Summary :

the drive where Windows is installed is locked

"The drive where Windows is installed is locked" error always happens in Windows 10/8/8.1 when you reset or refresh your PC to restore the PC to a normal state. Here, this post shows you half dozen effective solutions and read information technology to know how to unlock a difficult drive effectively.

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Error - The Drive Where Windows Is Installed Is Locked

When Windows eight, 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 reckoner to the state when it works well, with keeping personal files intact.

In most cases, you can do refresh successfully, just sometimes you may receive the following mistake message: "The bulldoze where Windows is installed is locked. Unlock the bulldoze and endeavor again."

the drive where Windows is installed is locked

Are yous troubled by such an issue? Why is the hard drive locked?

Possible Causes for "Difficult Drive Locked" Error

It is difficult to say what is the exact culprit for this error, so hither we but listing 4 possible causes:

  1. mbr(chief boot record) is damaged.
  2. Windows system files are corrupted or damaged.
  3. BCD (boot configuration data) is damaged. (Note: hither, I guess yous might be interested in this post: 4 Ways to Fix Kicking Configuration Data File Is Missing .)
  4. In that location are errors on the disk.

After knowing causes, you may inquire: Windows drive is locked how to unlock Windows 10/eight/8.1. Next, allow's see how to unlock a hard drive to fix this error.

half-dozen Solutions - The Drive Where Windows Is Installed Is Locked

Method 1: Rebuild MBR with MiniTool Partition Wizard Bootable CD

MBR (master boot record) is a special type of boot sector at the very offset of partitioned computer mass storage devices. It contains a pocket-size corporeality of executable code called the master kick code, the disk signature, and the partition tabular array for the disk.

And the master boot code scans the partition table for the active partition, finds the starting sector of the active segmentation, loads a re-create of the boot sector from the active division into retention, and transfers control to the executable lawmaking in the kick sector.

Once the master boot code is damaged or corrupted, you are very likely to receive "The drive where Windows is installed is locked" error message when booting or refreshing computer. So you can attempt rebuilding MBR to meet whether this tin can fix the Windows locked hard bulldoze error.

Now, you might be wondering: How to rebuild MBR effectively to unlock drive Windows 10/8/8.1?

Here, MiniTool Segmentation Magician, a professional division magic developed by a famous software development company based in Canada, is recommended here. Since Windows cannot boot because of difficult drive locked mistake, you tin click the Bootable Media feature to get MiniTool Partition Sorcerer Bootable Edition.

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

Buy Now

Footstep 1: Launch MiniTool Partition Sorcerer Pro in another normal calculator, and then click Bootable Media in the toolbar.

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

create WinPE-based bootable media with MiniTool Partition Wizard

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

Pace 6: Now, select the arrangement disk which is facing MBR damage and click Rebuild MBR from the left panel or right-click menu.

rebuild damaged MBR to fix hard drive locked error

Step 7: Click the Apply button to perform all changes to ready "The drive where Windows is installed is locked" error.

Height RECOMMENDATION

In the main interface of MiniTool Sectionalisation Sorcerer, experienced users volition choose to back up data saved on the locked difficult bulldoze to keep data 100% rubber because any accident during repair could result in information loss. Here, you can too practise this with the post-obit steps.

Step i: Select the current organization disk and choose the Copy Disk feature from the left action console.

copy disk to back up data

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

Note: Delight backup all important information on target disk in accelerate, because all its information will be deleted.

choose target disk for the cloned data

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

choose one copy option
  • If you are an SSD or advanced format HD user, y'all tin check the option Marshal partitions to 1MB to improve disk performance.
  • If the target disk is larger than 2TB, you tin bank check the Employ GUID Partition Table for the target disk, because it supports disks larger than 2TB while MBR supports the maximum disk size of 2TB.

Step 4: Read the popup note advisedly, and then click the Terminate button to continue.
Stride 5: Click the Apply button in the top left corner to apply all awaiting operations.

execute all changes by clicking apply button

After rebuilding MBR, if your Windows hard drive is nonetheless locked, how to unlock Windows 10/8/8.1? Try method 2.

Method Two: Repair Your Calculator with Windows Installation Disc

The Repair your calculator feature in Windows Installation Disc could fix problems that are preventing Windows from running. Afterward repair, your Windows might be bootable, and at that place is no need to refresh the computer. Fifty-fifty if Windows is yet unbootable, the mistake "The bulldoze where Windows is installed is locked" could be fixed, and then you tin can refresh your figurer.

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

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

Footstep 2: Connect the installation disc to your computer and boot from it to get the window below (here we accept Windows 10 installation disc for example):

Step iii: Choose a linguistic communication, a time, a currency, a keyboard, or an input method, so click Side by side to continue.

Windows 10 setup interface

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

Windows 10 repair your computer

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

startup repair in WinRE

Sometimes, some Windows x users will find their Automatic Repair doesn't piece of work. If you have the same trouble, don't worry and you tin can discover answers from this post: How Do I Solve - Windows Automatic Repair Not Working.

