How to Fix "Unable to Mount Drive: Mount is Denied Because the NTFS Volume is Exclusively Opened" Error in Ubuntu
Introduction
🚀🚀🚀 If you’re a Linux user, particularly on a dual-boot system with Windows, you might encounter the error:
Mount is denied because the NTFS volume is already exclusively opened. The volume may be already mounted, or another software may use it.
This problem often occurs when trying to mount an NTFS partition in Ubuntu. This guide explains why this happens and provides a step-by-step solution to resolve it. 🚀🚀🚀
Understanding the Problem
🔍🔍🔍 The error occurs because:
- Auto-Mounting by the System: Ubuntu may automatically mount the NTFS partition to a default location (e.g.,
/mnt
), preventing you from mounting it elsewhere. - Processes Locking the Partition: Another process or application may be using the partition, which makes it inaccessible for mounting.
- Windows Fast Startup: If you dual-boot with Windows, its Fast Startup or hibernation settings might leave the partition in a locked state.
In this guide, we’ll troubleshoot and fix the issue step by step. 🔍🔍🔍
Step-by-Step Solution
1. Check if the Partition is Already Mounted
🛠️🛠️🛠️ First, verify if the partition is already mounted by running:
lsblk -o NAME,FSTYPE,LABEL,MOUNTPOINT
This command lists all the drives and their mount points. Look for the partition you’re trying to mount (e.g., /dev/sda5
). If it has a mount point (e.g., /mnt
), it is already mounted, and trying to mount it elsewhere will fail. 🛠️🛠️🛠️
2. Unmount the Partition
🧹🧹🧹 If the partition is already mounted but you want to remount it to a different location, unmount it first:
sudo umount /dev/sda5
If the system reports that the partition is "busy," proceed to the next step. 🧹🧹🧹
3. Check for Processes Locking the Partition
🔒🔒🔒 To identify processes that might be using the partition, run:
sudo fuser -m /dev/sda5
This command lists the process IDs (PIDs) of any programs using the partition. To stop these processes, run:
sudo kill -9 <PID>
Replace <PID>
with the actual process ID(s) from the fuser
output.
After stopping the processes, unmount the partition again:
sudo umount /dev/sda5
🔒🔒🔒
4. Remount the Partition to Your Desired Location
📂📂📂 Once the partition is unmounted, you can remount it to a new location, such as /media/backup_drive
. First, create the directory:
sudo mkdir /media/backup_drive
Then, mount the partition:
sudo mount -t ntfs-3g /dev/sda5 /media/backup_drive
Verify that the partition is mounted by listing its contents:
ls -l /media/backup_drive
📂📂📂
5. (Optional) Disable Windows Fast Startup
🌟🌟🌟 If you dual-boot with Windows, its Fast Startup feature can leave the NTFS partition in an inconsistent state, causing mounting issues. To disable Fast Startup:
- Boot into Windows.
- Open Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do.
- Click Change settings that are currently unavailable.
- Uncheck Turn on fast startup (recommended) and save changes.
- Perform a complete shutdown of Windows (not restart).
After this, retry mounting the partition in Ubuntu. 🌟🌟🌟
6. (Optional) Make the Mount Persistent
💾💾💾 To ensure the partition is always mounted at your preferred location during boot, edit the /etc/fstab
file:
-
Open the file in a text editor:
sudo nano /etc/fstab
-
Add a new line at the end:
UUID=<your-partition-uuid> /media/backup_drive ntfs-3g defaults 0 0
Replace
<your-partition-uuid>
with the UUID of your partition. You can find the UUID by running:sudo blkid /dev/sda5
-
Save the file and exit. Then test it:
sudo mount -a
💾💾💾
Summary
🎯🎯🎯 By following these steps, you can resolve the "Mount is denied because the NTFS volume is exclusively opened" error in Ubuntu:
- Check if the partition is already mounted.
- Unmount it using
umount
. - Stop any processes locking the partition with
fuser
. - Remount it manually to your desired location.
- (Optional) Disable Windows Fast Startup for smoother dual-boot experiences.
- (Optional) Add the partition to
/etc/fstab
for persistent mounting.
This ensures you have consistent and reliable access to your NTFS partition in Ubuntu. If you have further issues, feel free to ask for help! 🎯🎯🎯
Keywords for SEO:
- Unable to mount NTFS volume in Ubuntu
- NTFS volume already exclusively opened error
- Fix "mount is denied" error in Linux
- Dual-boot Windows and Ubuntu NTFS partition error
- Resolve NTFS mount issues in Ubuntu
Special offer for you 🎁
Grab any Industry ready Course from Internshala for just Rs1349/- Only (Original Price: Rs4499/-),
Wondering How?
- Choose any Industry ready Course from Internshala
- Use Internshala Exxtra discount Coupon Code: ISRP14182585
- Get Flat Rs50 Cashback as an MSM Benefit
Note: You will get an additional Rs150 discount using the coupon code.