{"id":1837,"date":"2019-02-04T00:01:09","date_gmt":"2019-02-04T05:01:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/langa.com\/?p=1837"},"modified":"2019-02-22T17:03:17","modified_gmt":"2019-02-22T22:03:17","slug":"managing-pre-win10-file-ownership-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/02\/04\/managing-pre-win10-file-ownership-issues\/","title":{"rendered":"Managing pre-Win10 File &#8216;Permissions&#8217; Issues"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Older Windows Secrets\/LangaList columns are in the process of being moved to their new home at <a aria-label=\"AskWoody.com (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.askwoody.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AskWoody.com,<\/a> and may not yet be publicly available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the interim, I&#8217;m reprinting selected columns here to help ensure readers can find and access information I&#8217;m referencing in new columns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The column below was originally published in the May 21, 2015 WindowsSecrets. It supplements a new column focused on Win10 file permission issues; scheduled for the Feb. 4, 2019 <a aria-label=\"AskWoody Plus Newsletter (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.askwoody.com\/askwoody-newsletter-alerts\/\" target=\"_blank\">AskWoody Plus Newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The original, verbatim, un-updated copy from 2015 follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Windows 8 upgrade error locks user\u2019s files<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>By Fred Langa on May 21, 2015\tin&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/windowssecrets.com\/category\/langalist-plus\/\">LangaList Plus<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>When Windows\u2019 file-and-folder&nbsp;permissions&nbsp;go awry, you might be unable to access your own data! But you can regain control with a few easy steps.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This article discusses two quick workarounds, plus methods to help permanently resolve even difficult permissions problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">An unpleasant surprise follows a Win8 upgrade<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Reader Marsha Casey\u2019s move from Win7 to Win8 seemed to go well \u2014 but then came the shocking discovery that she was locked out of her external drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\u201cI\u2019ve recently encountered a problem for which I can\u2019t seem to find help. I copied files from a Win7 laptop to my external hard drive [to prepare for an upgrade to Windows 8]. When I finished installing Win8, I tried to copy those files back \u2014 but then got a message that I don\u2019t have correct permissions. I ran a Kaspersky full scan on that drive, and it found no problems. The permissions on those files are set to Full Control for Everyone, System, Admins, and me. I\u2019m at a loss as to what else I can do to get my files. Any ideas you can give me would be very much appreciated.\u201d<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Wow, what a frustrating problem! Your files are right there \u2014 but you can\u2019t access them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you surmise, this is almost certainly due to mangled permissions settings. And you did exactly the right thing by manually checking the permissions. Typically, you\u2019d do so by right-clicking the target files or folders, selecting&nbsp;<strong>Properties\/Security,<\/strong>&nbsp;and then reviewing the permissions via the Edit and\/or Advanced buttons. There, you can make any necessary adjustments to permissions for users and groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In most cases, those steps work fine, and all users should be able to read, write, change, or delete the selected files\/subfolders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But that didn\u2019t work for you, so you\u2019ll have to dig a little deeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Windows\u2019 permissions can be very complex. For example, there are six basic permission types: Read, Write, Read &amp; Execute, List Folder Contents, Modify, and Full Control. In addition, there are over a dozen special and custom permission variations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Permissions can be applied globally or per user, and they act differently depending on how a user is signed in (i.e., administrator, standard user, guest, or child).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Permissions also vary according to how the separate (but related)&nbsp;<strong><em>sharing<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;settings are configured \u2014 and whether the attempted access is local or remote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moreover, Windows 8 adds a new way to handle file and folder&nbsp;<strong><em>ownership<\/em>,<\/strong>&nbsp;which can cause problems if your Win8 username is different from what was used with Win 7 or Vista \u2014 as is often the case. Win8 might see your older files as being \u201cowned\u201d by someone other than you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And that\u2019s just for the standard&nbsp;<strong><em>explicit<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;permissions. The less obvious&nbsp;<strong><em>inherited<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;permissions add even more complexity. For example, a subfolder