Category: Windows

Summary:

If your USB or SD card cannot be accessed and displaying the error Disk is write protected, here are the simple and best troubleshooting methods to remove write protection on USB/SD card without any hassle.

Table of Contents

What is the reason that the disk is write-protected?
How to Remove Write Protection from USB drive?
How to Recover files from USB drive displaying Write-protected?
Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Disk Write Protected?

You may have encountered USB drives or SD card displaying Disk is write protected error when you are trying to access the files stored on it or while trying to transfer files from storage drive to computer. Although the drive is not manually set to disk protection, there are other probabilities where your disk can show write-protected and stop you from accessing the drive (access is denied).

1. 1.   A physical switch on SD card might be set to Read Only
   2.   If the disk is full, it automatically displays write protection error
   3.   If you try over-writing on a read only file, you are likely to receive disk is write protected message on the storage drive
   4.  There are some administrator security settings that probably stops you accessing the drive used by the public and displays the error if the drive is write protected.
   5.  Lastly broken or corrupt USB drive can lead to the error if the disk is write protected.

How to Remove Write Protection from USB Drives on Windows?

Below mentioned are the 7 easy methods to fix Disk is write protected error in USB drives. With the help of these methods you will be able to remove write protection from USB/ SD card drives without any hassle.

1. 1.   Unlock Physical switch on USB Flash Drive
   2.   Run Antivirus to scan for viruses
   3.   Verify USB Flash Drive/SD Card is not full
   4.   Change Read-only Status on drive
   5.   Run Diskpart to Clear Write Protection
   6.   Edit the Registry
   7.   Format the Drive (USB/SD card)

Method 1: Unlock Physical switch on USB Flash Drive

Most external drives including USBs, SD cards have a physical switch on the storage devices to lock or unlock the device that prevents you from writing anything on the drive.

However, you can easily unlock the device by moving the switch to the opposite direction. Once the device is unlocked, you can try transferring or copying files again on to the USB drive.

Method 2: Run Antivirus to Scan for Viruses

USB drives or any other storage devices are prone to viruses in various ways. The files in this storage device could also be infected with viruses that can cause damage to the file system and lead to the Shortcut files error and disk is write-protected error.

You can connect your USB or SD card to your computer and run anti-virus software on your computer to scan for viruses and remove them from drives.

Method 3: Verify USB Flash Drive/SD Card is not full

It is very likely to receive the write protection error when files are being accessed on a USB drive or SD card that says full . To check if your drive is full, all you must do is, right click on the Properties, you can view the size of the used space and free space of the USB or any storage device.

If you have enough space on the drive to copy the file and still you encounter the error, this might be due to the problem in the file you are trying to transfer or copy to the drive. Delete unnecessary files or folders from USB drives. Verify if the disk is write-protected error appears or not.

Method 4: Change the Read-only Status on the Drive

On multiple scenarios to avoid any damage to the file, the file will be set to read only status. Therefore, whenever you try to edit or access the file other than read only, the error Disk is write-protected appears and prevents you from editing it.

To change the Read Only status and to fix write-protection on files in USB drives, SD cards, pen drives follow the steps given below:

1. 1.   Click on the drive, Right click on the file you want change the access, Select Properties
   2.   Three options on the bottom of the screen are visible. Now, please ensure that the Read-only option is unchecked.
   3.   Finally, click on Apply and see if the change is effective or not by editing or writing on the file.

Method 5: Use Diskpart to Clear Write Protection

Command prompt is one of the inbuilt utilities in Windows that can help you fix any file system logical errors using command line interpreters. Here, a command Diskpart that is a built-in disk partition tool in windows computer is used to fix the disk that is write protected.

To run Diskpart and fix write-protected disk, follow the steps given below:

1. 1.       Press Win + R keys together and to open Run and type CMD to open command prompt. Or type command prompt in the search box. Run as Administrator
   2.   Type diskpart command >> Enter to run diskpart.
   3.   Type the below commands

list disk (the command lists all available disks on your computer)

select disk n (n is the number of disk representing your USB flash drive or SD card)

attributes disk clear readonly (this command helps you disable write protection)                       

After performing these commands, try transferring or copying files again to the USB drives.

