• If you encounter the “Location is not available” error while transferring files to a specific drive, try obtaining full control over it.

  • Use the Check Disk utility to scan the problematic drive for bad sectors.

  • You can also try changing the drive letter for the affected drive to fix this error.

  • Disconnect and reconnect the removable drive: Try unplugging the drive from your system and connecting it to a different USB port. Also, ensure to use the USB cable that came with the hard drive for optimal compatibility.

  • Restart the Windows Explorer process: An effective way to fix issues with the Windows file system is to restart the Windows Explorer process. If it’s a minor issue, this should do the trick.

Fix 1: Enable Full Control Permission for the Drive

Insufficient permission to access a drive can trigger the “Location is not available” error accompanied by an “Access is denied” message in Windows 11. To fix this, you must obtain full control over the problematic drive in Windows.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + E to open File Explorer and navigate to This PC .

Step 2: Right-click on the problematic drive and select Properties .

USB Drive Properties on Windows 11 - 1

Step 3: Under the Security tab, click the Edit button.

Edit Permission for Drive on Windows 11 - 2

Step 4: Tick Allow for Full control . Then, hit Apply , followed by OK .

Gain Full Control Over Drive on Windows 11 - 3

Fix 2: Check the Drive for Bad Sectors

If changing drive permissions does not help, there may be an issue with your drive. To check for this possibility, use the check disk utility to scan your drive for bad sectors.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + E to open File Explorer on Windows. Right-click on the problematic drive and select Properties .

Step 2: In the Properties windows, switch to the Tools tab and click the Check button.

Check Drive for Errors on Windows 11 - 4

Step 3: Select Scan drive to begin the check disk operation.

Scan Drive for Errors on Windows 11 - 5

Depending on the drive size, this process might take a while. If the scan reveals any errors, follow the on-screen prompts to resolve them.

Fix 3: Change the Drive Letter

Windows 11 may also throw the “Location is not available” error due to conflicting drive letters. Try changing the drive letter for the affected drive to see if that helps.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type diskmgmt.msc in the Open field and press Enter .

Step 2: Right-click on your drive and select Change Drive Letter and Paths .

Change Drive Letter Using Disk Management on Windows - 6

Step 3: Click the Change button and select a new letter from the drop-down menu. Then, click OK .

Change Drive Letter Using Disk Management Utility on Windows - 7

Fix 4: Scan for Corrupt System Files

Lastly, if none of the above fixes work or you encounter this error across drives, some system files on your PC may be corrupt or missing. So, run the SFC (System File Checker) scan, followed by a DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) scan to fix damaged system files.

Step 1: Right-click the Start icon and select Terminal (Admin) from the resulting menu.

Open Terminal on Windows 11 PC - 8

Step 2: Paste the following command in the console and press Enter to run the SFC scan:

SFC /scannow
SFC Scan in Command Prompt on Windows 11 PC - 9

Step 3: Run the DISM scan by entering the following commands one by one and pressing Enter after each command:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealthDISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealthDISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
DISM Scan via Command Prompt on Windows - 10

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