Unable to Copy Files to External Hard Drive on Windows 11 [Solved]

Highlight:

- ✅Unable to copy files to an external hard drive is a common issue that many users might encounter, with various reasons behind it. - ✅This article presents 10 solutions to help you effectively resolve this problem. - ✅If you don't wish to try these methods one by one, consider using a backup tool to seamlessly save your files to the external hard drive with just one click.

Moving files to an external hard drive is a common way to back up files or free up space on your computer's disk. It can be very frustrating, however, when you're unable to copy files to an external hard drive.

No worries; check out this post from /Tools, it gives you a straightforward walkthrough for solving this problem. Plus, you might want to consider using a professional backup software to securely back up your files to an external hard drive.

Why do I get "Access Denied" when copying or moving files?

The "Access denied" error when copying files to an external hard drive can be caused by several factors, such as: unstable connection, incorrect file format, outdated Windows version, insufficient disk space, malware or computer virus, or invalid file names.

Regardless of the reason or mistake, you can try the following fixes.

How to fix the issue of unable to copy files to an external hard drive on Windows 11

1️⃣ Check and update your Windows version

An outdated version of Windows can cause errors that prevent you from copying or moving files.

Press Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the "Run" dialog box. Type winver, then press Enter.

A small window will pop up showing you the currently installed version and build number of Windows on your computer.

Update Windows to the latest version:

• Press the Windows key on your keyboard, then click the Settings icon.
• Click Windows Update in the left pane.
• Click the Check for updates button.

You may also be interested in: File Stopped Copying Halfway | Copy and Backup Files Without Admin Rights

Reconnect the external hard drive to the computer.

Check the connection between your external hard drive and computer to make sure they're connected properly. Make sure your USB cable is compatible with your hardware.

3️⃣ Check the available storage space on the external hard drive.

If there's not enough space, the file copy will stop and get stuck. If your external drive has less free space than the size of the file you're copying, the copy will fail for sure.

You need to check the remaining space on your external hard drive and clear out unnecessary data when necessary.

Check the storage space on the external hard drive:

Go to Settings > Storage to see how much space is used on each drive.

4️⃣ Restart your Windows Explorer

Restarting the “Windows Explorer” is another viable solution to fix the “Can't copy files to external hard drive” issue.

1. Press the "Windows + X" keys, then select "Task Manager" from the context menu that appears. 2. In Task Manager, locate "Windows Explorer", right-click on it, and choose "Restart" to perform this action.

Inspect and change the file name

File and folder names might contain special characters that could cause the data migration to fail. To resolve this issue, try renaming the folder and avoid using special characters such as $, %, &, and so on.

6️⃣ Scan for computer viruses and malware

Computer viruses and malware could be the reason behind failed file copying. If your files are infected, you'll need to perform a thorough virus and malware scan to address this issue.

2. Go to **Settings** > **Privacy & security** > **Windows Security** > **Virus & threat protection**.

In the popup window, click on the "Scan options" under the "Current Threats" section. Select "Full Scan," then click "Scan Now" to initiate the virus scan.

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7️⃣ Run SFC to fix corrupted files

If the copied file is corrupted or damaged, the “Can't copy file to external hard drive” error will surely occur. If that's the case, the System File Checker (SFC) is a handy tool that can scan and repair corrupted files.

1. Press Windows + R keys to open the "Run" dialog box, type cmd, and then click OK. 2. In the black window that appears, type sfc /scannow and press the Enter key.

Then, wait for the scan to complete; it will repair any damaged files it finds. You can now try copying the files again.

Execute CHKDSK

If your external hard drive has bad sectors, you must run the CHKDSK command to fix this issue.

1. Press `Windows + R` to open the `Run` window, type `cmd`, and then click `OK` to open the `Command Prompt` with administrator privileges. 2. Type `chkdsk/f/r/x` and press `Enter`. 3. When prompted with `(Y/N)`, type `Y` and press `Enter`. 4. Restart your computer and wait for the process to complete.

Read next: How to Run SFC and Chkdsk: A Guide to Using SFC and Chkdsk

9️⃣Owning the document

If you lack permission to the document, you should first gain ownership of the file, and then perform the file move operation.

- Right-click on the file or folder, and select “Properties.” - Choose “Security” > “Advanced.”

Click Change > Type the account name in the blank box > Click Check Names > Click OK.

• Select Replace Subcontainers and Objects.

Click Apply, then OK.

Create a new user account

If none of the above solutions work, you can create a new user account to see if that fixes the issue.

1. Open Settings > Accounts > Family & other users.

Create a new user account

• Click Add account next to Add other users.

