How to Fix "Virtual Disk Service Error Clean Is Not Allowed”
IT administrators frequently encounter Virtual Disk Service errors, which can arise from various causes, with insufficient storage space on the hard drive being a common trigger. If you're facing the "Disk Service Error: Clean is not Allowed on the Disk" issue, this article outlines all the potential steps to resolve it.
However, it's crucial to recognize that many of the solutions proposed here are advanced in nature. Therefore, it's recommended to secure your data by backing it up using DiskInternals Partition Recovery. This precautionary measure is cost-free with the DiskInternals software, which is compatible with all versions and editions of the Windows operating system.
What is Virtual Disk Service Error - Clean Is Not Allowed on the Disk
Typically, Virtual Disk Service (VDS) errors occur when you try to use the DiskPart utility to carry out an action on your hard drive. Windows DiskPart utility tool is totally free to use and only accessible via the Command Prompt. While you can use DiskPart to carry out several actions, most times, you may run into common errors.
“Virtual Disk Service Error - Clean Is Not Allowed on the Disk” is an error that mostly appears because you were trying to clean a system disk (your system’s primary storage drive). Maybe you try cleaning a secondary disk to see if you’ll get the same error. The VDS is a Windows OS API that allows for running DiskPart, Device Management, and other disk-related utilities.
Causes
The primary reason for this error message is because you’re trying to tamper with the main drive that contains the boot info, system files/partitions, and other important data used by the OS and system. But that notwithstanding, hard drive protection can also lead to this error; this refers to the protective settings set by some people to prevent unauthorized access to the data on their hard drives.
How to Fix “Diskpart Virtual Disk Service Error Clean Is Not Allowed” on Windows Computers
There are a couple of ways to fix this error, howbeit, these workarounds are technical and could lead to irrecoverable loss of important files. To that end, it is advised to make full backups to the cloud or another (external) drive before proceeding with any tutorial provided below. DiskInternals Partition Recovery software can help you with making backups for free.
1. Use Windows Installation Disc
As the name implies, a Windows installation disc is a disc that lets you install Windows OS on a computer. However, if you’re computer already has a version of Windows OS installed, the installation disc can be used to format and repair the Windows; this action can lead to complete loss of files and partitions stored on the drive where the OS is being installed/repaired.
But then, to boot a computer from a media, you will first have to change the UEFI or BIOS boot sequence. To do this, shut down the PC, when booting it back up, press the BIOS button (usually F12 or F10 depending on your PC make). On the BIOS/UEFI menu, navigate to the boot section and set Optical Drive or Removable Drive as the first in the boot order. Now you can proceed.
Guide:
- Insert your Windows installation disc
- Shut down the system after rearranging the boot order to allow the PC to boot from an external media.
- Reboot the system
- Now, the system should boot from your installation disc and show you an almost blank “Blue Screen” with a notification, “Install Now.” Look towards the bottom area of that blue screen interface and click on “Repair your computer.”
- Go to Troubleshoot 🡺 Advanced Options 🡺 Command Prompt
- Run these commands one after another
- Diskpart
- List disk
- Select disk * (remember to replace “*” with the actual disk number of the drive you want to clean)
- Clean
Wait for the disk to be cleaned successfully, then you can close the command prompt, remove the installation media/disc, and reboot the system.
2. Run a Clean Installation of Windows OS
In some cases, the best solution to clean your system disk is to run a fresh Windows OS installation. Of course, this will wipe off existing data on the drive and install Windows afresh, so if you have important files there, back them up or copy them to another drive before proceeding further.
Guide:
- Download the Windows 10 or 11 ISO file from Microsoft’s official or use a Windows installation disc for the select Windows version you want to install.
- Booth your PC from the ISO file or installation media
- Follow the prompts to choose your installation preferences for Windows OS.
- You will need to enter your activation code to finalize the installation.
Depending on your choices during the installation procedure, the new Windows may wipe off every old data on your drive or compile them into a new folder named “Windows Old.”
Conclusion
Explained in this article are the three most effective ways to work around the “clean is not allowed” error on Windows OS. You either use an installation media or a third-party software, either way, all partitions on the target drive will be wiped out. Thus, it is necessary to make a full backup of your drive before going on with these procedures. P.S. Learn How to repair Virtual Disk in VMDK!