Windows Is Locked

Summary :

"The drive where Windows is installed is locked" error ever happens in Windows ten/8/8.1 when you lot reset or refresh your PC to restore the PC to a normal country. Hither, this mail shows you 6 effective solutions and read it to know how to unlock a difficult drive finer.

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• Error - The Bulldoze Where Windows Is Installed Is Locked
• 6 Solutions - The Drive Where Windows Is Installed Is Locked
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• The Bulldoze Where Windows Is Installed Is Locked FAQ
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Fault - The Bulldoze Where Windows Is Installed Is Locked

When Windows 8, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10 is unbootable or runs in errors, many users choose to refresh or reset their PC for fixing since this may restore their estimator to the state when information technology works well, with keeping personal files intact.

In virtually cases, you tin can do refresh successfully, simply sometimes you may receive the post-obit mistake message: "The drive where Windows is installed is locked. Unlock the drive and try again."

Are you troubled by such an issue? Why is the hard bulldoze locked?

Possible Causes for "Hard Drive Locked" Error

Information technology is difficult to say what is the verbal culprit for this error, then here we just list 4 possible causes:

1. mbr(master boot record) is damaged.
2. Windows system files are corrupted or damaged.
3. BCD (kicking configuration information) is damaged. (Note: here, I guess you might be interested in this postal service: iv Ways to Prepare Boot Configuration Data File Is Missing .)
4. At that place are errors on the disk.

Afterward knowing causes, you may ask: Windows drive is locked how to unlock Windows x/viii/8.one. Side by side, let's see how to unlock a hard bulldoze to gear up this error.

6 Solutions - The Drive Where Windows Is Installed Is Locked

Method I: Rebuild MBR with MiniTool Division Wizard Bootable CD

MBR (master boot record) is a special blazon of boot sector at the very beginning of partitioned reckoner mass storage devices. It contains a small amount of executable code called the master kick code, the disk signature, and the partition tabular array for the disk.

And the main boot code scans the partition table for the agile partition, finds the starting sector of the active partition, loads a re-create of the kicking sector from the active sectionalisation into retentivity, and transfers control to the executable lawmaking in the boot sector.

Once the master boot code is damaged or corrupted, yous are very likely to receive "The drive where Windows is installed is locked" error message when booting or refreshing computer. Then you can try rebuilding MBR to see whether this can gear up the Windows locked hard bulldoze error.

Now, y'all might be wondering: How to rebuild MBR finer to unlock drive Windows 10/viii/8.1?

Here, MiniTool Partitioning Wizard, a professional person partition magic developed by a famous software development company based in Canada, is recommended here. Since Windows cannot kick because of hard drive locked fault, y'all tin can click the Bootable Media feature to go MiniTool Partition Magician Bootable Edition.

Tip: The free edition of MiniTool Partition Magician doesn't provide Bootable Media Builder since this feature is only included in paid editions. Here, you tin can get MiniTool Segmentation Wizard Pro Edition from the button below to rebuild MBR to unlock difficult drive.

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Step 1: Launch MiniTool Sectionalization Wizard Pro in another normal computer, and then click Bootable Media in the toolbar.

Step 2: Click WinPE-based media with MiniTool plug-in.

Step 3: Create a bootable USB bulldoze or CD/DVD drive.
Step 4: Connect the MiniTool bootable hard drive to your PC with locked difficult drive, and boot from it.
Pace 5: And then, MiniTool Partition Wizard will launch by itself to its primary interface.

Step 6: Now, select the system disk which is facing MBR impairment and click Rebuild MBR from the left console or correct-click menu.

Pace 7: Click the Utilize button to perform all changes to fix "The bulldoze where Windows is installed is locked" error.

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In the principal interface of MiniTool Division Wizard, experienced users will choose to back up data saved on the locked hard bulldoze to go on data 100% safe because whatsoever accident during repair could result in data loss. Here, you can too do this with the following steps.

Step 1: Select the current system disk and choose the Copy Disk feature from the left action panel.

Stride 2: Select the disk that is used to hold the copy of the system disk and click Next.