Method 6: Edit the Registry on USB

If the problem still exists after trying all the above-mentioned methods, you try fixing it by enabling the USB write.reg file.

1. 1.   Click Win+R >> type regedit to open Registry Editor.
   2.   Then navigate to the following location to find a key named WriteProtect

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies

1. 3.   When the key is found, right click and select Modify to change the value from 1 to 0.

If you still encounter the disk with a write-protected message, it is suggested to format the USB drive that is write protected.

Method 7: Format the Drive Displaying Disk is Write protected

Formatting the drive can fix any corruption or damage in the file system. Therefore, Formatting the drive helps fixing any error caused by corruption write protection on disk. Sometimes, Windows fails to format the USB drive using regular methods, therefore, it is the best choice to format the USB drive using Diskpart.

Note: However, formatting helps you fix the error but also erases all the data from the drive. If you the drive has any important file and documents it is recommended to recover your data from USB drives before heading to format the drive.

Format the Drive using Diskpart command

1. 1.   Type cmd to the search box >> right-click it to choose Run as administrator to open Command Prompt.
   2.   In the new window,

type diskpart >> press Enter

Type list volume >> press Enter (the command helps to display all volumes available on drive)

Type select volume n (n represents the volume number of your SD card, USB flash drive or other devices)

Type format fs=ntfs label=”new volume” quick (this command helps to format your file system format to NTFS file system)

Exit

As mentioned above this method erases all the data from the drive. However, you can still recover data from the formatted USB drive using the best trusted USB recovery tool.

How to Recover Files from USB Drive Displaying Write Protected?

SFWare USB recovery tool is the most recommended tool to recover data from corrupt or formatted USB drives/ SD cards. However, you can make use of the tool after you remove write-protection from the USB drive. After removing write protection, the software with its fast and quick scanning algorithm retries lost data without from the USB drive any hassle. Download the software now for free and try it yourself..

Steps to recover data from formatted drive

1. 1.   Connect your USB drives/ SD cards to the computer and launch the SFWare USB recovery application. From the main screen select Recover Drive/Partition, from next screen choose Drive/Partition Recovery. Now the software starts to display all the drives and partitions available on the computer

1. 2.   In the next window, select the USB drive that was write protected and formatted.
      
      

1. 3.   The software initiates to scan the drive. The software scans each and every sector in the USB drive to search for the files that can be recovered. Once the scanning process completes, all the recoverable files are displayed in the list.
      
      

1. 4.   Form the list select the files you need to recover from the formatted USB drive and click on Next

Lastly, select the location to save all the recovered files from the USB. Make sure you save the files in a different location to avoid the overwriting of the files on the same drive.

Conclusion

The USB error Disk is write-protected is the most common error that can be encountered when you have important files saved on the drive. However, it becomes chaotic when you need to access the data from the drive. With all the above-mentioned methods explained in the article, you will be able to fix the error easily and access files, edit/modify it without any problem.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my USB say write-protected when I format it?

Your USB displays USB is write protected in various scenarios. However, write-protection will not enable you to format the drive or allow any modification of the drive until write-protection is removed.

How do you fix the disk is write-protected USB error?

You can fix the write-protection error using several methods explained here.

1. 1.   Unlock Physical switch on USB Flash Drive
   2.   Run Antivirus to scan for viruses
   3.   Verify USB Flash Drive/SD Card is not full
   4.   Change Read-only Status on drive
   5.   Run Diskpart to Clear Write Protection
   6.   Edit the Registry
   7.   Format the Drive (USB/SD card)

How do I unlock a USB drive?

If you are wondering how to unlock the USB drive switch, all you must do is find the physical switch on the USB drive and need to toggle it to the opposite direction to unlock your USB Drive. If you do not have any physical switch on the storage devices, you might be encountering a write protection error due to other possible reasons like virus, corruption, etc.

Summary:

Windows automatically suggest to run Scan and Repair to fix any kind of corruption in USBs or external drives when the drive is connected . What if disk checking process itself stuck? How to fix error checking scanning and repairing drive is stuck? With the help of various troubleshooting steps given in the article, you can easily fix the issue on hard drives (C drive) and externals drives (USB).

Quick Navigation

What is Error Checking Scan and Repair?

