When you attempt to refresh or reset your PC to fix Windows issues, sometimes, you may get the error message – “The drive where Windows is installed is locked. Unlock the drive and try again.” This article will offer 6 measures to fix it.
Many users have ever encountered such an error – “The drive where Windows is installed is locked. Unlock the drive and try again.” It can occur for many reasons, such as damaged Master Boot Record, corrupted system files or hardware faults, etc. In order to prevent data loss, like PST corruption, you have to eliminate this error as soon as possible. Thus, here we will share you 6 solutions to it.
1. Repair Corrupt Master Boot Record
Master boot record (MBR) is a boot sector at the beginning of computer storage device. It plays a greatly important role in computer booting. More specifically, if it gets corrupted, you’ll tend to receive various errors when booting or refreshing PC, including “The drive where Windows is installed is locked. Unlock the drive and try again” error. Thereby, in the first place, you ought to check and repair the corrupt MBR, which can be accomplished by a specialized tool. You can purchase and download a reliable one in the online market.
2. Automatic/Startup Repair
“Repair your computer” feature in Windows installation media is developed for solving Windows booting problems particularly. It has multiple tools, including the “Automatic/Startup Repair”. Hence, you can use it to fix this error as well. Just insert the installation disc into your PC and then boot PC from it. Then, select language and hit “Repair your computer” > “Troubleshoot” > “Advanced Options” > “Automatic/Startup Repair” and follow onscreen wizards to finish repair.
3. Fix Booting Files via Bootrec
In addition, when it comes to fixing startup issues in Windows, “bootrec” is a tool which should not be ignored. It is well-versed in detecting and solving troubles in the booting sectors and configuration files. To launch it, you can boot PC from a bootable drive and then press “Shift + F10” after selecting preferences. Then, in the Command Prompt, you can input the following command lines.
bootrec /FixMbr bootrec /FixBoot bootrec /RebuildBcd
4. Repair System Files via SFC
Besides, corrupted or missing system files can result in this error, too. Therefore, you also ought to examine and repair system files. This can be achieved with the System File Checker (SFC). You can access Command Prompt like the above way. Then, type “sfc /scannow” line and press “Enter” in Command Prompt.
5. Fix Disk Errors via CHKDSK
Moreover, there is a chance that something bad has occurred to the internal disk in your PC. Therefore, you need to check and fix disk errors by CHKDSK. The first step is access Command Prompt again. Then, input the “chkdsk c: /r” line and hit “Enter” key. After that, reboot PC to see if error persists.
6. Run System Restore
Some users have expressed and witnessed that this error can be eliminated by a “System Restore”. Hence, you can try it to restore Windows to an earlier fine state. You can boot from an installation disc and then access “Repair your computer” > “Advanced Options” > “System Restore”. Later, choose a target system and select a restore point to start.
7. Contact Professionals
Supposed that all the above solutions cannot repair this error, you’d better resort to the experts as quickly as possible. They can recognize the key and real causes and fix it with effortless ease.
Author Introduction:
Shirley Zhang is a data recovery expert in DataNumen, Inc., which is the world leader in data recovery technologies, including repair SQL Server and outlook repair software products. For more information visit www.datanumen.com
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