normally inherits the permissions of its parent folder(s). When a folder tree is many levels deep and you try to manually adjust one or more folders somewhere in the folder tree, the inheritance permission chain can get royally tangled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s a daunting list of things that can go wrong. Rather than trying to nit-pick individual settings, I\u2019ve found that the shortest way to untangle permissions messes is usually to remove&nbsp;<strong><em>all<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;access restrictions for&nbsp;<strong><em>all<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;users. I then go back and adjust the ownership and inheritance settings, as needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That practice should help you regain access to all your files or folders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But before diving into the permanent fixes, I suggest you try two quick and easy workarounds. Although neither will correct the root problem or problems, they might at least let you regain access to your locked files right away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Quick fix 1<\/em>:<\/strong>&nbsp;Try this. Repeat your attempts to copy your files, but verify that you\u2019re truly&nbsp;<strong>copying<\/strong>&nbsp;and not trying to&nbsp;<strong>move<\/strong>&nbsp;(or cut-and-paste) the files. I know that sounds a little silly, but here\u2019s the thing: a simple copy-and-paste operation requires the relatively relaxed&nbsp;<strong>Read<\/strong>&nbsp;access permission. In contrast, a move or cut-and-paste requires both&nbsp;<strong>Read<\/strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>Modify<\/strong>&nbsp;permissions. A simple Read operation might succeed where a Read\/Modify will fail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Quick fix 2<\/em>:<\/strong>&nbsp;If a plain-vanilla copy doesn\u2019t work, exit Windows and boot your PC with a self-contained DVD\/CD\/Flash-based \u201clive\u201d Linux distribution or rescue disc of your choice. A Linux setup might \u201csee\u201d your files differently and allow you to copy them from the external drive to your main hard drive or other location \u2014 bypassing Windows-based restrictions. (Need a good Linux live distro? There are many, and most are free. See, for example,&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.linuxmint.com\/download.html\">Linux Mint<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ubuntu.com\/download\/desktop\/try-ubuntu-before-you-install\">Ubuntu<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.pendrivelinux.com\/\">Pendrivelinux<\/a>, and so forth.&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/livecdlist.com\/\">The LiveCD List<\/a>&nbsp;also lists many, many other alternatives.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether or not these workarounds let you copy your files, you\u2019ll eventually want to permanently resolve the permissions problems. The following methods focus on Win8 (because that\u2019s what Marsha is using), but the steps and techniques are similar for Win7 and Vista.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These instructions assume you\u2019re signed in to an account with administrator privileges. I\u2019ll start with the simplest method: rebuilding the&nbsp;<strong>Sharing<\/strong>&nbsp;settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Right-click a problematic folder and select Properties\/Sharing. Click the Share button; the File Sharing dialog box will open.<\/li><li>Look at the&nbsp;<strong>Name<\/strong>&nbsp;listings. If the&nbsp;<strong>Everyone<\/strong>&nbsp;group is shown, open its pull-down menu under&nbsp;<strong>Permission Level<\/strong>and select&nbsp;<strong>Remove,<\/strong>&nbsp;as shown in Figure 1. The Everyone group should disappear from the Name listings.Figure 1. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"418\" height=\"398\" data-attachment-id=\"1838\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/02\/04\/managing-pre-win10-file-ownership-issues\/1837-1\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1837-1.png?fit=418%2C398&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"418,398\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"1837-1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1837-1.png?fit=418%2C398&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1837-1.png?resize=418%2C398&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1838\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1837-1.png?w=418&amp;ssl=1 418w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1837-1.png?resize=300%2C286&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 418px) 100vw, 418px\" \/><figcaption> <br><strong>Figure 1. Start a sharing-problem fix by removing&nbsp;<\/strong><em>Everyone<\/em><strong>&nbsp;from the permissions list.<\/strong> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>When the Name field shows no listing for Everyone, re-create it by entering \u201ceveryone\u201d into the text box and clicking Add (Figure 2).