5 Ways to Fix a Locked Drive with Windows Installed (UTF-8)

If you encounter the error message "The drive where Windows is installed is locked. Unlock the drive and try again," you can stay here and take a practical solution to unlock your Windows hard drive. Here are five solutions and a reliable data recovery tool to assist you:

Please provide the English content you would like translated, and I will do my best to translate it into Chinese.

Error explanation

Error regarding "The drive where Windows is installed is locked":

This usually happens on Windows 10/8.1/8/7 systems when critical system files are missing or corrupted, the System Boot Configuration Data (BCD) is damaged or lacks some necessary information.

Data Backup

You should know that a locked hard drive issue will prevent you from booting your computer normally. To access your data and create an exact copy of the hard drive, you need to back up your data without starting Windows, and third-party backup and recovery software can help you achieve that.

On a functioning computer, go to the Todo Backup product page to download and install it with a 30-day free trial. Have a USB flash drive or CD/DVD at hand, and follow the video below to create a bootable recovery disk. Then, boot the problematic computer from the recovery disk and start disk/partition backup.

Troubleshooting

Below are 4 common methods to unlock your hard drive, which can help you refresh your PC and thoroughly solve the "drive locked for installing Windows" issue. These methods apply to major Windows operating systems, including Windows 10/8.1/8/7. Choose the one that suits you best.

Solution 1: Check the disk for errors using CHKDSK

CHKDSK is a built-in Windows utility that checks the integrity of your hard drive and can even repair bad sectors when it detects them.

Warning: Running the CHKDSK command to fix disk errors will delete all files stored on the target device. Thus, make sure to recover all your data with a reliable data recovery tool first.

1. Boot your computer from a USB flash drive or DVD with the Windows installation media, then click “Next.”

2. Click on “Repair your computer” > “Advanced startup options” > “Troubleshoot” > “Advanced options” > “Command Prompt”.

3. In the Command Prompt window, you need to type the command line (C: is where your Windows is installed).

This command is used to check for disk errors and repair the C: drive. Here's an explanation of the parameters: - `/f`: Fixes errors on the disk. - `/x`: Forces the volume to dismount if necessary before checking. - `/r`: Locates bad sectors and recovers readable information from them.

This JavaScript code is used to implement a click-to-copy functionality. When the user clicks an element with the class `.click_button`, it selects the text within the `textarea` found in its parent element and executes a copy command. Upon successful copying, the button's text changes to "Copied", which then reverts back to "Click to copy" after 3 seconds. Additionally, the `textarea` loses focus.

4. Press the “Enter” key on your keyboard to begin the scan.

5. After doing this, restart your Windows computer and check if the same error appears again.

If you're not comfortable using the Command Prompt, you can use a GUI alternative like CleanGenius. It's a one-click tool to fix file system errors on your hard drive.

Step 1. Download the CleanGenius tool on your computer for free.

Step 2: Run the software. Click “Optimize” in the left panel, and then choose “File Display”.

Step 3: Go to "Select Disk," and choose the disk with the file system error. Check the "Check and fix file system errors" option, then click "Run."

Step 4: Wait for CleanGenius to finish the repair process. When it's done, click “Here” to view the results.

Fix 2: Use the SFC command

The SFC command is a Command Prompt command used to scan and replace crucial Windows system files. Many troubleshooting steps also recommend using the SFC command.

1. Open the Command Prompt window, just like in Fix 1.

2. In the Command Prompt window, type the following command:

This line of text is a command used in the Windows operating system to run the System File Checker tool. The translation in Chinese is:
• 系统文件检查器 /scannow
This command scans the integrity of the system and repairs any corrupted or missing system files.

This JavaScript code, using jQuery, implements a click-to-copy functionality. When a user clicks on an element with the class `.click_button`, the code selects the value of the `textarea` within its parent element, sets the selection, and executes the copy command. Upon successful copying, the button's text changes to 'Copied' with an icon displayed. After 3 seconds, the original text 'Click to copy' is restored, and the selection on the `textarea` is blurred.

