External HD without access

Antero · Sep 18, 2024

My dear friends who are members of this forum. I need some help.
I have a WD My passport Ultra external drive that doesn't allow me to access it.
I've used the chekdsk /F command but it didn't help.
There will be free recovery software? Paying I know but I needed a free solution, thank you very much.
Antero

FreeBooter · Sep 18, 2024

Add Take Ownership to Context Menu in Windows 11

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glasskuter · Sep 18, 2024

Welcome to the forum Antero. It would help us if you could give a bit more info. Screenshots are helpful.
You say external drive doesn't allow you access to it. What message or indication do you get when you try to access the files?

Is the drive assigned a drive letter in explorer?

Was the external drive bitlocked (Pro)or device encrypted (Home)either from another computer or your current computer.?
(For Pro ie: Bitlocker)Open Control Panel. Change the view to either "Small icons" or "Large icons".
Locate and click on "BitLocker Drive Encryption".
You will observe the BitLocker status (on or off) listed next to each of your drives.
(For Home ie: device encryption)Is device encryption toggled to on? Device Encryption in Windows - Microsoft Support

antspants · Sep 18, 2024

Hi, Antero, welcome to the ElevenForum

Some ways to possibly solve your problem.

Method 1. Gain administrator permission

Step 1: Open This PC, right-click the inaccessible external hard drive and select “Properties”.
Step 2: Go to Security, click “Advanced” and “Owner”.
Step 3: Click “Edit” and click your username under Group or username.
Step 4: Check all boxes under Allow column, click “OK” to confirm and “Apply” to keep all changes.

Reboot PC and reconnect the external hard drive.

Method 2. Update the external hard drive driver

Step 1: Connect the external hard drive to the PC.
Step 2: Right-click on This PC/My Computer icon, select Manage and go to Device Manager.
Step 3: Expand Disk drivers, find and right-click on the external hard drive, choose “Update driver”.
Step 4: Select “Search automatically for updated driver software” and wait patiently till the process completes.
Reboot the PC and reconnect the device.

Method 3. Check and fix file system errors

Step 1: Press Windows + R keys simultaneously to invoke Run. Type cmd in the empty box and hit Enter.
Step 2: Type disk part and click OK to bring it up.
Step 3: Type chkdsk G: /f /r /x and hit Enter.

Exit the command prompt and safely eject your external hard drive. After some time, try reconnecting it and see if you can open it normally.

Method 4. Format external hard drive, change file system to NTFS

If there is no data on the WD drive, or if you have backups of the data on the frive, try a new format.

Cheers

jumanji · Sep 18, 2024

Antero said:
My dear friends who are members of this forum. I need some help.
I have a WD My passport Ultra external drive that doesn't allow me to access it.
I've used the chekdsk /F command but it didn't help.
There will be free recovery software? Paying I know but I needed a free solution, thank you very much.
Antero

When you wake up

As glssscuter advised post a screenshot of Windows Disk Management. And apart from that do not do anything else.

How to Post a Screenshot of Disk Management

How to Post a Screenshot of Disk Management at Ten Forums

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antspants · Sep 18, 2024

Thee suggestions I posted above are from Support at WD.
Also, if you have a spare cable, try it.

Right click on the WD Ultra

Add, type a new user name called Authenticated User in the text box and click OK.

antspants · Sep 18, 2024

Type cmd in the Windows search box, then right-click Command Prompt from the best match result and choose the Run as administrator option.

Step 2. If a User Account Control window pops up, click Yes.

Step 3. In the command line window, input CHKDSK drive letter: /f /r and press Enter to execute it. Note that you need to replace the drive letter with the actual one of your WD My Passport.

So for instance: CHKDSK H: /f /r

Press Enter.

jumanji · Sep 18, 2024

^Please provide the link to the mentioned Support Article.

antspants · Sep 18, 2024

jumanji said:
^Please provide the link to the mentioned Support Article.

I don’t know you, sorry

Therefore I can not share my wife's chat transcript with you.
Changing permissions fixed her Passport Ultra.

jumanji · Sep 18, 2024

^No probs.

jumanji · Sep 19, 2024

Antero said:
.........I have a WD My passport Ultra external drive that doesn't allow me to access it.
I've used the chekdsk /F command but it didn't help.
There will be free recovery software? Paying I know but I needed a free solution, thank you very much.
Antero

I am only hoping that you ran check disk on the system drive and not on the faulty WD Paasport Ultra External disk (wishful thinking on my part

).

Here is the warning from Mirosoft on running check disk on " File System corrupt" disks:

Quote "WARNING: When Chkdsk detects problems with the file system and attempts to repair the damage, data loss can occur. Microsoft does not recommend running Chkdsk with the /f command-line switch unless you have a full backup of your hard disk." unquote

Microsoft KB Archive/176646 - BetaArchive Wiki

www.betaarchive.com

Why and what can happen?

