.

Restart your computer to ensure the changes take effect. If this doesn't fix the problem, continue reading to find another fix.

Fix 3. Run CHKDSK Command

If adjusting "Properties" or assigning a new drive letter does not resolve the Access Denied error, the unrecognized disk drive may be experiencing an internal disk error. To diagnose and possibly fix these problems, you can use the "chkdsk" command. This command allows you to check a hard drive or other disk drives for errors and perform repairs if feasible.

Step 1: Type "cmd" in the search box and right-click "Windows Command Prompt" to select "Run as administrator".

Step 2: Type "chkdsk g: /f /r /x" and hit "Enter". (Replace "g" with the exact letter of your inaccessible hard drive.)

Now reboot your Windows 11 computer and try to access the drive.

Fix 4. Updating the driver software

Your Windows 11 PC may be a little old and requires some updating. Thus you need to update or uninstall outdated drivers to fix the "drive is not accessible, access is denied Windows 11" error. Follow the steps below:

Step 1. Press "Windows + R" keys to open the Run box.

Step 2. Type "devmgmt.msc" and hit "Enter" to open "Device Manager".

Step 3. Navigate to the problematic drive in the device list.

Step 4. Right-click on the drive and select "Uninstall". Alternatively, check for available updates.

Step 5. Restart your PC after making these changes.

After restarting, check if the inaccessible issue has been resolved.

Fix 5. Format the drive

If all else fails, formatting the drive may be a last resort to regain access. Follow these steps to format the drive using the NTFS file system:

Step 1. Press the "Win + X" keys to access the quick access menu.

Step 2. Select "Disk Management" from the menu.

Step 3. Right-click on the drive partition in question.

Step 4. Click the "Format" option.

Step 5. Make sure the NTFS file system is selected and click "OK" to confirm.

After formatting, the drive should be accessible again, but be aware that all data on the drive will be deleted.

Recover files from inaccessible drive Windows 11

Having problems accessing a drive in Windows 11 can be a major inconvenience and can result in data loss during the access attempt. Additionally, some formatting methods may erase all data on the drive. If you encounter such a situation and need to recover data, AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional can become an invaluable tool to easily recover files from inaccessible or formatted drives.

These are why its recovery features stand out:

☞ Recover a large number of files from various data loss situations such as permanent formatting, deletion, corruption and emptied recycle bins.
☞ Recover over 200 file types including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, photos, videos, audios, emails, and more.
☞ Retrieve deleted files from different storage devices like internal and external hard drives, USB flash drives, SD cards, HDD, SSD, etc.
☞ Provides various functions such as partitioning, cloning, conversion and more.

To use this software and recover your data, follow these steps:

Step 1: Install and open AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional.

Step 2: Click "Recover" and select "Recover Data".

Step 3: Select the hard drive that is not accessible and click "Start Scan".

Step 4: After the scan is completed, preview the recovered files, select the files you need and click "Recover".

Step 5: Select a folder path to store the recovered items and click "Select Folder".

Step 6: When the confirmation window appears, click "OK".

Your recovered files will now be saved in the specified location.

Conclusion

It can be annoying to get the "drive is not accessible access is denied Windows 11" error. To get back ownership of your hard drive and prevent data loss, use the 5 fixes offered.

It is particularly crucial to remember that using data recovery software like AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional is strongly advised to protect your data from loss. Using these fixes, you can effectively fix the "access denied in Windows 11" error and use your hard drive as planned.

This comprehensive data recovery utility also supports recovering the entire lost or deleted partition, safely cloning a larger drive to smaller drive, moving installed programs from C drive to free up the space, etc. Windows Server users can resort to the Server Edition as well.

FAQs on drive is not accessible Windows 11

Q1. Why can my hard drive be detected but still inaccessible?

There are several reasons why a hard drive may be detected but inaccessible. Common factors include:

1. Technical issues in the operating system

2. Internal hardware failure within the drive

3. Bad sectors due to sudden disconnection

4. Malware or virus infection

5. Software glitches.

Q2. Why is access denied to my hard drive in Windows 11?

In Windows 11, access to an external drive may be denied due to technical issues such as improper external drive connection or hardware issues. Additionally, if the drive file system is corrupted, Windows 11 may restrict access to the drive.

Q3. How to unlock a locked drive in Windows 11?

Unlocking a locked drive in Windows 11 involves several steps:

1. Search for "Manage BitLocker" in the Windows search bar.

2. Open the found result.

3. Select the drive you want to decrypt and select "Turn off BitLocker".

4. Restart to take the changes into effect.