What Makes Error Checking Scan and Repair To Get Stuck?

How to Fix the Error Check Scan and Repair Stuck?

Fix the Error Checking Scanning and Repairing Stuck in Windows C Drive

Fix the Error Checking Scanning and Repairing USB Drive Stuck

Frequently Asked Questions

About Error Checking Scan and Repair

Scan and repair function is a disk checking process that comes under Windows Automatic Repair which is also known as start-up repair. Generally, when you start your laptop or PC, Automatic Repair runs automatically to fix any issues with booting. Similarly, whenever any external drive or USB with bad sectors or virus are inserted, your Windows asks to scan and repair it.

Error check Scanning and Repairing can get stuck, when you are trying to repair USB drives, hard drives, or any other external drives. Windows displays an error message There’s a problem with this drive. Scan the drive now and fix it. If the Scanning and repairing drive process gets stuck, it means that Windows cannot read the drive. However, Drive corruption can be due to several reasons but, what makes the Error checking Tool to stop working or stuck during the repair process?

What Causes Error Checking Scan and Repair to Get Stuck?

The problem is usually encountered when you abruptly shut down the PC due to power failure or force shutdown. Sometimes the issue may occur if you shutdown your PC after long time (when you restart the PC after shutting down it irregularly by keeping it in sleep mode for long days).

There are some other reasons that leads to the Error Checking Scan and Repairing drive stuck. Most common reasons are bad sectors on external drives, virus/ malware, incorrect driver configuration and severe damage to the file system can lead to the error.

How to Fix Error Checking USB Drive Scanning and Repairing Stuck Issue?

When Scanning and Repairing Drive C or D (USB) Stuck at 0%, 10%, 11%…100%, below given are the simple troubleshooting methods that help you fix the scanning and repairing drive stuck issue.

Wait for a While:

Be it on Windows C drive or D(USB), if Error checking scan and repair taking too much to scan doesn’t mean it is stuck. Minor issues on drive can be fixed in less time by scan and repair. If there are major issues on drive, scanning and repairing drive may take longer than expected time, sometimes it may take hours to complete the process.  At times, you can find some of your  files deleted from Scan Fix. Therefore, make sure you keep a backup of your important files and data.

Let us see various methods to fix Scan and Repair stuck based on the type of the drive you are encountering the issue with.

Based on the Drive	Solutions
Fix Error Checking USB Drive Scanning and Repairing Stuck – For Hard Drives	1.       Check a Disk Connection 2.       Stop Windows from Scanning and Repairing the Drive 3.       Disable Automatic Repair 4.       Enter Safe Mode and Run CHKDSK
Fix Error Checking USB Drive Scanning and Repairing Stuck – For USBs/External drives	1.       Check the Drive Connection 2.       Run CHKDSK Scan in the Safe Mode 3.       Windows Error Checking Tool 4.       Disable the Check Drive on Booting 5.       Fix issue using Windows PowerShell

 

Fix Error Checking USB Drive Scanning and Repairing Stuck – For Hard Drives 

Check Disk Connection

If you have moved your PC recently this may cause displacement of computer disks. Hence, leads to improper working of Scanning and repairing drive and stuck might be the connection issues between the disk and the computer. In such cases, verify the cable and port to make sure the disks have been connected to the PC properly.

Stop Windows from Scanning and Repairing the Drive

You can easily stop Scanning and repairing process in Automatic Repair. With this, you can easily bypass Scanning and repair by pressing any key.

Step 1: As you are stuck at Scanning and repairing drive, shut down the computer using power button.

Step 2: Now, again Start the computer and you will see the Preparing Automatic Repair screen >> Diagnosing your PC

Step 3: Here, before the disk checking starts, press any key such as the spacebar or others to disable the disk checking.

Disable Automatic Repair

To avoid problems like Scanning and repairing being stuck you can easily disable Automatic Repair. To perform these steps, you will need to enter in the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) or the Windows installation media. However, Windows installation media will not be available to everyone, follow the steps to disable automatic repair in WinRE.

Step 1. Shut down computer. Press power button for 10 seconds.

Step 2. Once again start the computer. Once you see that Windows has started, hold down the power button for 10s again and turn off the device. Repeat this until you see computer in WinRE.