The file system can get corrupted for many reasons - Corrupt Protective MBR in a GPT disk, Lost or corrupt Partition Table, Corrupt Volume Boot Record, Corrupt MFT.

If it is a corrupt MFT which means the file index in it is corrupted, and you run check disk on that disk, check disk will ceremoniously delete all the files that is not properly indexed in the Master File Table and you will lose all or most of the data - a clean MFT with only properly indexed ( Not corrupted) file entries..

So if due to file system corruption the disk becomes inaccessible. one should always ascertain that it is not due to corrupt MFT before running Check disk on it.

Tell me now whether you ran check disk giving the drive letter of the of the faulty disk and post a screenshot of Windows Disk Management showing its current status..

You may also need to check its current health - if it has developed any bad sectors that can result in file system corruption.

Antero · Sep 19, 2024

jumanji said:
Quando você acorda

Como glssscuter aconselhou, poste uma captura de tela do Gerenciamento de Disco do Windows. E, além disso, não faça mais nada.

How to Post a Screenshot of Disk Management

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Não estou dormindo. Quero resolver meu problema e agradeço muito.

Antero · Sep 19, 2024

jumanji said:
When you wake up

As glssscuter advised post a screenshot of Windows Disk Management. And apart from that do not do anything else.

How to Post a Screenshot of Disk Management

How to Post a Screenshot of Disk Management at Ten Forums

www.tenforums.com

Upload and Attach Images and Files in Post at ElevenForum.com

This tutorial will show you different ways on how to upload and attach an image or file into your post here at ElevenForum.com. There is a 2 MB maximum file size limit that you can upload and attach to the forum. Option One: Insert Image into Post Option Two: Attach File into Post Option...

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Antero · Sep 19, 2024

I'm not sleeping. I'm trying to solve this problem. I really appreciate your help. I have already tried the other solutions, which I also appreciate, but I was not successful.

antspants · Sep 19, 2024

If it didn’t have a drive letter already you wouldn’t even see it in File Explorer to try.

First, right click on the drive in File Explorer and make sure it doesn’t say “Turn Off Bitlocker”

If it does:

Option One

Turn Off BitLocker for Drive in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to turn off BitLocker for an encrypted drive in Windows 10 and Windows 11. BitLocker Drive Encryption is a data protection feature that integrates with the operating system and addresses the threats of data theft or exposure from lost, stolen, or inappropriately...

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Let us know

Antero · Sep 19, 2024

antspants said:
Se não tivesse uma letra de unidade, você nem a veria no Explorador de Arquivos para tentar.

Primeiro, clique com o botão direito do mouse na unidade no Explorador de Arquivos e certifique-se de que não esteja escrito “ Desativar Bitlocker ”

Se isso acontecer:

Opção Um

Turn Off BitLocker for Drive in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to turn off BitLocker for an encrypted drive in Windows 10 and Windows 11. BitLocker Drive Encryption is a data protection feature that integrates with the operating system and addresses the threats of data theft or exposure from lost, stolen, or inappropriately...

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Deixe-nos saber

Antero · Sep 19, 2024

With this cut you see that there is no bitlocker, that's all. Thanks

antspants · Sep 19, 2024

So that’s a no? (Sorry I can’t read Portuguese)

Antero · Sep 19, 2024

Antero said:
Obrigado

Não acho que tenha um bitlocker. Eu nunca o usei intencionalmente.
Com o Windows Explorer vejo a letra da unidade
Eu sou português e meu inglês é fraco. É por isso que uso o Google Tradutor. Alguma bobagem, peço desculpas

antspants · Sep 19, 2024

Antero said:
I don't think you have a bitlocker. I never used it intentionally.

With Windows Explorer I see the letter of the drive

I'm Portuguese and my English is weak. That's why I use Google Translate. Some nonsense, I apologise

Antero said:
I don't think you have a bitlocker. I never used it intentionally.

We don’t intentionally do a lot of things in Windows yet things happen.

You need to use English in this forum as advised by the administration.

Translate with Google is fine

External HD without access

Member

My Computer My Computer

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aka Mama Glass

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Method 1. Gain administrator permission​

Method 2. Update the external hard drive driver​

Method 3. Check and fix file system errors​

Method 4. Format external hard drive, change file system to NTFS​

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

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Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

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Like a rolling drone.

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Like a rolling drone.

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Like a rolling drone.

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Member

Attachments

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Member

Attachments

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Like a rolling drone.

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Member

Attachments

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Like a rolling drone.

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Like a rolling drone.

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

My Computer

My Computer

My Computers

Method 1. Gain administrator permission

Method 2. Update the external hard drive driver

Method 3. Check and fix file system errors

Method 4. Format external hard drive, change file system to NTFS

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computer

My Computer

My Computer

My Computers

My Computer

My Computer

My Computers

My Computer

My Computers