{"id":2965,"date":"2015-01-15T06:18:51","date_gmt":"2015-01-15T12:18:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/neosmart.net\/wiki\/?p=2965"},"modified":"2018-02-08T00:14:02","modified_gmt":"2018-02-08T06:14:02","slug":"the-drive-where-windows-is-installed-is-locked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neosmart.net\/wiki\/the-drive-where-windows-is-installed-is-locked\/","title":{"rendered":"The drive where Windows is installed is locked: Fix for Windows 8, 8.1, 10"},"content":{"rendered":"

Get the fix to the “The drive where Windows is installed is locked”<\/strong> error that appears on Windows 8, Windows 8.1<\/strong>\u00a0or Windows 10<\/strong> systems.<\/p>\n

About “The drive where Windows is installed is locked”<\/h2>\n

The following information on this error has been compiled by NeoSmart Technologies, based on the information gathered and reported by our global network of engineers, developers, and technicians or partner organizations.<\/p>\n

Description and Symptoms<\/span><\/h3>\n

The error messages, alerts, warnings, and symptoms below are tied to this error.<\/p>\n

Symptom 1: “The drive where Windows is installed is locked” error screen on startup<\/h3>\n

The screen below is displayed when you attempt to start your PC. Unlike most errors, this error screen isn’t identified by an error code like the “Your PC needs to be repaired”<\/a> error:<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Refresh your PC\r\n\r\nThe drive where Windows is installed is locked. Unlock the drive and try again.\r\n\r\nCancel<\/pre>\n
Causes of this Error<\/h2>\n
This error has been known to occur as a result of one of the following causes:<\/p>\n
Cause 1:\u00a0Bitlocker boot agent disabled<\/h3>\n
The root cause of this issue is due to the usage of Windows Bitlocker encryption. Bitlocker is a whole-disk encryption used to secure user data, but requires that the Bitlocker boot agent be installed. At boot time, this boot agent is used to unlock the Windows drive before attempting to load Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10. If this agent is disabled or overwritten, either on purpose, by accident, or due to 3rd party interference such as 3rd party bootloaders or malware infecting the boot process, this error message can appear.<\/p>\n
Cause 2: The TPM has been cleared or reset<\/h3>\n
BitLocker can optionally use a hardware encryption chip found on most modern PCs and laptops known as the TPM (Trusted Platform Module<\/em>) to manage the secret keys used for the encryption of data. If this TPM is cleared or lost, either due to the user clearing the TPM manually in the BIOS\/firmware setup or due to a TPM firmware upgrade as part of the system firmware\/BIOS upgrade process, the keys the TPM contains may be cleared and the system will fail to boot.<\/p>\n
Cause 3:\u00a0BCD file is damaged<\/h3>\n
The BCD(Boot Configuration Data) file that contains boot configuration parameters for Windows system, is a very important part of booting process. If that file becomes damaged, then\u00a0the boot process is halted.<\/p>\n
Fixing \u201cThe drive where Windows is installed is locked\u201d on Windows<\/span><\/h2>\n
Windows Setup CD\/DVD Required!<\/strong>
Some of the solutions below require the use of the Microsoft Windows setup CD or DVD. If your PC did not come with a Windows installation disc or if you no longer have your Windows setup media, you can use Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows<\/a> instead. EasyRE will automatically find and fix many problems, and can also be used to solve this problem with the directions below.<\/p>\n
Fix #1: Use Easy Recovery Essentials<\/h3>\n
Easy Recovery Essentials can fix many errors such as this automatically using its built-in Automated Repair option. EasyRE is currently available for Windows XP<\/strong>, Vista<\/strong>, 7<\/strong>, 8<\/strong>, Windows 10<\/strong>, and Windows 11<\/strong> and can be downloaded and created on any PC.<\/p>\n
    \n
  1. Download Easy Recovery Essentials<\/a>. Make sure to note your Windows version (XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, or Windows 11) before you download EasyRE. This guide can help you identify what version of Windows<\/a> you have installed.<\/li>\n
  2. Burn the image. Follow these instructions on how to burn the bootable ISO image<\/a>\u00a0very carefully, as making a bootable CD can be tricky! Alternatively, these instructions explain how to create a bootable EasyRE recovery USB stick\/drive<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  3. Boot up your PC from the Easy Recovery Essentials CD<\/a> or USB you created.<\/li>\n
  4. Once EasyRE is running, choose the “Automated Repair” option and click Continue<\/kbd>.\n
    \"EasyRE<\/a><\/p>\n
    Choose “Automated Repair” in Easy Recovery Essentials<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