Note: Please backup all of import data on target disk in advance, because all its data volition be deleted.

Step 3: Select a copying choice to decide the layout of the target disk, or manually change partition size and location by changing the length and location of the partitioning handle.

• If y'all are an SSD or avant-garde format HD user, you lot can check the option Align partitions to 1MB to improve disk performance.
• If the target disk is larger than 2TB, y'all tin can check the Utilize GUID Partitioning Table for the target disk, because it supports disks larger than 2TB while MBR supports the maximum disk size of 2TB.

Pace iv: Read the popup note advisedly, and and so click the Finish button to continue.
Stride 5: Click the Apply push in the meridian left corner to utilise all pending operations.

Later rebuilding MBR, if your Windows hard drive is still locked, how to unlock Windows ten/eight/viii.1? Try method ii.

Method Two: Repair Your Computer with Windows Installation Disc

The Repair your computer feature in Windows Installation Disc could set bug that are preventing Windows from running. After repair, your Windows might be bootable, and in that location is no need to refresh the computer. Fifty-fifty if Windows is still unbootable, the error "The drive where Windows is installed is locked" could be fixed, and so you tin can refresh your computer.

Step 1: You have to prepare an installation disc or repair disk, either USB or CD/DVD.

Tip: You'd better use the installation disc which is for the same edition of Windows y'all are trying to repair.

Step 2: Connect the installation disc to your reckoner and kick from it to get the window below (here we accept Windows 10 installation disc for case):

Step 3: Choose a language, a time, a currency, a keyboard, or an input method, and and then click Adjacent to continue.

Step 4: Choose Repair your computer rather than Install now.

Pace 5: Click on Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Repair to set problems that keep Windows from loading to unlock difficult bulldoze.

Sometimes, some Windows x users will notice their Automatic Repair doesn't work. If you have the same problem, don't worry and you tin can detect answers from this postal service: How Practice I Solve - Windows Automatic Repair Not Working.

After the prepare is completed, you lot should be able to start Windows or refresh your reckoner. But what if this also failed to fix the hard drive locked error? Now, how to unlock a difficult drive in Windows ten/8/8.one? Try the third mode.

Method Three: Fix Kicking-related Files with Bootrec.exe Tool

Bootrec.exe is a Windows snap-in tool to troubleshoot startup bug, and it can repair Main Boot Record, Boot Sector, and Boot Configuration Data.

On the internet we found lots of people give feedback and said this method helped them fix the "The drive where Windows is installed is locked" error, so we hope this tin likewise help you unlock drive Windows 10/eight/eight.i.

Here are the steps.
Step 1: Insert the Windows bootable drive and boot from information technology.
Step 2: Select your language preferences, and click Next.
Footstep 3: After selecting language, press Shift + F10 to open Control Prompt.
Stride 4: Blazon bootrec.exe in command prompt and printing Enter key to launch the tool.
Step 5: Type the following commands, and each command should end with pressing on Enter fundamental:
bootrec /FixMbr
bootrec /FixBoot
bootrec /RebuildBcd

Tip: If yous are running Windows from UEFI/GPT kick mode, there is no need to type the offset command, because it is used to set up MBR which is simply seen in MBR disk.

Later on the repair is completed, you lot can quit from Command Prompt and effort starting Windows or refreshing computer.

When the former 3 are finally proved to be useless, Windows drive is locked how to unlock Windows 10/8/8.1? In addition, we also find other 3 solutions. Just endeavor them to solve the hard drive locked issue.

Method Four: Ready Disk Errors with CHKDSK.exe

CHKDSK is a Windows built-in utility to report disk/book state if nosotros run it without giving any parameters, and repair problems caused past, or related to, bad sectors, arrangement errors, cantankerous-linked files, directory errors and lost file clusters if we use it by specifying parameters, similar /f, and /r. Information technology examines disks and can correct many types of common errors on FAT16, FAT32, and NTFS drives.

Then you can follow the instructions below to try fixing the "The bulldoze where Windows is installed is locked" fault.

Step one: Insert the Windows bootable drive and boot from it.

