USB "Access is denied." | Linus Tech Tips | Page 1

wanton flax · 2023-07-16T18:05:18.906Z

What happened: 1. The PC was showing me the proper size of the USB (32GB) 2. I tried flashing Tails to the USB using balenaEtcher (was not running it as an administrator) 3. It was showing me the incorrect size of the USB (63GB), File Explorer was still showing me 32GB (the correct USB size) 4. I started the flashing process 5. It failed during verification of the flash ("Oops! Looks like the flash failed.") the USB dissapeared from File Explorer 6. I installed EaseUS to delete the EFI boot partition from the USB (It was showing the the incorrect size of the USB (59GB) 7. I deleted the EFI boot partition and created a new volume (still with 59GB on File Explorer too) 8. "Access is denied." error when trying to open the USB drive.

wanton flax Jul 16, 2023, 6:05 PM

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What happened:

The PC was showing me the proper size of the USB (32GB)
I tried flashing Tails to the USB using balenaEtcher (was not running it as an administrator)
It was showing me the incorrect size of the USB (63GB), File Explorer was still showing me 32GB (the correct USB size)
I started the flashing process
It failed during verification of the flash ("Oops! Looks like the flash failed.") the USB dissapeared from File Explorer
I installed EaseUS to delete the EFI boot partition from the USB (It was showing the the incorrect size of the USB (59GB)
I deleted the EFI boot partition and created a new volume (still with 59GB on File Explorer too)
"Access is denied." error when trying to open the USB drive.

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i got these

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its empty

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no errors

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I wanna be able to open it now

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but my main goal was to flash tails

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yes

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.img

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new simple volume?

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why's the location so weird

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I can flash if I didnt create a new volume?

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do I run as an admin

ancient whale Jul 16, 2023, 6:14 PM

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wanton flax I can flash if I didnt create a new volume?

Yes. Flashing removes any partitions created

ancient whale Jul 16, 2023, 6:14 PM

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wanton flax do I run as an admin

also yes

wanton flax Jul 16, 2023, 6:14 PM

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its still telling me its 63gb

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but its 32

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is that ok?

ancient whale Jul 16, 2023, 6:15 PM

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What???

wanton flax Jul 16, 2023, 6:15 PM

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ancient whale What???

and my disk management says its 59

ancient whale Jul 16, 2023, 6:15 PM

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wanton flax and my disk management says its 59

Are you sure that it’s 32

wanton flax Jul 16, 2023, 6:16 PM

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but before flashing balenaetcher was the only program that was telling me its not 32gb

ancient whale Jul 16, 2023, 6:16 PM

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Yeah, that’s what I think too

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Maybe if it’s fat32 or something

wanton flax Jul 16, 2023, 6:17 PM

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im pretty sure it's 32gb

ancient whale Jul 16, 2023, 6:17 PM

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No that’s for file size

wanton flax Jul 16, 2023, 6:17 PM

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and when I created a volume for the USB it wouldnt let me use the USB (as shown in the first message)

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ill try now

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I was using the usb for school things and I remember it was always displaying 32gb

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I wasnt configuring the usb at all

ancient whale Jul 16, 2023, 6:20 PM

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Win95?

wanton flax Jul 16, 2023, 6:20 PM

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wym

ancient whale Jul 16, 2023, 6:21 PM

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I HOPE your school doesn’t have win95

wanton flax Jul 16, 2023, 6:21 PM

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mine?

ancient whale Jul 16, 2023, 6:22 PM

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Yes

wanton flax Jul 16, 2023, 6:22 PM

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we've had win10 since i started school

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or not

ancient whale Jul 16, 2023, 6:22 PM

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Good

wanton flax Jul 16, 2023, 6:22 PM

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I know we got them like the moment they came out

ancient whale Jul 16, 2023, 6:22 PM

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Nice

wanton flax Jul 16, 2023, 6:23 PM

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but I might have been using the usb on my older PCs (one was windows xp and the older one was I think a windows 9x version, maybe even a 95 but idk when I got this usb)

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ancient whale Jul 16, 2023, 6:24 PM

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wanton flax but I might have been using the usb on my older PCs (one was windows xp and the ...

Yeah, then one of them did fat32

wanton flax Jul 16, 2023, 6:25 PM

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I got this

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as it was before flashing

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so apparently the flash completed but nothing has changed in disk management

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.

wanton flax Jul 16, 2023, 6:29 PM

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ancient whale Yeah, then one of them did fat32

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ok

ancient whale Jul 16, 2023, 6:29 PM

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wanton flax .