  5. After EasyRE scans your computer’s drives, identify and select the drive letter for your Windows installation\u00a0from the list, and then click on the Automated Repair<\/kbd> button to begin.\n
  6. Easy Recovery Essentials will start analyzing the selected drive for problems. EasyRE will test for and attempt to automatically correct errors with the disk, partition, bootsector, filesystem, bootloader, and registry. No intervention is required, as EasyRE’s repair is fully automated:\n
    \"EasyRE:<\/a><\/p>\n
    Easy Recovery Essentials searches for errors and makes corrections to the selected Windows installation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
  7. Once the process is complete, EasyRE will report its findings. Click on the Restart<\/kbd> button to reboot your PC and test the changes.<\/li>\n
  8. The “The drive where Windows is installed is locked” error should now be fixed as your PC begins to load:\"EasyRE:<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    You can download Easy Recovery Essentials from here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
    Fix #2: Run Automatic Repair<\/h3>\n
    The Automatic Repair utility, which is available in Windows 8\/8.1\/10 by default, might fix the “The drive where Windows is installed is locked” error.<\/p>\n
    To access Automatic Repair on your computer, follow these steps:<\/p>\n
      \n
    1. Insert the Windows DVD\/USB and reboot the system.\n
      If you don’t have your original Windows 8 installation media, go to Fix #1: Use Easy Recovery Essentials<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n
    2. Boot from the media<\/li>\n
    3. Click Repair your computer<\/strong><\/li>\n
    4. Navigate to Troubleshoot<\/strong> > Automatic Repair<\/strong><\/li>\n
    5. Continue with the wizard to complete the process<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \"Windows<\/a><\/p>\n
      Windows 8 Repair your computer screen<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
      If running Automatic Repair didn’t fix the error, go to Fix #3: chkdsk<\/a> to run the chkdsk<\/code> utility.<\/p>\n
      Fix #3:\u00a0Check disk for errors with chkdsk utility<\/h3>\n
      The chkdsk<\/code> utility will check the integrity of your hard disk. You can try to fix the “The drive where Windows is installed is locked” error with the chkdsk \/r<\/code> command.<\/p>\n
      To do so, follow these steps to access chkdsk<\/code>:<\/p>\n
        \n
      1. Restart the computer with the original installation media (that’s either the DVD or the USB flash drive)\n
        If you don’t have the original install media, go to Fix #1: Use Easy Recovery Essentials<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n
      2. Click Repair your computer<\/strong><\/li>\n
      3. At the Choose an option<\/em> screen, click Troubleshoot<\/strong><\/li>\n
      4. Click Advanced options<\/strong><\/li>\n
      5. Click Command Prompt<\/strong><\/li>\n
      6. Type this command:\n
        chkdsk C: \/f \/x \/r<\/pre>\n
        Where C:<\/code> is the letter of the drive where Windows 8\/8.1\/10 is installed on. If your Windows 8 is installed on the D:<\/code> drive, enter D:<\/code><\/li>\n
      7. Press Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
        \"Chkdsk<\/a><\/p>\n
        Chkdsk results screen<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
        Fix #4:\u00a0Use bootrec to rebuild the BCD file<\/h3>\n
        In some cases, the “The drive where Windows is installed is locked” error can appear due to damage or corruption of the BCD file on your Windows system.<\/p>\n
        To fix the BCD, follow these steps:<\/p>\n
          \n
        1. Insert the installation media and boot from it\n
          If you don’t have the original disc, go to Fix #1: Use Easy Recovery Essentials<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n
        2. At the Install<\/em> screen, click Repair your computer<\/strong> or press R<\/kbd><\/li>\n
        3. Navigate to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt<\/strong><\/li>\n
        4. Type this command:\n
          bootrec \/FixMbr<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
        5. Press Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\n
        6. Type this command:\n
          bootrec \/FixBoot<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
        7. Press Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\n
        8. Type this command:\n
          bootrec \/ScanOs<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
        9. Press Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\n
        10. This this command:\n
          bootrec \/RebuildBcd<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
        11. Press Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\n
        12. Remove the installation media from the disc tray or USB port<\/li>\n
        13. Type exit<\/code><\/li>\n
