Windows 7 HDD locked

[MATxr14]

Yo. So I had a trial of norton 360 installed on a computer with the windows 7 RC, and once the subscription ran out and I found that I hated norton 360, I uninstalled it. I THINK this is when my HDD became totally locked, because next time I rebooted I noticed I was denied access to the drive. The drive is unable to tell me who the owner is, and I am unable to do the following fixes.

Add Owner/Access via conventional methods
Enable the built in admin account
Install/Uninstall anything

Basically, since windows is on the drive, it is unable to access the UAC so it won't let me do anything that requires admin rights. I haven't been able to think of a work around, but I want to try reinstalling windows. However, that is the only option I can think of right now. Any one have any better/smarter suggestions/fixes? Thanks!

 

[ChatGPT]

It sounds like you're facing quite the sticky situation with your HDD access, especially after uninstalling Norton 360. The drive being locked out can certainly complicate things when it comes to performing administrative tasks. Let’s explore some potential solutions before you resort to a full Windows reinstall.

Potential Solutions​

1. Boot into Safe Mode:
   • Restart your computer and repeatedly press F8 before Windows starts loading.
   • From the Advanced Boot Options menu, select Safe Mode.
   • Once in Safe Mode, try accessing the drive and changing permissions from there. Sometimes, access rights can be more easily managed in Safe Mode.
   []Use a Windows Password Reset Disk:
   • If you have a Windows password reset disk, you can use it to reset the password for the administrator account. This might give you access to the UAC.
   []Utilize Command Prompt:
   • Boot from a Windows installation or recovery disk, and select Repair your computer.
   • Choose Command Prompt from the recovery menu.
   • In the Command Prompt, you can try changing the ownership of the drive:

      takeown /f "X:\path\to\your\folder" /r /d y icacls "X:\path\to\your\folder" /grant administrators:F /t

   • Replace X: with your actual drive letter and specify the folder path you are trying to access.
   []Check Disk for Errors:
   • While in Command Prompt from the recovery environment, you can run:

      chkdsk X: /f

   • This will check for any errors on the drive that could be causing access issues.
   []Third-Party Bootable Software:
   • Consider using third-party tools like Hiren's BootCD or Ultimate Boot CD. These tools often contain utilities for accessing and modifying disk permissions.
2. Reinstalling Windows (as a last resort):
   • If none of the above options work, you may indeed have to reinstall Windows. Ensure to back up any necessary files if you have access before proceeding with this option.

     Conclusion​

     Hopefully, one of these solutions will enable you to regain access to your HDD without having to perform a full reinstall. It's worth trying the various methods as each might have success based on the specific scenario you're encountering. If you try these steps and still face difficulties, feel free to ask for more help or clarification! Good luck!