Exactly

wanton flax Jul 16, 2023, 6:29 PM

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so it's flashed succesfully?

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the last time I flashed it it had the "Tails" volume, and that's when the flashing failed

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here?

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so the boot option 1 should be my usb drive?

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it's telling me to follor the "use a device"

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or

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I guess that's the same thing as going into the bios to configure it?

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I know that

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and then when I boot Tails I shut it off, remove the USB and then it'll boot into windows?

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because the thing with tails is it deletes all its info after being used

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I can shut the PC off, then while its off disconnect the USB and then when I turn the pc on itll load to windows?

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I put it to the boot option 2?

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all right

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thank you

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but if the USB is just completely empty (if it didnt flash) it will just boot into windows again still?

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and if its corrupted

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so its ok for the pc if the usb's corrupted

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mb for asking too many questions I just dont feel like breaking the pc

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ill be doing it in a few mins, so the USB needs to be connected to the pc before restarting the pc and going into bios?

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I just opened disk management and this is what it looks like now

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.

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I didnt boot still

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im yet to load to BIOS

icy wing Jul 16, 2023, 7:05 PM

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ahci?

icy wing Jul 16, 2023, 7:05 PM

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wanton flax im yet to load to BIOS

??

wanton flax Jul 16, 2023, 7:06 PM

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icy wing ??

im saying I still didnt try booting from the usb

wanton flax Jul 16, 2023, 7:06 PM

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icy wing ahci?

whats that

icy wing Jul 16, 2023, 7:06 PM

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a bios option that typically affects drives and booting

wanton flax Jul 16, 2023, 7:06 PM

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and what with that

wanton flax Jul 16, 2023, 7:07 PM

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wanton flax I just opened disk management and this is what it looks like now

I was just asking if this is a well done flashing and if I can finally boot from the USB

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I've restared the PC (with the usb disconnected just to make sure windows was ok before running tails), now when I connected the usb to the pc this is what its showing me

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I can press cancel?

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Ill boot it now if this is okay

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do I go to boot menu or to bios?

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Id rather go to bios but idk if thats okay

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I was pressing DEL but now the pc is stuck here

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how long

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its been like this 2 mins already

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why

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how long should I wait

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what if i power it off

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it doesnt

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the lights work but caps lock doesnt

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my ram rgb is on if that means something

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ill shut it down and remove the usb

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I wont even be doing this im too scared

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do I run it without the usb?

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do i turn the pc on without the usb

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I dont have to boot to bios?

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I disconnected the usb

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nah

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I got one I might try it

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it booted to win thank god

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all I wanted was surf the dark web but ig I can do it with the VM?

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so I guess I'll just do it on the laptop that I've got later and for now Ill use the VM

wanton flax Jul 16, 2023, 10:03 PM

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using vmware

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no

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I just installed win11 home for free

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idk why theres no activate win thing

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its there sometimes

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and the ip telling me im in like pakistan

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in tor

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can I install win pro for free and use it like I would if I bought it

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some easy cash

wanton flax Jul 16, 2023, 10:06 PM

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wanton flax can I install win pro for free and use it like I would if I bought it

is it better to install free win11 pro or home

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just personalization?

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some sites wont even load like this one

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im perfectly fine with that

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but would it have been better for me to install free win11 pro

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until theres any burn in which I doubt will hapen im good with it

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I gotta pay that?

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ig I cant get burn in on IPS?

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what's a good shop for that stuff

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thats not the official website

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if theres any

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I got win from my laptop but its OEM so I dont think I can transfer it

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could I do the chat gpt method

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if its not patched

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I got activated windows on my laptop

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https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/chatgpt-generates-free-windows-11-keys/

Digital Trends

ChatGPT can now generate working Windows 11 keys for free | Digital...

A Twitter user has found a clever way to use ChatGPT to create free Windows 11 Pro keys with just a simple prompt -- but there’s a notable catch involved.

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could I get a key on dark web

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I mean im fine with this for now

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I can also install win11 from win10?

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thats what I did on the laptop

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wym risk?

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is it not safe

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thats nice

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but i doubt Ill be getting a key soon

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I don't really need the windows key rn

wanton flax Jul 16, 2023, 10:30 PM

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wanton flax and the ip telling me im in like pakistan

now its telling me im from emerald hills in california

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nice

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what does that mean

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Im doing that already ig

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thank you for the help

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what could have been the problem? corrupted usb maybe?

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i think its been off

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very likely a setting in bios then

#USB "Access is denied."