Table of Contents
This practical guide explains how to Regain Access to the Hard Drive, Fix Errors That Cannot Open the Hard Drive. It organizes the essential steps, important checks, and common issues into a clear sequence.
- Fix failed hard drive
- How to delete a partition on Windows hard drive?
- Create clone virtual machine for current Windows hard drive.
When you connect a previously used drive to a new computer or another computer or as an external drive or local drive, you will not have access to that drive. When you try to view, add or delete files on that drive, you will receive the error message: ". E: is not accessible. Access is denied ". The message on your drive may be different, but don't worry, there's a solution.

In Windows 7, when you look at the drives in Windows Explorer, one of the drives you just added will not announce any data about its size or free space.

This problem will be overcome quite simply with a two-step process. First, you must regain ownership of the hard drive, then authorize yourself to be the new owner.
Note : Do not try this on the C: drive (boot drive) drive, because it will change the system and cause you to reinstall Windows.
1. Take Back Ownership
In Windows Explorer, right-select the drive you want to own, then select. Properties from the drop-down menu.

select the Security tab.

select the Advanced button.

select the Owner tab in Advanced Security Settings .

select the Edit button .

select the Other users button or groups.

In the ' Object Types ' section, uncheck all boxes except Users, then select. OK .

select the Advanced button .

select the Find Now button .

In the Search Results section, select the user name that you logged into Windows, then select. OK.

Verify the correct username in the object window and select. OK.

Check the box next to Replace owner on subcontainters and objects. .

You will see a warning message " All permissions will be replaced. ". This is very normal. select Yes .

A status window appears, the file access notification has changed.

If you see the ' Access is denied ' error message, it doesn't matter. The message only refers to a specific file system being used. You do not need access to that. Just press the. Continue button .

select OK on the last message in the Windows Security window.

By doing the steps above, you have succeeded in regaining ownership of the hard drive.
2. Grant Access
In Windows Explorer, right-select the drive that you just regained ownership of, and then select. Properties from the drop-down menu.
Under Properties, select the Security tab. You will see your username in the Group window or user names . select the username to bookmark, then select the. Edit button.

In the Allow column, check the Full control box, then select the OK button.

The hard drive will appear in Windows Explorer with information about size and free space. You can select it, view the folder, then add, delete or modify the file if necessary.

With less complicated operations, you can regain access to the hard drive. If you get the same error, don't forget to use this method!
Good luck!
FAQ
How to Regain Access to the Hard Drive, Fix Errors That Cannot Open the Hard Drive?
How to delete a partition on Windows hard drive? Create clone virtual machine for current Windows hard drive.
What should you check before working on regain access to the hard drive, fix errors that cannot open the hard drive?
Review the required tools, software version, account access, compatibility, and any backup or safety steps mentioned in the guide before you begin.
What can you do if regain access to the hard drive, fix errors that cannot open the hard drive does not work as expected?
Recheck each step, confirm the relevant settings and requirements, and use the article's troubleshooting notes. For high-risk tasks, seek qualified support.

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