Windows Administration - Error - External Hard Drive access denied

Error: 
I have Western Digital HDD My Passport. I always plug it in before work and properly remove/eject (using windows 'Safely remove hardware and eject media' feature). All on a sudden I have started getting error 'Access Denied' (see screenshot-01).

Screenshot-01: Access Denied

Solution:
Option-04 below is the solution. But I had to do that in 'Safe Mode' to make it work. 

Options tried to get rid of this error:

Option-01: Removed and plugged-in again
Result: Didn't work

Option-02: Restart the machine
Result: Didn't work

Option-03: Change drive letter
Steps:

1. Go to Computer Management (Start - Control Panel - Administrative tools - Computer Management)
2. Go to Disk Management option (From left navigation panel, click Disk Management under Storage)
3. Select the disk which is having access denied error
4. Right Mouse button - Change drive letter and paths - Change...
5. Select different drive letter from option under 'Assign the following drive letter' (in my case I have selected H)

Screenshot-02: Computer Management

Result: Didn't work

Option-04: Take ownership and change permission using windows command

Steps:

1. I have another post to set ownership and permission 'Setup ownership and permission to file/folder/drive'. 

Result: getting 'Access Denied' error in the command prompt for both the commands

Resources:

1. Take Ownership of a File or Folder - http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753659.aspx 
2. Takeown command - http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc755342.aspx 
3. Cacls command - http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb490872.aspx