        14. Press Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\n
        15. Restart your computer<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
          \"Bootrec<\/a><\/p>\n
          Bootrec utility results screen<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
          Fix #5: Set the correct partition<\/h3>\n
          If Fix #4: bootrec<\/a> didn’t fixed the “The drive where Windows is installed is locked” error by replacing the boot loader of your Windows 8, you may need to set the correct partition first and then run bootrec<\/code> again.<\/p>\n
          To do so, follow these steps:<\/p>\n
            \n
          1. Boot from the install media as explained in Fix #4: bootrec<\/a> until you reach Command Prompt\n
            If you don’t have the original disc, go to Fix #1: Use Easy Recovery Essentials<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n
          2. When Command Prompt appears, type this command:\n
            diskpart<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
          3. Press Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\n
          4. Then type:\n
            sel disk 0<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
          5. Press Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\n
          6. Then type:\n
            list vol<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
          7. Press Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\n
          8. Check the volume listed by Command Prompt with FAT32<\/strong> at the Fs<\/strong> column. Once you identified the volume, type this command:\n
            sel vol 2<\/pre>\n
            Replace 2<\/code> with the volume’s number.<\/li>\n
          9. Press Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\n
          10. You need to assign a new letter to this partition. The letter must be unique, e.g. it can’t be c:<\/code>:\n
            assign letter x:<\/pre>\n
            Replace x:<\/code> from the command above with a unique letter for this partition.<\/li>\n
          11. Press Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\n
          12. Wait for the confirmation message from the diskpart<\/code> utility to appear:\n
            DiskPart successfully assigned the drive letter or mount point.<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
          13. Then type:\n
            exit<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
          14. Press Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\n
          15. Then type:\n
            cd \/d x:\\EFI\\Microsoft\\Boot<\/pre>\n
            Make sure to replace x:<\/code> with the letter you’ve assigned earlier.<\/li>\n
          16. Press Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\n
          17. Then type:\n
            bootrec \/fixboot<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
          18. Press Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\n
          19. Then type:\n
            ren BCD BCD.Backup<\/pre>\n
            This will create a backup of your current BCD file.<\/li>\n
          20. Press Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\n
          21. Then type:\n
            bcdboot c:\\Windows \/l en-us \/s x: \/f ALL<\/pre>\n
            Make sure to replace x:<\/code> with the letter you’ve assigned earlier.<\/li>\n
          22. Press Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\n
          23. Remove the install media from the disc tray or USB port<\/li>\n
          24. Type:\n
            exit<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
          25. Press Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\n
          26. Restart the computer<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
            Fix #5: Refresh the PC<\/h3>\n
            You can perform a Refresh<\/strong> of your Windows 8\/8.1\/10 system.<\/p>\n
            Refresh acts as a reinstall of your Windows 8 without affecting your personal files. This might fix the “The drive where Windows is installed is locked” error.<\/p>\n
            To run Refresh, follow these steps:<\/p>\n
              \n
            1. Restart your computer<\/li>\n
            2. Boot from the Windows 8\/8.1\/10 installation media (the original DVD or USB drive).\n
              If you don’t have your original Windows 8 installation media, go to Fix #1: Use Easy Recovery Essentials<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n
            3. Click Repair your computer<\/strong><\/li>\n
            4. Click Troubleshoot<\/strong> and then click Refresh your PC<\/strong><\/li>\n
            5. Follow the wizard instructions to complete the process<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
              \"Windows<\/a><\/p>\n
              Windows 8 Repair your computer screen<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
              More Information<\/h2>\n
              Linked Entries<\/h3>\n