After the fix is completed, yous should exist able to start Windows or refresh your reckoner. But what if this likewise failed to ready the hard drive locked fault? Now, how to unlock a hard drive in Windows ten/8/8.1? Try the third mode.

Method Three: Set Kick-related Files with Bootrec.exe Tool

Bootrec.exe is a Windows snap-in tool to troubleshoot startup issues, and information technology tin repair Main Kick Record, Kicking Sector, and Boot Configuration Information.

On the internet nosotros institute lots of people give feedback and said this method helped them fix the "The drive where Windows is installed is locked" mistake, so we hope this can also assist you unlock drive Windows 10/eight/8.1.

Hither are the steps.
Stride i: Insert the Windows bootable bulldoze and boot from it.
Step 2: Select your language preferences, and click Next.
Step 3: After selecting language, press Shift + F10 to open Control Prompt.
Step 4: Type bootrec.exe in control prompt and press Enter cardinal to launch the tool.
Step five: Type the following commands, and each command should cease with pressing on Enter key:
bootrec /FixMbr
bootrec /FixBoot
bootrec /RebuildBcd

fix boot-related files with bootrec.exe tool

Tip: If you are running Windows from UEFI/GPT boot way, in that location is no need to type the kickoff command, because it is used to fix MBR which is only seen in MBR disk.

After the repair is completed, you can quit from Command Prompt and try starting Windows or refreshing figurer.

When the one-time 3 are finally proved to exist useless, Windows drive is locked how to unlock Windows x/eight/8.1? In addition, we too detect other 3 solutions. Just endeavour them to solve the hard drive locked outcome.

Method Four: Fix Disk Errors with CHKDSK.exe

CHKDSK is a Windows built-in utility to report disk/volume state if we run information technology without giving whatever parameters, and repair bug caused past, or related to, bad sectors, system errors, cross-linked files, directory errors and lost file clusters if nosotros employ information technology by specifying parameters, similar /f, and /r. Information technology examines disks and tin right many types of mutual errors on FAT16, FAT32, and NTFS drives.

And then you can follow the instructions below to try fixing the "The drive where Windows is installed is locked" error.

Step one: Insert the Windows bootable bulldoze and kick from it.

Step two: Click Repair your computer > Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Control Prompt.

choose Command Prompt in WinRE

Step 3: Blazon the following command and press Enter.
Chkdsk C: /R or chkdsk C: /F

chkdsk fix unlocked hard drive

Tip: C is the letter of the bulldoze where Windows is installed. If your Windows is installed on D: drive, replace C with D. In add-on, with specifying the parameter /R, chkdsk.exe will cost much more time to gear up errors compared with giving the /F parameter because the former will locate bad sectors and recover readable information, non limited to fixing errors.

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

Helpful Commodity: Does CHKDSK utility delete your important information? Hither are ways to help your recover CHKDSK deleted files in few steps. CHKDSK Deletes Your Data? Now Recover Them in Few Steps

If this way likewise fails to gear up the locked hard drive, how to unlock a hard drive in Windows 10/eight/8.i? Endeavour the adjacent way.

Method Five: Use Organization 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 arrangement files and restore corrupted files. However, how to use this tool to repair missing or corrupted organisation files to unlock hard drive?

Pace one:Open up Command Prompt. (Please run into Method 3: Set up Boot-related Files with Bootrec.exe Tool know how to open it.)
Footstep 2: Blazon sfc /scannow and then press Enter primal to perform the functioning.

sfc to fix unlocked hard drive

After that, you can endeavor rebooting Windows or refreshing computer to see whether the hard drive locked mistake still exists.

If you still get the locked hard drive error after trying the higher up v solutions, yous can try the final solution to unlock hard bulldoze Windows 10/8/8.i.

Method Six: Restore Windows

Some users say they successfully deal with the "The drive where Windows is installed is locked" error by restoring Windows and the steps are shown below.

Stride 1: Boot reckoner via the installation disc.
Footstep 2: Select your language preferences, and click Next.
Step 3: Click Repair your reckoner > Troubleshoot > Avant-garde options > System Restore.

Footstep iv:Then, you will meet the System Restore interface equally follows. Now, click Next button to keep.

system restore Windows 10

Footstep 5: After that, you will be given detailed operating prompts. Just exercise equally told to restore the operating system to unlock drive Windows 10/8/8.1.

Note: Sometimes you may observe this restore functioning stuck on restoring files. This mail service Easily Fix: Windows 10 System Restore Stuck (Focus on ii Cases) shows you solutions.

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Bottom Line

Don't know how to unlock a hard drive in Windows 10/8/8.i when receiving the error "The bulldoze where Windows is installed is locked"? Try the above half-dozen solutions now to get out of the trouble.

Should y'all take whatever other problem with this locked hard drive event or operating MiniTool products, just feel free to contact us via [electronic mail protected] or leave a message in Comment part below.

The Bulldoze Where Windows Is Installed Is Locked FAQ

How exercise yous set up the bulldoze where Windows is installed is locked?

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

How do I unlock a locked drive in Windows 10?

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

How tin I unlock my drive which is locked with BitLocker?

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

How to format a locked bulldoze?

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