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"432\" height=\"370\" data-attachment-id=\"1839\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/02\/04\/managing-pre-win10-file-ownership-issues\/1837-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1837-2.png?fit=432%2C370&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"432,370\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"1837-2\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1837-2.png?fit=432%2C370&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1837-2.png?resize=432%2C370&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1839\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1837-2.png?w=432&amp;ssl=1 432w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1837-2.png?resize=300%2C257&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px\" \/><figcaption> <br><strong>Figure 2. Re-creating the&nbsp;<\/strong><em>Everyone<\/em><strong>&nbsp;group<\/strong> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Click the newly created Everyone listing, open the pull-down menu under Permission Level, and select&nbsp;<strong>Read\/Write.<\/strong><\/li><li>Click the Share button at the bottom of the dialog box and then click Done in the File Share dialog box. You\u2019ll be returned to Properties.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Try to access your files. If you\u2019re still having trouble, try adjusting the&nbsp;<strong><em>advanced sharing<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Return to Properties\/Sharing and click the Advanced Sharing button.<\/li><li>In the Advanced Sharing dialog box, tick (enable) the&nbsp;<strong>Share this folder<\/strong>&nbsp;box at the top and then click the Permissions button (Figure 3).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"340\" height=\"362\" data-attachment-id=\"1840\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/02\/04\/managing-pre-win10-file-ownership-issues\/1837-3\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1837-3.png?fit=340%2C362&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"340,362\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"1837-3\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1837-3.png?fit=340%2C362&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1837-3.png?resize=340%2C362&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1840\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1837-3.png?w=340&amp;ssl=1 340w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1837-3.png?resize=282%2C300&amp;ssl=1 282w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 340px) 100vw, 340px\" \/><figcaption><br>Figure 3. Adding advanced permissions<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>If Everyone isn\u2019t shown in the Permissions dialog box, click Add \u2014 the&nbsp;<strong>Select Users or Groups<\/strong>&nbsp;settings box will open. Type \u201cEveryone\u201d into the space labeled \u201cEnter the object names to select\u201d and then click OK. You\u2019ll be returned to Permissions.<\/li><li>Now select&nbsp;<strong>Everyone<\/strong>&nbsp;and tick the Allow boxes for&nbsp;<strong>Full Control,<\/strong>&nbsp;<strong>Change,<\/strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>Read<\/strong>&nbsp;(Figure 4).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"362\" height=\"392\" data-attachment-id=\"1841\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/02\/04\/managing-pre-win10-file-ownership-issues\/1837-4\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1837-4.png?fit=362%2C392&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"362,392\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"1837-4\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1837-4.png?fit=362%2C392&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1837-4.png?resize=362%2C392&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1841\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1837-4.png?w=362&amp;ssl=1 362w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1837-4.png?resize=277%2C300&amp;ssl=1 277w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 362px) 100vw, 362px\" \/><figcaption><br>Figure 4. Give the new Everyone group all available permissions.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Click the OK buttons until you\u2019ve exited all the Properties dialog boxes.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Try accessing your files now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you still can\u2019t get at your files, the problem might be with the folder\u2019s&nbsp;<strong><em>inheritance<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;and\/or&nbsp;<strong><em>ownership<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;settings. Here\u2019s how to adjust them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Navigate to the topmost folder of the drive where your inaccessible files reside (in Marsha\u2019s case, the external drive\u2019s topmost folder would be its mapped drive letter \u2014&nbsp;<strong>D:, E:, F:,<\/strong>&nbsp;etc.). Right-click and select Properties\/Sharing. Adjust the folder\u2019s basic Sharing permissions, as described above. Try accessing your files again.<\/li><li>If access is still blocked, right-click and select the topmost folder\u2019s Properties\/Sharing tab and adjust the Advanced Sharing settings, as described earlier.<\/li><li>If your files remain inaccessible, right-click and select the topmost folder\u2019s Properties\/Security tab. Click the Advanced button. Figure 5 illustrates the following steps.<\/li><li>Near the top of Advanced Security Settings dialog box, check who\u2019s listed as the folder\u2019s&nbsp;<strong>Owner<\/strong>. If your current, Win8 username is not shown, click the&nbsp;<strong>Change<\/strong>&nbsp;link to the right and follow the on-screen steps to enter your Win8 username and give it ownership of the target folder and its subfolders.