Step 3. Once you see, Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot >> Advanced options >>Command Prompt

Step 4. Enter bcdedit and remember the values for identifier and recoveryenabled under Windows Boot Loader, Mostly, it’s {current} and Yes.

Step 5. To disable Automatic Repair, enter bcdedit /set {current} recoveryenabled no.

{current} indicates the current OS and change the value yes to no will abort Automatic Repair.

Now, Restart the computer without Automatic repair enabling Scan and Repair drive function.

Enter in Safe Mode and Check the drive

Usually, Scanning and repairing drive gets stuck due to disk errors like bad sectors and file system errors. You can choose to enter Safe Mode and run CHKDSK to fix the errors, this will make scan and repair work effectively without being stuck. Also, Safe Mode starts the computer with only required services and drivers.

Step 1. Hold down the power button for 10s to shut down the computer. Repeat this until you see computer in WinRE.

Step 2. On the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot >> Advanced options >> Startup Settings >> Restart.

Step 3. After system restarts, a list of options appears. Select 5 or press F5 to enable Safe Mode with Networking.

Step 4. Go to This PC, right-click the drive (C or USB drive) that Windows is stuck at scanning and repairing, then choose Properties.

Step 5. Go to the Tools tab >> choose Check.

Fix Error Checking USB Drive Scanning and Repairing Stuck – For USBs/External drives

When you are trying to fix any error on USB and external drives, it becomes important to keep your data safe. Before heading to the solutions to fix corrupt USB drive, it is recommended to recover your data from the trouble causing USB.

When the USB drive is not detected or recognized, the best solution is to make use of a third party tool and recover files from USB drive.

SFWare USB recovery tool is the most recommended tool to recover data unreadable or unrecognized USB. The software not only helps you recover data but also scan the drive for any bad sectors and recover files without any hassle. With its unique design and advanced data recovery algorithms it can efficiently recover inaccessible data from the USB drive.

Check the Drive connection

Any incorrect or improper connection of USB could lead to the problem Scanning and Repairing drive being stuck. Therefore, ensure the USB drive connection is secure before heading into any troubleshooting steps given below. In few cases, you might even encounter USB not recognized error as well.

You can try re-inserting the USB or unplug all the externally connected drives and restart your PC to check if the problem still exists.

Run CHKDSK in Safe Mode

Running a CHKDSK scan is one of the quickest and easiest ways to check the computer drive for system file errors. Therefore, this would reduce Scanning and repairing drive getting stuck in the process.

Step 1. Hold down the power button for 10s to shut down the computer. Repeat this until you see computer in WinRE.

Step 2. On the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot >> Advanced options >> Startup Settings >> Restart.

Step 3. After system restarts, a list of options appears. Select 5 or press F5 to enable Safe Mode.

Step 4. Now, go to Windows start and type cmd in the search box. Command Prompt >> select Run as administrator.

Step 5. Once command window appears, type the chkdsk command & hit Enter.

Step 6. if any errors appear on the drive, type chkdsk/scan & hit Enter.

This will scan the drive and fix if there is a problem with this drive.

Note: If you see …queued for offline repair, it means the drive severely corrupt and PC needs to reboot and need Automatic Repair for scanning and repairing the problematic drive.

Step 7. Next, type the command chkdsk /spotfix and tap the Y key when prompted.

Now, restart your system and wait until the scanning and repairing USB drive process gets completed.

Use Windows Error checking Tool to fix error checking USB drive scanning and repairing stuck

Windows Error-checking tool checks and automatically fixes the issues that can lead to scanning and repairing stuck problem.

Step 1: Click on the File Explorer >> This PC >> expand Devices & drives.

Step 2: Right click on the USB drive causing scanning and repairing to be stuck and choose Properties. Click on the Tools tab >> under Error Checking >> click the Check button.

Step 3: if you USB drive has any error, you’ll be asked to repair a drive.

Disable the Check Drive on Booting and fix scanning and repair USB drive stuck

If you find that there is no issue in your USB drive & still the scanning & repairing stuck error is appearing, then you should try modifying a registry & disabling the CHKDSK on booting.

Step 1: Enter into Safe Mode (follow the steps given in above solutions) >> press the Windows+ R keys together to launch the Run dialog & type regedit, and click OK.

