Retrieve Data from Locked Drive Where Windows Is Installed

“Hi, I upgraded to Windows 8.1 yesterday and everything went well. But 2 days later I started experiencing some issue, so I tried to refresh system. Then I got an error that stated "the drive where Windows is installed is locked. Unlock the drive and try again" What should I do? I don’t have any backup as I moved entire backed up data on my system after completion of upgrade process. Can anyone please help me to solve this problem?”

Now, first and foremost thing you need to do is recover entire data from your locked Windows hard drive and save it on a safe location. Yodot can help you in restoring your precious data from locked Windows drive. All you need to do is track the below steps and get back your locked data from Windows drive.

  • Click Download Now button and set-up Yodot Hard Drive Recovery tool
  • Connect locked Windows drive externally to the system and run the utility
  • Proceed further by clicking on Partition Recovery button
  • Mark locked Windows drive from list and continue by clicking Next option
  • Select all displayed partitions and click on Next button
  • Specify restoration of entire data by clicking on Skip button
  • Select files which you want to retrieve using File Type View or Data View
  • Click Preview button or double-click files to verify recovery process
  • Mention place to save retrieved data and keep it protected

Your data is safe and secure now. So you can move further to fix the drive which is screening the message “the drive where Windows is installed is locked”.

You can try these techniques to resolve the issue:

1. Boot the system using Windows installation media > Next > Repair your computer > Advanced startup options > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command prompt> Type “chkdsk /f C:” > Enter > then reboot your computer

2. Follow above step and type “sfc /scannow” in Command prompt > Enter > restart system

3. Go to Troubleshoot > select Advanced options > click Automatic repair > paste "bootrec /fixMBR" in Command prompt > enter > then paste "bootrec /fixBoot" > enter > write bootrec /rebuildBCD > enter > at last type "Exit" and hit enter key

4. Re-format hard drive > do Clean-Install Windows OS

Discern Yodot Hard drive Recovery:

Yodot Hard Drive Recovery is a secure and instantaneous way to retrieve data from hard drive of a computer showing drive is locked where Windows is installed message. With assistance of Yodot you can easily restore MS office documents, program files, compressed data, database files, media files and other files upto 300 formats from locked Windows drive. The tool can effectively accomplish data recovery on hard drives having various interfaces such as IDE, SCSI, PATA, SAS, SAT and more. The utility aids in retrieval of FAT, FAT16, FAT32, ExFAT, NTFS, and NTFS5 formatted files from locked Windows drives. You don’t need to bother about your Windows OS version as the application is compatible with all Windows versions including Windows 10. Recovery process will be easier even for non-technical user because of its smart and convenient GUI. Addition to locked Windows hard drive, it supports all portable hard drives, flash drives, SSDs, media cards and other storage devices.

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Suggestions regarding Windows drive lock issue:

  • Typically this drive locked error may arise due to virus intrusion, outdated or missing drivers, conflict by third-party software, missing system files, corrupted file system, failure of hard drive internal logic etc.
  • So you need to use trusted and effective Antivirus tool, install required drivers, uninstall outdated driver software, and avoid installing unreliable third party application on your system. Monitor your computer and resolve issues once they appear, don’t leave until they become serious problems.

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