If you see Access Denied as you do not have sufficient privileges or the disk may be locked error when running the CHKDSK command, then this post may help you resolve the issue. The full error message reads:
Access Denied as you do not have sufficient privileges or the disk may be locked by another process. You have to invoke this utility running in elevated mode and make sure the disk is unlocked.
Fix CHKDSK Access Denied as you do not have sufficient privileges or the disk may be locked
Follow these suggestions to fix the Access Denied as you do not have sufficient privileges or the disk may be locked by another process error when you try to run ChkDsk in Windows 11/10:
- Run CHKDSK with Administrator Privileges
- Restart PC and try
- Run CHKDSK from the Recovery Environment
- Take Ownership of the Partition
- Use WMIC to Check Hard Drive Health
- Use CHKDSK alternative disk error checking software
- Check the Hard Drive for Physical Damages
Now, let’s see these in detail.
1] Run CHKDSK with Administrator Privileges
Open Command Prompt as an admin and rerun chkdsk. The Access Denied error mainly occurs when running chkdsk in a Command Prompt without Administrator Privileges.
See if this helps. If you are asked Would you like to schedule this volume to be checked the next time the system restarts, please select Y.
Restart your computer, and your ChkDsk scan should be able to complete smoothly.
2] Restart PC and try
Restart your computer, exit all the icons you see in the Taskbar Notification area and then try to run ChkDsk using an elevated command prompt. See if this helps.
Read: How to remove Write-protection on your Hard Disk
3] Run CHKDSK from the Recovery Environment
Running CHKDSK in the Windows Recovery Environment can help detect and repair disk errors that may not be accessible when the operating system is running. It can help maintain the health and integrity of your hard drive. Here’s how:
- Press the Windows key + I to open Settings.
- Navigate to System > Recovery and click on Restart Now beside Advanced Startup.
- Once your device restarts, click on Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt.
- Here, type the following command and hit Enter.
CHKDSK C: /f /r
- The command won’t start running if your root drive is in use. However, when you restart your PC, it’ll ask you to begin scanning.
- Type Y, press Enter, reboot Windows, and the CHKDSK command will start running. Wait for the procedure to complete.
We recommend not using the /x parameter as it forces the volume to dismount, and also invalidates all open file handles. This should be avoided in Desktop Editions of Windows because of the possibility of data loss/corruption.
4] Take Ownership of the Partition
Next, take full ownership of the drive you’re facing the error with. Here’s how:
Press Windows + E to open File Explorer, right-click on the partition, and select Properties.
Navigate to Security and select Advanced.
Here, click on Change, and the Select User or Group dialogue will pop up.
Under Enter the object name to select, type your user account and click OK.
Again, go to drive properties and click on Edit beside change permissions.
Check Allow beside Full Control and click on OK to save the changes.
Make sure to reverse the changes made after the scan is over.
Read: Cannot lock current drive, Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another process
5] Use WMIC to Check Hard Drive Health
WMIC, or Windows Management Instrumentation Command line, is a utility that helps perform Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) operations with a command prompt. Here’s how you can use it:
Press Start, search cmd, and click on Run as Administrator.
Type the following commands and hit Enter.
wmic
diskdrive get status
If the status of your hard disk is fine, you will see a message, OK.
Read: CHKDSK cannot continue in read-only mode
6] Use CHKDSK alternative disk error checking software
You can use a CHKDSK alternative disk error-checking software to scan and repair your disk errors.
5] Check the Hard Drive for Physical Damages
If none of these suggestions help, check your hard drive for physical damage. It’s possible that your drive is failing and needs to be replaced. However, if you can’t access your drive, use a data recovery service to recover your data.
Read: Unable to determine volume version and state CHKDSK aborted
We hope these suggestions help you.
How do you fix The disk may be locked by another process?
To fix the error message “The disk may be locked by another process” when running CHKDSK, eject any connected external devices and run the command in safe mode.
Can CHKDSK recover corrupted files?
CHKDSK doesn’t repair corrupted files or recover lost or damaged files. However, it does check if the state of the information on your disk is safe and helps improve formatting issues with your hard drive.