Step 2: Tap Yes when asked for permission to make changes.

Step 3: Go to a Session Manager >> BootExecute in the right column.

Step 4: on the next window, change a Value data to the autocheckautochk /k:C * & hit OK to confirm the changes.

Now, finally exit the Safe Mode & restart your PC to verify whether the issue of scanning & repairing the drive stuck is solved or not.

Fix error checking USB drive scanning and repairing stuck using Windows PowerShell

In this method we use PowerShell to run a Repair-Volume-DriveLetter command to scan and fix the drive errors that might lead to Error Checking Scanning and repairing stuck.

Step 1: Enter you PC into Safe Mode as mentioned in the above solutions

Step 2: Type Powershell on the search box >> Run as Administrator.

Step 3: Now, on the opened panel, type the repair-volume -driveletter x command & hit Enter

Finally, restart your computer and check for the error scanning repairing USB drive stuck

Conclusion:

Error Checking Scanning and Repairing drive stuck is not an uncommon error. The usually occurs when the drive is severely corrupt and unable to scan the drive. With the help of above-mentioned methods, you can easily fix the issue and fix the errors in hard drive and external drives like USB, SD cards as well.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How long does it take to scan and repair a USB drive?

The process of Scan and Repair, repairing a drive varies from drive to drive. If the computer is scanning and repairing a hard drive, it may exceed more than expected hours to complete. If the computer is scanning and repairing a USB, the process depends on bad sectors and corruption on USB file system. And it may get stuck around 11% or 20% or abruptly completes 100%.

How do I fix scanning and repairing C drive stuck at 100 %?

The easiest way to fix scanning and repairing C drive stuck at 100% is to stop Windows from Scanning and Repairing the Drive. Perform the hard shutdown by holding the power button for 5 to 10 seconds and when Windows restart press any key to cancel the scan and repair process.

Does scanning and repairing drive delete files?

Scan and Fix process only scans the drive and repair if any file system error, bad sectors and logical errors are encountered. The whole process doesn’t delete any of the files from the drive. However, if the drive is severely damaged or corrupt, there might be the changes of files getting deleted from the drive. To keep your data safe, is always recommended to keep a backup of your files or make use of any data recovery software.

Is it safe to scan and fix hard drive?

Yes, it is absolutely safe to use Scan and repair function to fix errors in the drives. The process works on both hard drives and external drives like USB, SD card etc.  with the hep of Scan and Repair, you can easily fix any bad sectors on the drive and minor file system damage on the drive.

 

Summary:

Is your Windows displaying Access Denied when you insert USB on your computer? This could be the result of an improper connection or USB corruption. With the help of simple and effective methods explained in the article, you will be able to fix the error access is denied for USB in jiffy.

Access Denied is an error that occurs when Windows is unable to access the contents of a USB and this can be due to various reasons.

Why is USB Access Denied?

It is not uncommon to encounter a pen drive or USB flash drive is not an access denied issue in Windows 11/10/8/7. There are many reasons that leads to the USB error, most common factors are listed below:

• • When USB or pen drive is removed inappropriately, it may corrupt the system files running in the background and cause trouble when you insert again.
  • When access to the USB drive is restricted using write protection or read only mode, you will not be able to access the USB drive until you remove the write protection. 
  • If USB’s file system is damaged or corrupt, USB doesn’t allow access to the content in the drive.
  • The USB is conflicting with any third-party applications, this can stop you from accessing the drive until the issue is sorted. 

All the above-mentioned reasons make your USB inaccessible. Now, let’s see the solutions to fix the error Access is denied for USB.

Note: There are few methods explained in the next session that may cause data loss from the USB, if your data is important and cannot risk to lose, it is recommended to recover data from the inaccessible USB and follow the method to fix Access is denied error.

Quick Navigation:

1. Recover data from the USB displaying Access is denied error
2. Fix USB Access is Denied Error using various approaches

• • • • Try Accessing the USB Drive
      •  Using Regedit Manage Advanced Security Settings for USB
      • Change Drive Letter with Disk Management
      • Edit Local Group Policy for USB
      • Fix USB Error Access denied Using Error Checking Tool
      • Run CHKDSK to fix Access is denied for USB
      • Format the USB drive to fix USB access denied error

7 Solutions to Fix USB Access is Denied in Windows PC

Try all the methods one after the other to fix the error USB access is denied in Windows 11/10/8 or any other versions.