Stride two: Click Repair your calculator > Troubleshoot > Avant-garde Options > Command Prompt.

Stride three: Type the post-obit command and press Enter.
Chkdsk C: /R or chkdsk C: /F

Tip: C is the letter of the drive where Windows is installed. If your Windows is installed on D: drive, supercede C with D. In addition, with specifying the parameter /R, chkdsk.exe will cost much more than fourth dimension to fix errors compared with giving the /F parameter considering the old will locate bad sectors and recover readable information, not express to fixing errors.

Footstep 4: Type exit and press Enter to leave command prompt. After that, you should be able to refresh your computer or start Windows.

Helpful Commodity: Does CHKDSK utility delete your of import data? Here are ways to help your recover CHKDSK deleted files in few steps. CHKDSK Deletes Your Data? At present Recover Them in Few Steps

If this way too fails to gear up the locked hard drive, how to unlock a difficult bulldoze in Windows ten/8/viii.1? Try the next way.

Method Five: Use System File Checker to Repair Missing or Corrupted System Files

System File Checker (SFC) is a utility in Windows that allows users to scan for corruptions in Windows system files and restore corrupted files. However, how to use this tool to repair missing or corrupted system files to unlock hard drive?

Pace ane:Open Control Prompt. (Please see Method Three: Fix Kick-related Files with Bootrec.exe Tool know how to open it.)
Stride 2: Type sfc /scannow and then press Enter central to perform the operation.

After that, you can try rebooting Windows or refreshing estimator to meet whether the hard drive locked error still exists.

If you even so go the locked hard drive fault after trying the above v solutions, you tin can try the concluding solution to unlock difficult drive Windows 10/8/8.i.

Method Six: Restore Windows

Some users say they successfully deal with the "The bulldoze where Windows is installed is locked" fault past restoring Windows and the steps are shown below.

Footstep 1: Kick figurer via the installation disc.
Step 2: Select your language preferences, and click Next.
Step three: Click Repair your computer > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore.

Footstep 4:Then, you will come across the Organization Restore interface as follows. At present, click Adjacent push button to go on.

Step 5: Later on that, you lot will be given detailed operating prompts. Only do as told to restore the operating system to unlock drive Windows 10/viii/8.i.

Note: Sometimes you may find this restore operation stuck on restoring files. This postal service Easily Fix: Windows 10 Organisation Restore Stuck (Focus on ii Cases) shows you solutions.

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Lesser Line

Don't know how to unlock a difficult bulldoze in Windows 10/eight/eight.one when receiving the error "The drive where Windows is installed is locked"? Effort the above 6 solutions now to go out of the problem.

Should yous have any other problem with this locked hard drive issue or operating MiniTool products, just feel free to contact usa via [email protected] or leave a bulletin in Comment office below.

The Drive Where Windows Is Installed Is Locked FAQ

How practice you fix the bulldoze where Windows is installed is locked?

1. Rebuild MBR with MiniTool Partitioning Wizard Bootable CD
2. Repair Your Computer with Windows Installation Disc
3. Ready Boot-related Files with Bootrec.exe Tool
4. Fix Disk Errors with CHKDSK.exe
5. Use System File Checker to Repair Missing or Corrupted Organisation Files
6. Restore Windows

How do I unlock a locked drive in Windows x?

1. In Windows, click the Start and enter cmd in the Search field, then press the Enter key.
2. Type bootrec /RebuildBcd and press Enter.
3. Type bootrec /fixMbr and printing Enter.
4. Type bootrec /fixboot and press Enter.

How can I unlock my bulldoze which is locked with BitLocker?

1. Get to Windows Explorer.
2. Double click the Bitlocker encrypted drive.
3. Choose Unlock Drive from the context menu.
4. Enter the password to unlock the Bitlocker encrypted drive.

How to format a locked drive?

1. Open Disk Management.
2. Right-click on the drive or sectionalisation and click on Format.
3. Select the file system and cluster size.
4. Click OK to format the BitLocker encrypted drive.

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Source: https://www.minitool.com/partition-disk/fix-the-drive-where-windows-installed-locked.html