Click I don't have this person's sign-in info, and then Add a user without a Microsoft account.

4. Follow the on-screen instructions, and then click Next. 5. Restart your computer, switch to the new account, and try to copy the files from that account.

These are the ways to fix the issue of not being able to copy files to an external hard drive. We've covered all possible methods to help you resolve the problem.

Never Miss a Backup! Back Up Files to External Hard Drive on Windows 11/10/8/7

Copy and paste is one of the simplest ways to move files and folders from one location to another. However, this method works only for a few files, as the process is time-consuming and can lead to data loss during the operation.

If you have many files and want to easily save them to an external hard drive, backup is your best option. Todo Backup Free is a professional and reliable tool that can help you safely and smoothly back up files to an external hard drive.

With backup, all your files will be stored on an external hard drive in compressed and encrypted format, ensuring the safety of your files and saving more storage space.

The tool offers both encryption and compressed backups, along with many other advanced backup features, such as scheduled backups, incremental and differential backups. With this powerful backup program, you can move more of your files to external hard drives, cloud services, network locations, and so on.

Available for Windows 11/10/8/7, Todo Backup tool comes with a user-friendly interface, so you can download and use this backup utility with confidence:

Follow the guide below to back up your files with Todo Backup using simple clicks.

Step 1. To start the backup, tap Choose Backup.

Step 2: There are four backup types: File, Disk, System, and Mail. Click on File.

Step 3. On the left, all local and network files are displayed. You can expand directories to select the backup file.

File Backup

Step 4: Follow the on-screen instructions and choose where you want to save your backup.

Click "Options" to set up a password-encrypted backup under "Backup Options", and then click "Backup Schedule" to specify when the backup should occur based on certain events. You can also select additional options as needed to customize the backup process.

Step 5: Backups can be stored on a local disk, the tool's online service, or a NAS.

Step 6: Todo Backup also allows users to back up their data to third-party cloud storage services, as well as to its own.

If you want to back up to a cloud service provided by a third party, choose Local Disk, scroll down, add a “Cloud Device,” and then add and sign in to your account.

You can also choose to back up to cloud storage. Register a free AOMEI account and then click "AOMEI Cloud" to log in.

Step 7. Click Backup Now to start the backup process. When complete, the backup job appears as a card on the left pane. Right-click the backup job for further management.

In short

After all that has been said about the "Can't copy files to external hard drive" issue, you must have found an effective solution by now. If not, try the backup instead of copy method, which will effectively save your files to the external HDD smoothly.

Todo Backup provides the easiest way to keep copies of your files and make sure they're safe. In addition, it offers many other advanced features that ensure flexible file backup options. You can even set up an automatic backup to avoid the hassle of doing it manually. Download and give it a try – you won't miss out.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How do I give permission to an external hard drive in Windows 11?

To gain access to an external hard drive, follow these steps: 1. Connect the external hard drive to your computer. 2. Open "My Computer" or File Explorer and locate the connected external hard drive. 3. Right-click on the drive partition and select "Properties." 4. In the Properties window that appears, switch to the "Security" tab. 5. Click on the "Advanced" button to enter the Advanced Security Settings interface. 6. In the "Owner" section, if you are not the current owner of the hard drive, click on "Change." 7. In the "Select User or Group" window, type your username or choose "Current User," then click "OK." 8. Check the "Replace all child object owners on confirmation" checkbox, and then click "Apply" and "OK." 9. Return to the "Security" tab, and you should see your username listed. Select it, and under "Permissions Entries," check the permissions you need (e.g., Read, Write, Full Control). 10. Click "Apply" and "OK" again to close all windows. Please note that these steps may vary depending on your operating system (Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.). If you're using a different OS, consult the user manual or online help for specific instructions.

1. Right-click on "External Hard Drive" and select "Properties." 2. Click on "Security" > "Advanced" > "Change Permissions." 3. Double-click on the user name or account. 4. Under the "Applies to" option, choose "This folder, subfolders, and files." Check all the options, including "Full Control," "Modify," "Read & Write," "List Folder Contents," "Read," and "Write." 5. Click "OK" to save all the changes.

How do I clone a hard drive to another hard drive?

The best way to replicate one hard drive to another is by cloning, which creates an exact copy of the original disk. A hard drive clone copies everything on the source disk, including the operating system, settings, system files, installed programs, and more. Disk Copy is a popular disk cloning tool that ensures a seamless clone of your hard drive without data loss and eliminates the hassle of reinstalling Windows.

Can I just copy and paste the contents of one hard drive to another?

If the disk has an operating system and installed programs, copying and pasting won't do the trick. To migrate all the data to another drive, you'll want to clone the disk.