3. Press the "Enter" key on your keyboard.

4. Let the scan complete, and fix any potential errors.

5. Restart your Windows computer and check if you still get the same error message.

Fix 3: Run the Bootrec command

1. As mentioned in [Fix 1], go to the Troubleshoot section in Windows.

2. Select “Advanced options” > “Automatic Repair” > “Command Prompt.”

3. Type the command in the command line and press the "Enter" key on your keyboard.

This command translates to: 重建BCD（启动配置数据）存储。 In English: bootrec /RebuildBcd This command is used to rebuild the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store.

```javascript $(function() { $('.click_copy_box .click_button').click(function() { var self = $(this); var Url2 = $(this).parent().find('textarea'); Url2.val(Url2.val()); // Select the content of the textarea Url2.select(); // Set text selection document.execCommand("Copy"); // Execute the copy command $(this).html('Copied'); // Change button text to "Copied" setTimeout(function() { self.html('Click to copy'); // Restore button text after 3 seconds Url2.blur(); // Remove focus from the textarea }, 3000); }); }) ``` This code is a jQuery function that implements a click-to-copy feature. When a user clicks on an element with the class `.click_button`, it selects the value within the `textarea` found in its parent element and copies it to the clipboard. The button's text then temporarily changes to "Copied", and after 3 seconds, it reverts back to "Click to copy". Additionally, the textarea loses focus.

4. Type the command in the command line, then press the "Enter" key on your keyboard.

This command translates to: Fix the Master Boot Record (MBR)

This code is a JavaScript implementation (using the jQuery library) of an auto-copy feature. Here's the explanation with Chinese comments: ```javascript // Execute this function when the page loads $(function() { // When an element with class 'click_button' inside '.click_copy_box' is clicked $('.click_copy_box .click_button').click(function() { // Get the current clicked button element var self = $(this); // Find the textarea with class 'textarea' within the button's parent element var Url2 = $(this).parent().find('textarea'); // Set the textarea value to its current value (to ensure text is selected) Url2.val(Url2.val()); // Select the text inside the textarea Url2.select(); // Execute the browser's copy command document.execCommand("Copy"); // Change the button text to 'Copied' $(this).html('Copied'); // After 3 seconds, restore the original button text setTimeout(function() { self.html('Click to copy'); // Deselect the text in the textarea Url2.blur(); }, 3000); }); }) ``` In summary, this code is for a functionality where clicking a button copies the associated text from a textarea. When the user clicks the button, it selects the text in the textarea, performs a copy operation, temporarily changes the button text to "Copied", and then after 3 seconds, it reverts back to "Click to copy".

5. Type the command in the command line, then press the "Enter" key on your keyboard.

This command translates to Repair the boot sector in English.

This JavaScript code, encoded in UTF-8, accomplishes the following when the page finishes loading: it adds a click event listener to all buttons with the class "click_button" inside elements with the attribute "class" set to "click_copy_box". Upon clicking these buttons, the following actions occur: 1. It retrieves the element with the name "textarea" that is a parent of the clicked button. 2. The value of this text area is set to its current value (this step might be to ensure the correct text is selected). 3. All the text within the text area is selected. 4. The browser's copy command (`document.execCommand("Copy")`) is executed, copying the text to the clipboard. 5. The HTML content of the button is changed to include an icon and the text "Copied", indicating successful copying. 6. A timeout function is set for 3 seconds, which will restore the button's original content ("Click to copy") and remove focus from the text area after 3 seconds. In summary, this script enables automatic copying of the text area content when a button is clicked, and provides visual feedback upon successful copying.

6. Type exit in the command line, then press the "Enter" key on your keyboard.

7. Restart your Windows computer and see if the error returns.

Fix 4: Restart your computer

1. Restart your computer and boot from the USB drive or DVD installation media.

2. Click “Repair your computer.”

3. Click Troubleshoot, and then click Refresh your PC.

4. Follow the wizard to complete the process.

Additional Help: How to Recover Data for Free Without a Backup

Refreshing or unlocking the hard drive is a useful way to fix the “locked drive where Windows is installed” error. However, in the process, you might lose some valuable data on the hard drive. Hence, if data loss does occur, we feel obligated to offer some extra help.

If you accidentally delete Windows data, system files, personal files, and other information using Command Prompt, Refresh or System Restore, you can use the Data Recovery Wizard tool for hard drive recovery to get your data back! It also easily handles issues like recovering deleted files. It's user-friendly, safe, and efficient – download it whenever you need it.

Video Tutorial: How to Recover Files from a Hard Drive

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People also ask

If you have more questions about how to unlock your drive to install Windows, check out the questions and answers below. You might find what you're looking for:

How do I unlock a drive with Windows 10 installed on it?

If the hard drive with Windows 10 installed on it is locked, you can run the following command to unlock it:

1. On Windows, click the "Start" button, type "cmd" in the search box, and then press Enter. 2. Type `bootrec /RebuildBcd` and press Enter. 3. Type `bootrec /fixMbr` and press Enter. 4. Type `bootrec /fixboot` and press Enter. 5. Type `exit` to close the Command Prompt, and then restart your Windows computer.

**2. How do I unlock my computer drive?**

When your computer hard drive is locked, you can try the following steps to unlock it:

1. Run a disk check with the CHKDSK command. 2. Perform a System File Check using the sfc /scannow command. 3. Execute boot repairs with the commands "bootrec /RebuildBcd", "bootrec /fixMbr", and "bootrec /fixboot". 4. Attempt a System Restore. 5. Refresh your computer.

3. Why is my hard drive locked?

For the operating system drive:

As per the information on this page, the error "The drive where Windows is installed is locked" usually appears when critical files in the file system are missing or corrupted.

It can also be locked when the system startup configuration data is corrupted or missing some required information.

For data-driven:

A data drive can be locked for various reasons, including write protection on the disk, password protection, encryption software, malware, or virus infection, etc.