# The drive where Windows is installed is locked. Unlock the..



## gdfgfdga (Oct 1, 2016)

Hey Guys,

I needed to install SQL Server 2014 Management Studio for a database course that I'm taking. I wasn't able to load the database, so I played around with the C drive permissions and I ended up losing all access to my C drive. If I try to go anywhere like Acer Recovery Management or C: Security Tab or UAC, I get "access is denied". I have my Windows 8 recovery USB and I played around in the command prompt but ended up making it worse. (Before I could still log on and use Chrome) but now I'm getting "\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\BCD - You'll need to use Recovery tools" It messed up when I tried this command "bcdboot c:\Windows /l en-us /s x: /f ALL" I tried all the other commands from this website:

https://neosmart.net/wiki/the-drive-where-windows-is-installed-is-locked/

except for the paid software:

Easy Recovery Essentials ®

but haven't bought it yet. I know it can be fixed from the command prompt but I'm not sure how. When I try "Reset / Refresh your PC" from the recovery media, I still get "The drive where windows is installed is locked. Unlock the drive and try again" I have all my files saved on Google drive so I don't mind losing anything. What can you suggest?


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## gdfgfdga (Oct 1, 2016)

System restore doesn't work. There's no available restore points. I get the error "To use system restore, you must specify which Windows installation to restore." Automatic repair doesn't work. It's a problem with the BCD that needs to be fixed from the command line. When I try to back up the BCD, I get the error "The system cannot find the file specified." I also get the error "Failure when attempting to copy boot files." when I try to do "bcdboot C:\Windows /l en-us /s p: /f ALL (P: is the letter I assigned for the ESP volume). It has to be that the BCD file is missing. I need to retrieve it somehow. Thanks,
Sarah


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## lunarlander (Sep 22, 2007)

It may be a little late now, but try removing the Windows 8 hard drive and see what happens.


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## gdfgfdga (Oct 1, 2016)

How would I do that?

Thanks,

Sarah


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## crjdriver (Jan 2, 2001)

It is possible to fix this however it is going to require a pretty high level of skill AND you are going to have to boot into the command prompt using a system repair disk. If you are not comfortable working in the cmd prompt or are unsure of what you are doing, a clean install might be a better option.
If you choose to attempt this, boot with the system repair disk and choose advanced options>cmd prompt. The program you would use in the cmd prompt is lcacls. Here is a list of all of the switches available with this command;
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753525(v=ws.11).aspx
Again this is not really something for the home user to attempt.


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## gdfgfdga (Oct 1, 2016)

crjdriver said:


> It is possible to fix this however it is going to require a pretty high level of skill AND you are going to have to boot into the command prompt using a system repair disk. If you are not comfortable working in the cmd prompt or are unsure of what you are doing, a clean install might be a better option.
> If you choose to attempt this, boot with the system repair disk and choose advanced options>cmd prompt. The program you would use in the cmd prompt is lcacls. Here is a list of all of the switches available with this command;
> https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753525(v=ws.11).aspx
> Again this is not really something for the home user to attempt.


Ok Thanks a lot. I'll try the clean install on the weekend.

Sarah


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## gdfgfdga (Oct 1, 2016)

crjdriver said:


> It is possible to fix this however it is going to require a pretty high level of skill AND you are going to have to boot into the command prompt using a system repair disk. If you are not comfortable working in the cmd prompt or are unsure of what you are doing, a clean install might be a better option.
> If you choose to attempt this, boot with the system repair disk and choose advanced options>cmd prompt. The program you would use in the cmd prompt is lcacls. Here is a list of all of the switches available with this command;
> https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753525(v=ws.11).aspx
> Again this is not really something for the home user to attempt.


I visited an internet cafe near my apartment and used the Windows Media Tool to download Windows 10 using Rufus/USB. When I tried to clean install, I got the error message "WIndows could not retrieve information about the disks on this computer." I think I need to type some advanced commands in the command prompt to fix it. Any ideas? Thanks.

Sarah


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## crjdriver (Jan 2, 2001)

When you first messed around with the drive, did you by chance encrypt the drive?
If you are sure you did not encrypt the drive, wipe it before attempting an install. There are many, many utilities for wiping drives. I use linux parted magic however you can use the drive mfg's diagnostic or dban. 

If you did encrypt the drive, that is done via the drive controller and no wipe or anything else is going to help; you must unlock the drive with the password.


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