Windows 10/11 Error “The properties for this item are not available” Fix

Windows 10/11 has a variety of flexible features for a convenient workspace, making it the most used PC operating software. However, it is not without its issues. As the latest release in the Windows series, Windows 10/11 has several bugs and errors that, if not addressed, can cause frustration for its users.

As of recently, there have been a lot of complaints from users. Mostly, they are about the ongoing error which prevents users from accessing the properties of the storage drives connected to the system. When everything is properly functional, users can view properties of all storage connected to the system such as HDDs and SSDs.

What Is “The Properties for this Item Are not Available” Error on Windows 10/11

To view properties of your drives you need to access This PC, then right-click on the drive of interest before selecting Properties in the context menu. This will manifest a dialog showing details of all information concerned about the drive. The data can include the file system and disk usage, as well as, features that let you secure or encrypt the storage drive.

Now, when this issue occurs, upon right-clicking on the drive and selecting Properties, the system fails to produce the dialog containing the information. Instead, it generates an error message stating, “The properties for this item are not available”.

What Causes “The Properties for this Item Are not Available” Error

This problem can be frustrating as it prevents the user from obtaining vital information about the drive such as its available or used space. It also hinders you from securing your storage drive or obtaining valuable information.

Fortunately, this problem is commonly caused by missing or corrupt registry keys. That being the issue, you can fix it by appending the missing registry keys or simply replacing corrupt or damaged ones.

Many factors can lead to registry keys getting corrupted, lost, or damaged. These factors include system infection by malicious software that tends to access sensitive areas of the computer and tamper with the content. Human error can also lead to damaged registry keys, especially if the user does not have the tech expertise.

With that being said, we advise you to first run a full system scan, using a reputable antimalware security suite. The right tool will detect and remove any suspicious software that might have caused the damage. Keep the security software utility running in the background even after solving the issue. Doing so will prevent such kind of malware from penetrating your system in the future.

How to Fix “The Properties for this Item Are not Available” on Windows 10/11

Before attempting to do anything, ensure the Windows 10/11 copy you are running is up to date. First check for any update issues as this may also be the cause of the discrepancies in play. In the Windows 10/11 KB3140745 update, this issue was addressed and fixed. Thus, applying all pending updates should provide you with an automatic fix for the issue.

If implementing the pending updates does not help, you may then proceed and fix the issue manually by following the steps presented below cautiously:

1. Access the Run dialog by simultaneously pressing Windows Logo + R keys.
2. In the text field, type “regedit” (no quotes) and select the OK button to launch Registry Editor.
3. Highlight the AppID folder and simultaneously press Ctrl + F keys to summon the Find window.
4. In the search field, type “dce86d62b6c7” (no quotes) and click on Find Next. Make sure all the boxes titled Keys, Values, and Data are checked.
5. Once the appropriate subclass key folder labelled 448aee3b-dc65-4af6-bf5f-dce86d62b6c7 has been identified, right-click on it and modify the trusted owner to the account name logged in. Note that the account you’re using must have admin privileges.
6. Once you have successfully claimed key ownership, double-click the Run As key before removing User value.
7. Save and restart the computer for changes to take effect.

If the demonstrated solution above does not solve the issue with File Explorer continuing to crash, the problem might be bigger than just a corrupt registry. In such a case, you may proceed to apply the fix below.

Does the error message “The properties for this item are not available” only occur when you right-click on the left pane? Does the right pane show no functional issues? If so, then the drive might be the one causing the problem. Several factors can cause a drive to malfunction leading this error message, and these include:

• Improper decoding of data stored in the drive
• Corrupt file system
• Unreadable boot information in the drive
• Data stored in the drive is corrupt.

Corrupt data can choke File Explorer when it tries to access drive properties leading to the error message. This then leads to File Explorer attempting to clear corrupt data from the RAM by crashing the whole process. You will then need to restart File Explorer using the Task Manager utility.

If that’s the case, here is how you can fix the issue:

1. Disconnect all of the detachable storage media and insert them back one at a time. This measure will help you find the one that is the source of the problem.
2. Now, since the right-click won’t be working on the affected drive, you will need to use Command Prompt to repair or format it.
3. Press Windows Logo together with the R keys simultaneously to launch the Run dialog.
4. In the text field, type “CMD” (no quotes), then press the Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys simultaneously to open elevated Command Prompt. Click Yes when prompted by the User Account Control to grant admin privileges.
5. Now, to scan and repair the affected drive, insert the command line below followed by the Enter key:
   chkdsk /f E:
   E represents the drive letter assigned to the drive you wish to scan and repair. So, if yours is D, the command line should read “chkdsk /f D:”
6. To format the drive, type “format E.” in the Command Prompt window followed by the Enter key. Note that this measure will erase all data in the drive, meaning you must be prepared to lose it.

Once done, you can reboot your system and your storage drive will now be readable with the error message “The properties for this item are not available” gone.