Method 1: Try Accessing the USB Drive

If your USB device is protected and everyone’s access is disabled for use, here is how to access the device:

1. 1.   Press Windows + E Keys to open file explorer. Click on the inaccessible USB device.
   2.   Right-click the USB device and select Properties >> Security >> Advanced >> Edit
   3.   Search for your name under the Group or user names section and click on it.
   4.   Enable all the boxes in the Allow column >> press Apply
   5.   complete the process by clicking OK to gain permission to access the USB device.

Method 2: Manage Advanced Security Settings for USB

If the error access is denied is due to an issue in Windows register, you can try the following steps to fix it.

1. 1.    Open Run by pressing Windows + R keys and type regedit.exe and navigate to the below mentioned path

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\ENUM\USB

1. 2.   Now, right click the USB folder and select Permissions. Make sure the Read column is checked.
   3.   Go to the Advanced tab >> select Include inheritable permissions from this object’s parent
   4.   Now, go to the Owner tab and check the box Replace owner on sub containers and objects >> Apply and OK

Once the process is complete, try to connect your USB to check if the error message USB access denied exists or not.

Method 3: Change Drive Letter with Disk Management

It is important to know that changing the path of a device changes the device letter assigned to USB dynamically. Therefore, changing drive letters with disk management helps in reconfiguring the change and helps in fixing the error USB access denied if it is due to change in the USB device path.

1. 1.   Open Disk Management using the Run dialogue by pressing the Windows + R keys together and type diskmgmt.msc >> Enter or OK.
      OR Right-click on the start button and select disk management.
   2.   Navigate to the USB device displaying the error access is denied, right-click on the USB drive partition at the bottom of the Disk Management window.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Choose Change Drive Letter and Path… from the listed options.

 4. In the next window that your OS will prompt, chose Change…. >> Select the new drive letter >> OK

After the completion of the process verify if you still encounter the error Access is denied for USB on Windows.

Method 4: Edit Local Group Policy for USB

Sometimes access to USB connectivity may be denied by the Local Group Policy Editor restriction on the device. Follow the steps to fix the USB error using simple steps:

1. 1. Type gpedit.msc in a search bar >> click on the Edit group policy option displayed on your screen.
   2.  When your Control panel Local Group Policy Editor will be loaded, select Administrative Templates >> now expand the System folder.
   3. Inside the expanded System folder >> open the Removable Storage Access folder. 
   4.  This final step includes three processes:  open all the options mentioned one after the other and tick the option Disable to remove restrictions from the device.
      1.       Removable Disks: Deny execute access,
      2.       Removable Disks: Deny read access
      3.       Removable Disks: Deny write access.
         

Method 5. Use Error Checking Tool

If error USB access is denied is caused due to file system error in Windows 11/10/8, error checking tool will help you fix the error.

1. 1. Open File Explorer or This PC, go to the access denied USB. Right-click on the USB drive and select Properties
   2. Go to the Tools option. under the Error checking section, click Check.
   3. Click on Repair Drive.

This will help you fix the issues with the device that is causing trouble to access the USB drive.

Method 6. Run CHKDSK To Fix USB Error Access Is Denied

If the error is caused due to file system errors, you can always rely on CHKDSK, an inbuilt utility in Windows that helps to fix logical errors.

1.       Open command prompt, by typing cmd in search bar >> Run as administrator
2.       Type the command: chkdsk H: /f press Enter (Replace H with your USB drive letter)

Method 7: Format the USB Drive to Fix the Access is Denied Error

If the system file of a USB device is corrupted or damaged, the easiest way to fix any USB error is to format the drive.  Formatting the drive not only fixes errors but also helps you fix any damage in the file system.

1.       Connect your USB to the Windows computer, open File Explorer. Right-click on the USB drive, select Format option
2.       In the Format device window, you will be displayed Quick format or complete format

(Make sure you understand the difference between Quick and Complete Format before formatting the USB drive)

3.       When the Warning… message pops up, click OK. Warning message displays that formatting will erase all the data from the device. Once the format process is done, you will receive a Format Complete message >> press OK

After the format process is completed, close the USB window and eject the USB drive to remove the USB.

