Unable to create a new empty file on my internal E drive (8TB) following the use of WIN11 disc for repair.
Unable to create a new empty file on my internal E drive (8TB) following the use of WIN11 disc for repair.
I don't know what to do next. I purchased a new PC, a custom build from a reputable manufacturer. After a few weeks, my monitor didn't display properly. I tried everything but faced issues. Eventually, I used the Windows 11 disc to fix the operating system. The PC started working correctly, except for writing to my 8TB SATA E: drive (WD 8TB Red Plus 256MB CMR 3.5" SATA HDD). I ran chkdsk and Windows reported errors, so I let the OS restart and repaired the HDD. Still, I can't create new files on the E: drive or perform any write operations. The chkdsk reports no errors, but I can access and open files locally or over the network. However, I'm unable to create a file from another machine or save changes there. When I attempt to do so, I encounter this message.
What information would be useful?
-- more info --
I attempted to edit an existing file on the E: HDD. This file was created by another device via the local network before I updated my Windows installation. In reality, any text files on the SPEEDY drive E: can be modified by anyone on the network. Yet, I'm unable to write to that HDD from other locations. I can still edit and save changes locally, even though I can't create new files there. Additionally, saving a file from another machine worked—by adding a line to the test file and saving it, everything functioned correctly.
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I'm currently transferring everything from E to F so I can reorganize the annoying HDD and test if it works.
There might be another way to fix the 'stupid' permissions on my E drive without that step, but I don’t know what it is. If someone suggests it would help, that would be great. At this point, I think I’ll copy my data from E to F and reformat E (which had no issues during chkdsk).
Oh well. I ended up here after a repair, and it’s now booting properly.
I should probably let Windows 11 Pro update somewhere in this process—no way!—because it might be what was done just before this box arrived, which caused the problem.
What factors influence E and F?
It’s unlikely it’s just partitions on one drive. The permission issue likely stems from attempting to copy the entire Library—Documents, Music, etc.—so a complete wipe and reinstall might be necessary. This should resolve everything, including ongoing 'Windows Updates'.
C and D are SSDs (2tb) while e and f are both 8TB SATA drives (WD 8TB Red Plus 256MB CMR 3.5" SATA HDD). It's still surprising that Windows 11 is handling an entire drive this way.
Have these 8TB drives been utilized prior? Possibly within a RAID configuration?
Verify using CrystalDiskInfo whether the drives indicate any health issues.
Make sure there is sufficient space on the drive as shown in its Properties window. Be aware that Windows may truncate some displayed figures. When filling the drive near capacity, remember that NTFS filesystem components also consume storage.
Test by saving a 1kb text file.
Potential permission problems might be at play even if they weren't intended. I would execute this command to reset them and grant default permissions:
Reset permissions on drive assigned E: ICACLS "E:" /reset /T /C
ICACLS "E:" /inheritance:e /T /C
Reset permissions on drive assigned F: ICACLS "F:" /reset /T /C
ICACLS "F:" /inheritance:e /T /C
If the issue persists, consider using DiskPart (Run -> DiskPart) to clean the drive.
Proceed with caution! Always confirm you are formatting the correct drive.
Label the storage units clearly and inspect Disk Management to identify their disk numbers, such as disk 0 or disk 1.
DISKPART> list disk
DISKPART> select disk [0]
DISKPART> clean
This action will erase all partitions and volumes on the drive and reset the disk. You'll need to utilize Disk Management in Windows (Windows + X, K) to reinsert the drive with partitions.
If none of these steps resolve the problem, you might need to discard your data and reformat it, ensuring you adhere to the 3-2-1 backup strategy moving forward: three copies of your data, two stored locally, and one in the cloud.
Is the drive configured for read-only mode? If yes, I'd review CrystalDiskInfo as suggested by Buffer0195 to assess drive health, since it might be failing and in read-only mode for safety. You can switch a drive between read-only and read-write settings using this link: https://superuser.com/questions/1742390/...-read-only