<\/li><li>Next, ensure that inheritance is enabled. If you see an \u201cEnable inheritance\u201d button in the lower-left corner of Advanced Security Settings, click it. (<strong><em>Don\u2019t<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;click the button if it says, \u201cDisable inheritance.\u201d)<\/li><li>If the check box for \u201cReplace all child object permission entries with inheritable permission entries from this object\u201d is empty, tick it to enable this option, as shown in Figure 5.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"416\" height=\"447\" data-attachment-id=\"1842\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/02\/04\/managing-pre-win10-file-ownership-issues\/1837-5\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1837-5.png?fit=416%2C447&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"416,447\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"1837-5\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1837-5.png?fit=416%2C447&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1837-5.png?resize=416%2C447&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1842\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1837-5.png?w=416&amp;ssl=1 416w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1837-5.png?resize=279%2C300&amp;ssl=1 279w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 416px) 100vw, 416px\" \/><figcaption><br>Figure 5. Check the folder&#8217;s&nbsp;<em>ownership<\/em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>inheritance<\/em>&nbsp;settings.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s hard to imagine bad permission settings surviving those settings changes, but if you still can\u2019t fully access your files, it\u2019s time to bring out the big guns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To start, enable Windows\u2019 hidden Administrator account, as described in the May 14&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/windowssecrets.com\/top-story\/activate-windows-hidden-master-admin-account\/\">Top Story<\/a>, \u201cActivate Windows\u2019 hidden, master admin account.\u201d Sign out of your normal user account and into the newly revealed Admin account, then repeat the preceding steps. Manually set the basic permissions (as Marsha originally did) and then, in sequence, adjust the Sharing, Advanced Sharing, Owner, and Inheritance settings. Test your file access after each step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if even that doesn\u2019t work, try downloading and running&nbsp;<strong>SubInACL<\/strong>&nbsp;from the Admin account; it\u2019s a free Microsoft Resource Kit tool designed to let admins quickly modify NTFS file and folder attributes \u2014 permissions, ownership, and domain. A Microsoft Answers&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/answers.microsoft.com\/en-us\/windows\/forum\/windows_7-security\/how-to-reset-all-user-permissions-to-default\/9da312d2-c99b-4283-a275-e74d93dcc366\">thread<\/a>&nbsp;contains a 10-step how-to on downloading and using the app to reset file\/folder permissions to defaults. (Note: This is an older tool that\u2019s not specifically designed for Win8. But if you\u2019ve tried everything else and still can\u2019t access your files, it\u2019s worth a try. Make sure you restrict the use of SubInACL to modifying only the permissions of the malfunctioning folders.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If that doesn\u2019t work, well \u2014 you\u2019re running out of options. But you can try the advanced (and, frankly, difficult) steps outlined in Microsoft Support article&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/kb\/313222\/en-us\">313222<\/a>, \u201cHow do I restore security settings to a known working state?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But I don\u2019t think it\u2019ll come to that. Almost surely, one of the simpler options will get your files unlocked and open for full, normal access. Good luck!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:right\" class=\"has-small-font-size\"><strong><em>Permalink: <\/em><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/langa.com\/?p=1837\"><strong><em>https:\/\/langa.com\/?p=1837<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Want to ask Fred a question? Have a comment? Click <a href=\"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/contact\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Want free notification of new content like this? Click <a href=\"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2018\/09\/09\/get-free-automatic-notification-of-new-content\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Older Windows Secrets\/LangaList columns are in the process of being moved to their new home at AskWoody.com, and may not yet be publicly available. In the interim, I&#8217;m reprinting selected columns here to help ensure readers can find and access information I&#8217;m referencing in new columns. The column below was originally published in the May&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[6,27,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1837","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-long-form","category-older-column-for-reference","category-windows"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paaiox-tD","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2366,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/03\/27\/surprising-results-from-win10-benchmarks\/","url_meta":{"origin":1837,"position":0},"title":"Surprising results from Win10 benchmarks","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-03-27","format":false,"excerpt":"The column reprinted below was originally published in the August 6, 2015, Windows Secrets