Windows Explorer Marks Internal 4TB Hard Drive as Read-Only: Possible Fixes

Windows Explorer Marks Internal 4TB Hard Drive as Read-Only: Possible Fixes

If you have been searching for days and haven't seen any answers to your particular problem, this article will provide you with detailed information on how to fix the issue of an internal 4TB hard drive (Blue SATA drive, purchased in 2018) that Windows Explorer has marked as read-only.

Context

Windows Explorer is a default file manager application that comes with the Windows operating system. It is used to manage files and folders on a computer's hard drive. Sometimes, Windows Explorer may mark a hard drive as read-only, which means that users cannot modify or delete any files on the drive. This issue can be frustrating, especially if you need to copy or move files from the affected drive.

Why Windows Explorer Marks a Hard Drive as Read-Only

Windows Explorer may mark a hard drive as read-only for several reasons, including:

• The file system on the hard drive is corrupted.
• The hard drive is infected with a virus or malware.
• The hard drive has been marked as read-only by the system administrator or a third-party application.

Possible Fixes

Method 1: Check the File System

The first thing you should do is check the file system of the affected hard drive. Here's how to do it:

1. Press the Windows key + X and select Command Prompt (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin).
2. Type chkdsk /f X:, where X is the letter of the affected hard drive, and press Enter. For example, if your hard drive is D, type chkdsk /f D:.
3. Press Y when prompted to schedule the disk check at the next system restart.
4. Restart your computer and allow the disk check to complete.

Method 2: Run a Virus Scan

If the file system is not corrupted, the next step is to run a virus scan. Here's how to do it:

1. Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app.
2. Select Update & Security and then click on Windows Security.
3. Click on Virus & threat protection and then click on Scan options.
4. Select Full scan and then click on Scan now.

Method 3: Change the File Attributes

If the hard drive is not infected with a virus or malware, the next step is to change the file attributes. Here's how to do it:

1. Open Windows Explorer and navigate to the affected hard drive.
2. Right-click on an empty space and select Properties.
3. Uncheck the Read-only box and then click on Apply.
4. Click on OK when prompted to apply the changes to all subfolders and files.

Method 4: Take Ownership of the Hard Drive

If none of the above methods work, you may need to take ownership of the hard drive. Here's how to do it:

1. Press the Windows key + X and select Command Prompt (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin).
2. Type takeown /f X:\ /r /d y, where X is the letter of the affected hard drive, and press Enter. For example, if your hard drive is D, type takeown /f D:\ /r /d y.
3. Press Y when prompted to confirm the operation.
4. Close the command prompt or PowerShell window and then navigate to the affected hard drive in Windows Explorer.
5. Right-click on an empty space and select Properties.
6. Click on the Security tab and then click on Edit.
7. Click on Add and then type your user account name in the text box.
8. Click on Check Names and then click on OK.
9. Select your user account from the list and then check the Full control box.
10. Click on Apply and then click on OK.

In this article, we have covered the possible reasons why Windows Explorer marks an internal 4TB hard drive as read-only and provided detailed instructions on how to fix the issue. The methods include checking the file system, running a virus scan, changing the file attributes, and taking ownership of the hard drive. We hope that this article has been helpful and that you can now copy or move files from the affected hard drive without any issues.

References

• How to Fix the Windows 10 File Explorer Read-Only Issue
• How to Take Ownership of Files and Folders in Windows 10
• How to fix a Windows 10 drive that won't let you copy or move files