Error 0x0800701B1: A device whcih does not exist was specified

Question

I have recently reinstalled Windows 10 to my SSD and since then I have had this error where I randomly cannot read or write to 2 of my other drives. When I create a new file for example, i get the error An unexpected error is keeping you from creating this file. if you continue to receive this error, you can use the error code to search for help with this problem.

Error 0x800701B1: A device which does not exist was specified.

They both appear with this lock and warning symbol as shown in the image below:

I did a health check on one of the drives and it comes back saying there are no errors.

This error happens seemingly at random.

Answer 1

Thanks!

What format is your disk in?

Still in the command terminal, type:

diskpart

list disk

select disk X

### Replace X with the number of your 4TB drive

detail disk

### Send me the result

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Another important question: Do these drives contain only data, or do they have installed programs, games, and old versions of Windows? If you don't know, send me a photo of the contents if you're able to open them.

Answer 2

Hi!

Your drives are encrypted with BitLocker. They were likely encrypted before you formatted the system, and since you are now running a fresh installation of Windows, they may be preventing data from being written to them.

This could be one of the issues, though perhaps not the root cause. First, I would recommend disabling BitLocker to rule out that possibility.

• One quick question: Are these two drives external USB drives, or internal drives (SATA cable, NVMe)?

1. Type "'Command Prompt" in the Search Bar > Right-click on the app > Select '''Run as administrator''.
2. Now let's type the following commands.

ATTENTION: Type the entire command in the first line > Press ENTER > Wait for the command to complete.

manage-bde -off F:

# The letter F is the drive letter for the encrypted drive. You must do this for each drive.

3. Use the Command below to check the unlock status of the Encrypted Drive.

manage-bde -status C:

4. When the "Encrypted Percentage" option is at 0%, it means that the drive is free of BitLocker.

If you cannot decrypt using this command, you need your Recovery Key. See the link below:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/encryption/find-your-bitlocker-recovery-key