C Drive Not Responding on Windows 11/10 [Solved]

Signs for C Drive Not Responding

When the C drive stops responding, it usually doesn’t go unnoticed. Here are the most common signs that your C drive may be in trouble:

• System Freezing or Lagging: If tasks that once opened in seconds now take minutes—or don't open at all—it could be the C drive struggling to read or write data.
• Windows Explorer Not Loading: File Explorer hangs or crashes when trying to access files on the C drive, throwing error messages like “Not Responding”, “Working on it…” or “C:\ is not accessible”.
• Applications Failing to Launch: Since most programs install to the C drive by default, a non-responsive drive may cause software to fail at launch or crash unexpectedly during use.
• Long Boot Times or Failure to Boot: A slow startup or complete inability to boot into Windows could mean that the system can’t read essential files from the C drive.

If you are in one of the above situations, it could be caused by:

🎯Malware or Virus Infection

🎯Low Disk Space

🎯Corrupted System Files

🎯Software Conflicts

🎯Damaged MBR

How to Fix C Drive Not Accessible Easily

In this part, you’ll learn how to fix C drive not responding on Windows 11/10 step by step. Before you start, please restart your computer. It’s the quickest way to clear up temporary glitches that cause your C drive to become unresponsive. If it doesn’t work, go to the following solutions.

💡 Tip: If your system is completely frozen and won’t respond to mouse clicks or keyboard input, perform a hard shutdown by holding the power button for 5–10 seconds. Then, wait a few moments and power it back on.

Fix 1: Run a virus/malware scan

Malware and viruses are common culprits behind a non-responsive C drive. Here’s how to run a scan:

👉 Use Windows Security:

1. Open Virus & threat protection.

• For Windows 11, go to Start > Settings > Privacy & Security > Windows Security > Virus & threat protection.
• For Windows 10, go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Virus & threat protection.

2. Click Quick Scan or select Full Scan for a more thorough check.

👉Use a Trusted Third-Party Antivirus:

Tools like Malwarebytes, Bitdefender, or Norton can detect threats that built-in solutions might miss.

Fix 2: Check available disk space

Low disk space on your C drive can lead to serious performance problems, including freezing, crashing, or the drive becoming unresponsive altogether. Please check your disk space as follows:

1. Press Windows + E to open File Explorer.

2. Click This PC in the left pane. Look under Devices and drives to see how much free space is available on the C drive.

3. If your C drive is nearly full (typically under 10% free), use one of the following ways to free up space:

1️⃣ Empty the Recycle Bin.

2️⃣ Use Disk Cleanup:

• Type Disk Cleanup into the Start menu and select your C drive.
• Remove temporary files, system cache, and previous Windows installations.

3️⃣ Uninstall unused programs:

Go to Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features.

4️⃣ Move large files (videos, photos, etc.) to another drive or external storage.

Fix 3: Run CHKDSK and SFC tools

If your C drive is still not responding after basic fixes, it’s time to check for file system errors or corrupted system files. Windows provides two powerful built-in utilities for this: CHKDSK (Check Disk) and SFC (System File Checker). Learn how to use them below:

1. Type cmd in the search box, then right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

2. Type chkdsk C: /f /r /x and press Enter to check C drive.

3. You’ll be asked to schedule a scan on the next restart. Type Y and press Enter.

4. Restart your PC. The scan may take some time, depending on your disk size and condition.

5. After your computer restarts, open Command Prompt as administrator again.

6. Type sfc /scannow and press Enter.

7. Wait for the scan to complete. If issues are found, SFC will attempt to fix them automatically.

Fix 4: Use Windows Safe Mode

If your C drive continues to be unresponsive or your system is too unstable to troubleshoot normally, booting into Safe Mode can help isolate the issue. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the Recovery option.

• For Windows 11, go to Start > Settings > System > Recovery.
• For Windows 10, go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Recovery.

2. Under Advanced startup, click Restart now.

3. On the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.

4. When your PC restarts, press 4 or F4 to boot into Safe Mode.

5. After booting into Safe Mode, you can:

• Run antivirus/malware scans
• Use CHKDSK or SFC if not already run
• Check for problematic drivers or recent software installs
• Try freeing up disk space or backing up important files

Fix 5: Rebuild the Master Boot Record (MBR)

If your PC won’t boot properly or your C drive is completely inaccessible, a damaged Master Boot Record (MBR) could be to blame. Follow these steps to rebuild MBR:

1. Boot your computer from Windows installation media. Then select Repair your computer > Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt.

💡 Tip: If you don’t have a Windows installation media, you can create one using the Media Creation Tool from Microsoft’s website.

2. In the Command Prompt, type the following commands one at a time, pressing Enter after each:

• bootrec /fixmbr
• bootrec /fixboot
• bootrec /scanos
• bootrec /rebuildbcd

3. After successfully running the commands, exit Command Prompt and restart your PC. Check if your C drive is now accessible and the system boots normally.

Bonus: When to Replace Your Hard Drive

If your C drive remains unresponsive despite multiple software fixes—or if CHKDSK reveals extensive bad sectors—it may be time to consider replacing the drive altogether. If you want to retain your system, files, apps, and settings exactly as they were after hard drive replacement, you can clone your existing C drive with the best cloning software - AOMEI Cloner.

Download AOMEI Cloner and use it to clone your C drive now.

Step 1. Install and open AOMEI Cloner. Then select Clone → System Clone.

Step 2. C drive and other boot-related partitions are selected by default. You just need to select the destination HDD/SSD.

Step 3. If you are cloning to a larger drive, there will be an option called Make full use of disk space and it is checked by default. Click Start Clone and wait for the process to finish.

Conclusion

The C drive not responding error can bring your entire system to a halt, but with the right approach, it doesn’t have to mean data loss or expensive repairs. This article offers 5 effective solutions to help you resolve the C drive not accessible issue.

If software fixes don’t resolve the issue, don’t hesitate to clone your drive using AOMEI Cloner and upgrade to a new, more reliable storage device. It works with all brands of disks. You can use it to clone HDD to WD SSD, Samsung SSD, Crucial SSD, etc. Why not give it a shot?