HP Simple Save 500GB External Hard Drive: ACCESS DENIED

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around issues related to accessing files on an HP Simple Save 500GB External Hard Drive, specifically encountering an "Access Denied" error when attempting to open the drive. Participants explore various troubleshooting methods, including permission settings and alternative operating systems, while sharing personal experiences and solutions. The scope includes technical troubleshooting and user experiences with file access on different versions of Windows.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Experimental/applied

Main Points Raised

  • One participant reports an "Access Denied" error when trying to access the external hard drive, despite the drive being recognized by the computer.
  • Another participant suggests checking the ownership properties of the drive through Windows Explorer to potentially resolve the access issue.
  • A participant mentions being unable to display the current owner of the drive, indicating a possible permissions issue.
  • One suggestion involves using a Live Linux distribution to access the hard drive, which some participants may not be familiar with.
  • A detailed method for taking ownership of the files and changing permissions is provided, specifically for Windows XP and Windows 7, with emphasis on the importance of closing and reopening the properties window.
  • A participant shares their experience with Windows 7, detailing a workaround to assign permissions after taking ownership, noting that skipping a step caused issues with Windows Explorer.
  • Another participant expresses frustration that none of the proposed solutions worked and ultimately decided to format the disk, losing data but regaining access to the hard drive.
  • A warning is issued about potential shortages and price increases for disk drives due to flooding in Thailand, suggesting urgency in acquiring backup drives.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants present multiple approaches to resolving the access issue, but there is no consensus on a single effective solution. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best method to regain access without data loss.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about the steps involved in changing permissions and ownership, and there are references to different operating systems which may affect the applicability of proposed solutions.

Who May Find This Useful

Users experiencing similar access issues with external hard drives, particularly those using Windows operating systems, may find the shared troubleshooting methods and experiences relevant.

quantumdude
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Hey, long time no see! :-D

Well the subject line pretty much says it all. When I plug in my Simple Save external HD it does turn on, and my computer does recognize it. But when I try to open it I get an error message "F:\ is not accessible. Access is denied." Also, when I plug it in Windows offers to "scan and fix" the problem. When I select this option, Windows promplty informs me that it doesn't have access to the files. Does anyone know how I can get to my files? I hope so!



Thanks!
 
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Hey Tom! Good to see you.

Try right-click the drive in Windows Explorer, Properties, Security, Advanced and see what the ownership properties are.

Now stick around a bit, would ya!? :)
 
"Unable to display current owner"

:-\
 
Tom Mattson said:
"Unable to display current owner"

:-\

How were you accessing the files before?
 
You need to take ownership of the files and reassign permissions to allow you to have full access to the drive. Here's what you do. I'm assuming you have windows XP and the steps outlined are for that but if you have windows 7, its still essentially identical.

You need to be running under an admin account to do this:
Start>My Computer
Right Click on your external Drive > Properties > Security
Click Advanced in the bottom right (Special Permissions)
Click on the owner tab > Select your account from the list
Place a check mark on "Replace owner on sub-containers & objects"
Click OK

The system will now assign the account you selected as the owner of the drive and all files in it.

You should be back on the properties window now and see your account name listed in the "Group or user names" list. Select your account name (add it if it doesn't exist) and place a check mark in the ALLOW full control check box. Remove any check marks in the deny boxes if there are any.

Click OK

This will make you the owner of all the files/folders in the external drive and give you full access to the drive.
 
I was having some problems with Windows 7 not letting me assign permissions to myself even though I was using the Administrator account. I finally found this article on http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-files/windows-trusted-installer-denying-access-to-files/5203914d-9357-4b71-a4c5-a2d11d392fff" which invoves a process of first taking ownership, close the properties window, reopen the properties window, and then give yourself permission. Closing and reopening is important. The few times that I left out that step, Windows explorer hung on me and I had to log off to free it up. It didn't appear to create any long-term problems though.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
robphy: I don't know what a "Live Linux distro" is, so no.

Greg: I was accessing the files before by simply clicking on the drive on my computer. One day I tried to do it and it wouldn't work. Got the Access Denied message.

Routaran and Borg: Thanks. I'm trying Borg's link first, as it is specific to Windows 7 (my OS). Changing ownership seems to be taking a bit of time, so I'm waiting it out right now. We'll see...
 
Well folks, thanks for responding but none of the proposed solutions worked. I bit the bullet and formatted the disk. Data's gone, but at least I have use of the HD again. Fortunately all the files were music files, so I can run my CDs through my computer again, and I'm told that iTunes will remember what I purchased and not charge me a second time (I hope that's right). I'll definitely be backing up all those files on DVDs once I get them back on the computer. Thanks again.
 
  • #10
You might want to run out and buy a backup drive ASAP. Thailand, the source of the vast majority of our disk drives, has been flooded. The prices of disk drives are about to go sky high, and that is assuming you can find one to buy at all. The available supply of disk drives is predicted by some to be completely depleted early in 2012.
 
  • #11
Oh, yeah, welcome back!
 

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