How to Fix a Locked Hard Drive: 5 Steps to Unlock Your Data

If you’ve encountered a locked hard drive, don’t panic. There are several steps you can take to unlock your drive and regain access to your data. In this article, we’ll walk you through five proven methods to fix a locked hard drive and get your system back up and running.

Step 1: Run a Disk Check

The first step in unlocking a hard drive is to run a disk check. Here’s how to do it:

1. Install the boot disk or USB drive and power on your computer.
2. When the boot menu appears, choose “Repair your computer”.
3. Select “Advanced startup options” and then “Troubleshoot”.
4. Choose “Advanced options” and then “Command Prompt”.
5. In the MS-DOS screen, type chkdsk D: /f /x /r and press Enter. Wait for the process to complete.
6. Type “exit” and press Enter to exit the command prompt.
7. Restart your computer.

If the hard drive is still locked, move on to the next step.

Step 2: Run a System File Check

The next step is to run a system file check. Here’s how:

1. Boot your computer from the disk or USB drive as you did in Step 1.
2. Navigate to the command prompt as before.
3. Type sfc /scannow and wait for the process to complete.
4. Type “exit” and press Enter to exit the command prompt.
5. Restart your computer.

If the hard drive is still locked, proceed to Step 3.

Step 3: Complete a Startup Repair

Incorrect boot data can sometimes cause a hard drive to become locked. To fix this, follow these steps:

1. Boot your computer from the disk or USB drive and navigate to the command prompt.
2. Type bootrec /RebuildBcd and press Enter.
3. Type bootrec /fixMbr and press Enter. Wait for the process to complete.
4. Type bootrec /fixboot and press Enter.
5. Type “exit” and press Enter to exit the command prompt.
6. Restart your computer.

If the hard drive is still locked, try the next step.

Step 4: Try a System Restore

If the hard drive was recently locked, a system restore may help. Here’s how:

1. Boot your computer from the disk or USB drive.
2. Select “Repair your computer” and then “System Restore”.
3. Choose a restore point from the list, preferably the earliest date or the most recent time your computer was functioning properly.
4. Follow the wizard instructions to complete the restore process.
5. Restart your computer to see if the hard drive is unlocked.

If the hard drive is still locked, proceed to the final step.

Step 5: Refresh Your Computer

As a last resort, you can try refreshing your computer. This process will not affect your data. Here’s how:

1. Boot your computer from the disk or USB drive.
2. Select “Repair your computer” and then “Troubleshoot”.
3. Choose “Refresh your PC”.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the refresh process.
5. Restart your computer to see if the hard drive is unlocked.

If none of these steps work, you may need to seek professional assistance or consider replacing your hard drive.