Iomega external hard drives, often built with Western Digital internal drives, are commonly used for business backups, financial records, and accounting software storage. However, when users encounter an “Access Denied” error when trying to open the drive, it can indicate corrupt file permissions, encryption issues, or file system corruption, making data inaccessible.
This case study details how we successfully recovered accounting data for a financial firm after their Iomega external hard drive became locked due to corrupted access permissions or encryption conflicts.
As Oxford Data Recovery, with 25 years of forensic data recovery experience, we used file permission restoration, decryption analysis, and advanced data extraction techniques to restore the lost financial records.
The Challenge: “Access Denied” Error on Iomega External Hard Drive
An accounting company contacted us after their Iomega external hard drive displayed an “Access Denied” error when attempting to open it. The reported issues included:
- Drive detected by Windows/macOS but inaccessible due to permission errors.
- Company accounting software unable to read financial data from the drive.
- The drive contained sensitive financial records, invoices, and client tax data.
- Attempts to change permissions via Windows Security settings failed.
Since modifying permissions incorrectly or using forceful decryption tools could permanently lock the data, an immediate professional recovery solution was required.
Diagnosis & Evaluation
When the Iomega external hard drive (Western Digital inside) arrived at our cleanroom facility, we conducted a full software and security-level diagnostic. Our findings:
- Corrupt NTFS file permissions – The access control list (ACL) had been altered or damaged.
- Possible encryption conflicts – The drive may have been encrypted with BitLocker or third-party security software.
- File system inconsistencies – Some directories were unreadable due to metadata corruption.
Since forcibly changing permissions or tampering with encrypted files could lead to complete data loss, we prioritized forensic recovery and structured decryption analysis.
The Recovery Process
1. Creating a Forensic Clone to Preserve Data Integrity
To prevent accidental data loss, we:
- Created a sector-by-sector clone of the Iomega hard drive.
- Used write-blocking technology to ensure original data remained unaltered.
2. Restoring File Permissions & Access Control Lists (ACLs)
Since the drive had corrupted NTFS permissions, we:
- Manually reconstructed the access control list (ACL) using forensic recovery tools.
- Assigned new ownership permissions while maintaining file integrity.
- Recovered administrative access without damaging encrypted files.
3. Identifying & Resolving Encryption Conflicts
Since some files were encrypted, we:
- Determined whether BitLocker or third-party encryption was in use.
- Extracted encryption metadata to reconstruct missing decryption keys.
- Recovered decrypted copies of accounting spreadsheets and financial records.
4. Verifying & Restoring Business Financial Data
Once access was restored, we:
- Checked all recovered files for corruption or missing data.
- Ensured accounting software could open tax records and invoices.
- Transferred fully restored data to a new secure external drive.
The Results: 100% Data Recovery Success
Thanks to our file permission restoration and encryption handling techniques, we successfully recovered 100% of the accountant firm’s financial records, including:
✅ Accounting spreadsheets, tax records, and payroll data
✅ Financial invoices, client reports, and transaction logs
✅ QuickBooks, Sage, and other accounting software backups
The client was able to access all their financial data again without losing any important records, ensuring compliance with their business operations.
Why Choose Us?
With 25 years of experience and tens of thousands of successful recoveries, we are the leading encrypted and permission-locked data recovery specialists in Oxford and the UK. Our expertise includes:
✔ Corrupt NTFS file permission repair & access recovery
✔ BitLocker, third-party encryption decryption & data extraction
✔ Financial & business data recovery from locked drives
✔ Secure & confidential data retrieval for accountants & firms
If your hard drive is displaying an “Access Denied” error, showing encryption issues, or preventing access to critical business files, do not attempt DIY fixes—contact us for professional data recovery.