How to Recover Data from the USB displaying Access is Denied Error?

Follow the steps to recover data from the inaccessible USB. Download and install SFWare USB data recovery software, connect the USB to the computer where software is installed. Launch the application.

Steps to recover data from inaccessible USB

1. 1.  From the main screen select Recover Drive/Partition, from next screen choose, Drive/Partition Recovery, by selecting this option, software starts to display all the drives and partitions available on the computer

      

   2.  From the next window, select the USB drive from the listed drives, from which you need to recover your important data and click on Next

      

   3.  The software initiates to scan the drive. The software scans each and every sector in the USB drive for all the recoverable files. Once the scanning process completes, all the recoverable files are displayed in the list. 

      

   4.  Choose the files you need to recover from the inaccessible USB drive and click on Next 

      

   5.  From the next window, select the location to save all the recovered files from the USB. Make sure you save the files in a different location to avoid the overwriting of the files from the drive.

Not only USB drives, with SFWare Data Recovery software, you can easily recover data from any external devices such as SD card, external hard drive, pen drive, etc.

Conclusion:

With all the 7 methods mentioned above, you will be able to fix the error Access is Denied on Windows 11/10 other versions. To keep your USB safe from viruses and other kinds of malware that makes your USB susceptible for errors like access is denied, USB drive not recognized etc, run antivirus on a regular basis. Keep backup of your data to avoid any data loss situations. If you ever encounter data loss scenarios, you can always rely on SFWare data recovery software.

Summary:

If you are looking for ways to fix frequent restarting of Windows computers, you are on the right track. This article guides you to fix random restart of Windows using various easy approaches. If you have lost any data due to this computer randomly rebooting issue, do not worry, you can just hit on the download button and recover your lost files in just 3 simple steps.

What Makes Windows Computer to Restart Frequently?

If Windows restarts randomly without any warning this can be due to any of the following reasons-

1.   Software Errors: Generally, computer reboots or restarts due to software conflicts when you have installed new software or driver on your system.  

Fix: If the PC starts to restarts randomly after the installation of the software, you need to uninstall the recently installed software and perform the system restore of an old date.

2.   Hardware Errors: PCs or laptops, they are designed in a way to restart and shut down when the process heat exceeds the certain limit. Also, the dust particles in the systems cabinet could also create the problem.

Fix:  

1. 1.     Make sure you keep your laptop/PCs off when not in use or make use of sleep mode to avoid overheating of your processor.
   2.     Always clean the system cabinet to make your PC free from dust particles.
   3.     Test power supply and check the possible loose connection of the hard disk, DVD drive from the motherboard and reconnect to avoid any glitch.

3.   Computer virus: Some computer viruses are capable of restarting your computer without any warnings.  Viruses such as the blaster virus are designed to reboot your computer without warning.

Fix: Make use of Anti-Virus software regularly

If you are done verifying the causes and still the problem persists, follow the methods given in the next section to fix the computer restarts randomly without warning.

Can Frequent Rebooting or Restarting of Windows Damage PC?

If you are wondering if frequent restart or often rebooting of computers damage PCs, the answer would be Yes. Unplanned restarts can lead to data loss and even long-term damage to your PC components, so make sure you perform periodic backups. If you have no backups, you can always rely on a safe and secure thirst party recovery too

You can make use of SFWare Data Recovery Software that helps you recover data from various data loss scenarios. One software can help you recover data from all the versions of Windows including the latest Windows 11 and other older versions.

How do I Fix the Random Restarting of Windows Computer?

Try the following methods one after the other and verify if the rebooting of computer is stopped. If computer keeps restarting or rebooting, follow the next given methods to fix frequent rebooting.

Change Advanced Power Settings

Disable automatically restart feature

Reinstall your graphic card driver

Change your power plan to High performance

Update BIOS

Test your RAM for errors

Reset your system to factory settings without losing data

 Recover Lost data from your computer

Method 1: Change Advanced Power Settings

If you are having random restarts on Windows, you might want to try changing the power settings to fix it.

