If it’s not? And you still don't know how to get access to an external hard drive? Then proceed to the next step. Restart the computer and check if the disk is available. If for any reason you cannot save these changes or cannot check full control (or any other resolution), you need to try this method in an older version of Windows. Now you need to add a new user (“Authenticated User”).

Then a new window “Permissions for a new volume (E :)” will appear, where you should click on the “Add” tab. From the list provided, left-click 'Properties' > 'Security' > 'Change.' Select and right-click on the inaccessible disk. So the obvious step is to get those permissions. Get the necessary permissionsĪs mentioned above, one of the reasons for an external hard drive having access denied in Windows 10/11 may be the lack of necessary permissions to use the disk. If this method did not help to fix an inaccessible hard drive, proceed to the next method. Perhaps your external hard drive is simply not compatible with the OS. You can also try a previous version of Windows (7 or 8). For example, if you are using Windows, try connecting an external hard disk to a computer with a Linux or Mac operating system.

Try another OS or older Windows versionĬheck whether it is possible to access an external disk from another OS. It is useless and fixing an inaccessible hard drive will not work this way.

For example: if the hard disk partition is named D and the external disk name is also named D, there is no need to change the letter of the external disk. It makes no sense to change the drive letter if you do not have a letter conflict. In rare cases, you can run it, but the effect of the disk check will be temporary and you will again have to deal with an external hard drive with access denied in Windows 10/11. Basically, you cannot start an external hard disk at all. Unfortunately, it is useless to try to start a disk check.

Ntfs permissions reporter portable