newsletter. Today, it supplements a new column, posted today, here: https:\/\/langa.com\/?p=2460 (I\u2019m reprinting selected Windows Secrets columns here to help ensure readers can find and access information I\u2019m referencing in new columns; until older Windows Secrets\/LangaList\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Older column for reference&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Older column for reference","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/older-column-for-reference\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2159,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/03\/11\/how-to-hack-a-back-door-into-win10-8-and-7\/","url_meta":{"origin":1837,"position":1},"title":"How to hack a \u2018back door\u2019 into Win10, 8, and 7\ufeff","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-03-11","format":false,"excerpt":"The column below was originally published in the August 18, 2016, Windows Secrets newsletter. Today, it supplements a new column, scheduled for the March 11, 2019\u00a0AskWoody Plus Newsletter, focused on what to do if an error causes you to lose all admin privileges on your own PC. Click on over\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;AskWoody Plus&quot;","block_context":{"text":"AskWoody Plus","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/askwoody-plus\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/W20160818-TS-NewAccount.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2060,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/03\/11\/using-windows-powerful-recovery-environment\/","url_meta":{"origin":1837,"position":2},"title":"Using Windows\u2019 powerful &#8216;Recovery Environment\ufeff&#8217;","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-03-11","format":false,"excerpt":"The column below was originally published in the June 23, 2016 Windows Secrets. Today, it supplements a new column, scheduled for the March 11, 2019 AskWoody Plus Newsletter, focused on what to do if an error causes you to lose all admin privileges on your own PC. Click on over\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;AskWoody Plus&quot;","block_context":{"text":"AskWoody Plus","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/askwoody-plus\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/W20160623-BP-CommandPromptOption.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1785,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/01\/28\/the-old-windowssecrets-gang-is-back\/","url_meta":{"origin":1837,"position":3},"title":"The old &#8216;Windows Secrets&#8217; gang is back!","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-01-28","format":false,"excerpt":"Good news! As many of you already know, Woody Leonhard is folding the Windows Secrets newsletter and Lounge into the operations at AskWoody.com. He's enlisted many of the original Windows Secrets crew to help out, including me, Susan Bradley, Tracy Capen, Woody himself, and others (list). I'm principally involved with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Langa.Com Site News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Langa.Com Site News","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/langa-com-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5160,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2020\/06\/08\/is-windows-readyboost-worthwhile-in-win10\/","url_meta":{"origin":1837,"position":4},"title":"Is Windows&#8217; &#8216;ReadyBoost&#8217; worthwhile in Win10?","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2020-06-08","format":false,"excerpt":"ReadyBoost\u00a0is a storage technology available in Windows 10 that lets you enhance PC performance by using ordinary USB flash drives as fast disk caches. Debuting in Vista, ReadyBoost was once cutting-edge technology. But does it still make sense with today's PCs? That's the main topic of my column in this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;AskWoody Plus&quot;","block_context":{"text":"AskWoody Plus","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/askwoody-plus\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/readyboost.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3179,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/08\/12\/back-issues-open-and-free-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":1837,"position":5},"title":"Back issues open, and free!","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-08-12","format":false,"excerpt":"The\u00a0AskWoody Plus newsletter is on a two-week Summer break. But all previous issues are archived\u00a0here, and for now, they\u2019re open and free. Click on over! Some recent highlights: LANGALIST:\u00a0Many ways to track down a PC\u2019s energy problemsBEST OF THE LOUNGE:\u00a0BlueKeep exploitation expected soon?PATCH WATCH:\u00a0Wrapping up July Windows and Office updatesWINDOWS\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;AskWoody Plus&quot;","block_context":{"text":"AskWoody Plus","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/askwoody-plus\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1837","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1837"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1837\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2161,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1837\/revisions\/2161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1837"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1837"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1837"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}