1. 1.    Go to Windows search and type power >>Choose Power & sleep settings
   2.   Now click on Additional power settings on your right panel
   3.    Find your plan and click on Change plan settings
   4.   Now click on Change advanced power settings and locate Processor Power Management
      
      
   5.   You should see the Minimum Processor State value that is set to 100%.
   6.   Change Minimum Processor State to some other value, such as 0 >> Save the changes.

Method 2: Disable automatically restart feature

In order to protect the system from corruption or any logical errors, automatic restart option shuts down the system. If there’s a bug with the latest update and your system is behaving normally with disabling of random restarts, you can try disabling the option and verify if that clears the problem.

1. 1.    In the Windows Search bar, type Advanced settings >> choose View advanced system settings from the list >> Open Advanced
   2.   Open Settings under Startup and Recovery section.
   3.   Disable the Automatically restart box >> Confirm the changes.

Method 3: Reinstall your graphic card driver

Windows automatically installs its drivers. However, if you install graphics card drivers from your graphics card manufacturer, it can sometimes cause conflicts and random restart. To fix this rebooting/restarting issue, you need to install additional drivers after Windows performs its update and installs the necessary drivers first.

Note: If you have already installed your graphics card drivers, you might need to uninstall them and install them again in order to fix this issue by restarting your computer.

1. 1.   Press Windows Key + X >> choose Device Manager from the list.
   2.   Now, locate your graphics card >> right-click and choose Uninstall device.
   3.   Check Delete the driver software for this device and click Uninstall >> restart your computer.
   4.   Download the latest driver from your graphics card manufacturer’s website and install it.

Method 4: Change your power plan to High performance

If you’re having random restarts on Windows, sometimes the best solution is to change your power plan to High performance.

Note: By changing your mode to high performance. PCs or laptops consume more power. As the Laptop will drain faster, you may have to recharge it often.

1. 1.   Type power in Windows Search >>Choose Power & sleep settings
   2.    Now click on Create power plan
   3.   When Power Options window opens
   4.   When the Power Options window opens, choose High performance
      
      

Method 5:  Update BIOS to avoid restarting of computer

Sometimes you can fix random restarts on Windows including Windows 11/10/8 by updating your BIOS. To update your BIOS, you need to visit your motherboard manufacturer’s website and download the latest version of BIOS.

Before you update BIOS, make sure that you check your motherboard’s manual in order to update BIOS properly.

Note: If you’re not careful, you can cause permanent damage to your computer, so be careful if you decide to update your BIOS. If you don’t know how to do it properly, please contact an expert.

Method 6: Test your RAM for errors

The first symptom of something went wrong with your RAM, Windows restarts randomly
1. Press Windows key + R to start Run >> type mdsched.exe >> press Enter.

2. Choose to restart your PC and >> after the initial BIOS screen, the scan should start.

3. Wait for the procedure to end and check if the problem still exists.

Method 7: Reset your system to factory settings without losing data

When the computer restarts randomly, you might be on the verge of losing your important unsaved data. Therefore, make sure you restart your system to factory settings.

1. 1.   Press Windows key + I to open Settings >> Click on the Update & Security section.
   2.   Choose Recovery from the left panel >> Click Get started under Reset this PC.
   3.   Choose Keep my files and start the recovery process.

Method 8: Recover Lost Data From Computer

If you have lost any data due to frequent rebooting or restarting of computer, SFWare is your best choice. Download and Install SFWare Data Recovery Software on your computer, launch the application.

1. 1. Select Recover Files from the main screen to recover any deleted or lost files from your computer2. Choose Lost File Recovery and select the drive from which you want to recover files lost due to frequent rebooting of computer3. Select the file type from the list and click on next. If you are not sure of the file type, the software lists all the recoverable files lost from your computer.
      Choose the files you want to recover and click on Next. Preview the files, if you are satisfied with the results, save the files on your computer. Make sure you save the files in different location, saving files on the same location may

 

Conclusion:

With all the above-mentioned methods, you should be able to stop your Windows from restarting randomly. Try one method after another and verify if the problem still persists. If the problem still exists, make sure you keep the backup of your important data before it gets late. However, you can make use of SFWare Data Recovery software, if you ever encounter any data loss situations.