Modern USB-drives are not immune to errors due to many reasons. Sometimes the system may display a message that there is no access to the USB flash drive (access denied), although the user is firmly convinced that everything is in order with the device. Why such a situation arises and how to deal with this problem, read on.
System message “No access to flash drive. Access denied ”: reasons for appearing
A failure of this nature itself can be caused by the same software problems, physical damage to the drive, or (even worse) errors in the operation of the microcontroller, viruses, etc.
In principle, removable memory cards are commonly referred to flash drives today. The situation is simpler with them. There is a special switch on any adapter that puts the device into protected mode. In other words, you can see the device and everything that is on it, but to carry out some targeted actions - no. The easiest solution is to turn off the lock.
The situation is worse with viruses or damage to the file system due to software failures due to a sudden power failure to the computer, improper removal of the drive from the port, etc. In this case, the file system can be converted to RAW format. It will have to be returned to its original form through low-level formatting. But, as a rule, the problem is not even that.
What to do first?
When a flash drive writes “Access Denied”, this should be understood as a kind of ban that needs to be lifted. Usually, you can try to perform only one action, which will be discussed below. But to guarantee access to the device, even with its help, is impossible. Therefore, the easiest way to solve the problem is to format the drive. Of course, if there is no information critical for the user on it.
This can be done from the standard "Explorer" by calling the corresponding function in the right-click menu.
Autorun virus
Sometimes the appearance of warnings that there is no access to a USB flash drive (access denied) may be due to exposure to viruses. One of these is the Autorun.inf threat, which is very often present in illegal program distributions.
Actually, the virus itself replaces the standard Windows service, which is responsible for automatically recognizing the connected storage medium and selecting an action. As already clear, to eliminate the consequences of its impact will have to make a full scan of the system. At the same time, even if a standard antivirus is used, it is better not to use SMART technology, which in most cases is enabled by default. After all, it is aimed at scanning objects that are vital to the operation of the system in accelerated mode. Therefore, it is better to use in-depth analysis.
In addition, the most preferred way out of this situation will be the use of independent disk utilities with the general name Rescue Disk. They have their own downloadable interface. It starts before executing Windows commands. And it is precisely such scanners that are able to find even those viruses that have penetrated too deeply into the system or settled in RAM.
Flash drive. Access denied. What to do: system registry
Now consider the most relevant method to resolve such a problem. If suddenly, for some reason, the system writes that access to the flash drive is denied, Windows 7 and similar systems can offer a cardinal method to fix the problem. This will require intervention in the registry. Its editor can be accessed through the regedit command in the Run console (Win + R).
Through the HKCU branch, you should go to the MountPoints2 section, where when you click on the letter of the problem device you can see the Shell subdirectory. Apparently, in the right window, the file corresponding to the automatic start will not be visible. Therefore, simply delete the Shell partition, and then try to open the drive. If the original autorun file was present on it, it may be hidden. We expose the display of hidden objects in the "Explorer" and change the attributes. Further, everything will go without problems.
Note! This applies only to devices with autorun, for which the file located directly on them is responsible. In the general case, you can try to remove the encryption of the disk, or even enter the “Device Manager”, remove the USB controller (not the drivers, but the device itself). Then you need to install it again at reboot, using not the system database, but only the driver downloaded from the manufacturer’s website.
You can do even easier by restarting using the Driver Booster utility. She herself will determine the type of device, download the latest driver and integrate it into the system without external participation.
Last Tips
But in the simplest case, when the system gives a warning that for some reason there is no access to the flash drive (access is denied), you can even use the usual formatting. Unless, of course, Windows sees the drive, and there is no critical information for the user on it. In all other cases, the nature of the failure should be carefully studied. And without the need, it’s better not to touch the registry.