Drive is not accessible - Access is denied (Windows 10)

HP Probook running Windows 10.0.15063 Build 15063
8Gb Ram / 256Gb SSD / 1Tb hard drive
Paragon Hard Disk Manager 15 Suite

I use a WD My Passport Ultra to hold the Backup Capsule (incremental SSD drive backup), a bootable partition, and 1Tb+ partition formatted NTFS P: drive for general data copies/backups. My Paragon backup (of SSD C: drive etc) works fine.

My issue is that I am unable to explore the P: drive in normal Windows, although in Safe Mode the drive is fully available. I have been around the 'Take ownership' 'Assign permissions' loop many times, both in normal Windows and in Safe Mode, with numerous partition deletes/creates in between. I have even tried unhiding Administrator and logging in, but nothing will provoke Windows to allow normal file access in DOS or Explorer.

In Paragon Volume Explorer/Hard Disks, I can browse the P: drive fully. It has been intimated that Paragon may be interfering with Windows ACL in some way? Comments and/or advice would be hugely appreciated.

I should add... When the P: drive is first created and formatted in Windows Disk Management it is fully accessible. It is only after a restart, or the external drive is 'Safely Removed' and reconnected, that access is denied.

I have just noticed that although the P: drive is browseable with Paragon Volume Explorer (but not in Windows Explorer - Access Denied), Paragon Transfer (Express Mode) is unable to copy data into the P: drive.

Hi,
Please let me know after which operation the P: drive stopped being accessible in the normal way?

When first created in Disk Management it operates normally. I can check and set ownership/sharing/etc, but changing ownership or leaving at default (SYSTEM) makes no difference to the outcome. Then following a laptop restart, or Safe Remove/reconnect, the external drive ( P: ) appears in Explorer as expected but it is not accessible. If I format as exFAT then an error 'Recycle bin is corrupted'. The drive is visible in Windows Disk Management as expected.

Please provide a screenshot of the drive in Disk Management.

Please find snip attached....
Attachment 335

In Explorer after restart...
Attachment 336

In Paragon after restart...
Attachment 337

The folder 'Root' was created by me prior to restarting when I have full access.

By way of experiment, I deleted the P: drive and then connected the external drive to a Windows 7 machine, created and formatted (NTFS) a new P: drive. On connection to my Windows 10 machine the drive appeared in Explorer as expected, but as G: and access is denied. This is driving me nuts.

Because this is a new setup, recreated from scratch for the new Win10 laptop, I plan to wipe it completely (boot partition and Capsule). Once bare, I plan to create and format my P: drive *first*, leaving sufficient space for boot and a new Backup Capsule. This should prove whether the pre-existing Paragon Capsule is having an undesired effect, or not.

Incidentally (or not!) I have observed that Disk Management tends to go unresponsive after accessing the MyPassport drive, this is true of both Win7n and Win10.

You can try your test, but Backup Capsule has nothing to do here. Looks like you are having an issue with access permissions. If you have permissions only for SYSTEM, that`s the issue reason. Try to set the right access permissions to your user account. Please provide a screenshot of Properties Attachment 340
Please check also if the access permissions setting are reset after rebooting.

I agree, not Paragon related. The situation remains the same when external is wiped and formatted with only an NTFS partition/volume. I have even used the hidden Administrator account to create the volume, take Ownership etc. and that account is denied access after reconnect to external.

I give up. I will just create a larger Capsule this time and do all backups through Paragon.

Thanks for your time John.

I know how frustrating it is when you are following a thread and there is no answer at the end of it, so for completeness I can offer the following:

I engaged Microsoft support to help with this drive issue. A tech connected remotely and proceeded to trash my Windows 10 partition to the extent that I had to carry out a full HP Recovery. When I finally got the machine back up and running, and fully restored from backup, the external drive now behaves perfectly. I haven't done anything extra with the drive, yet when the external was reconnected to the recovered Windows, there was the drive letter smiling back at me with full access. I don't propose that anyone trashes their Windows in order to fix a denied access drive problem, but this all points directly to something screwed up within Windows (going back to at least Win 7!), all I can suggest is to try, try and try again, sooner or later, maybe after numerous reboots etc, perhaps with drive connected and not connected, it will suddenly work as per design.

Hi,
Glad to know the issue is fixed. You are absolutely right: Never give in and never give up.