Easiest way to get rid of "Access Denied" errors Windows 10/11

January 9, 2023 | self

[entropy12]

Easiest method to get rid of annoying "Access Denied" error messages while copying, moving or deleting files and folders.

[TChad]

If you need data recovery and not simply recovery of the drive, you may need specialized software for that, such as EaseUS Data Recovery. Or, you may need to hire someone. I have had good luck with EaseUS Data Recovery, but it is a bit tricky to use.

[Paal Gulli]

The problem is that the User Access Control that has been part of every MS Windows since Vista (pardon my french) was a ham-fisted effort to give Windows the same sort of file-level access control UNIX/Linux has had since forever, but they botched it horribly and with each new release of Windows it only gets worse.

The account you’re logged in as HAS TO HAVE Administrator privileges to do this.

1. Disable User Access Control
https://www.minitool.com/news/how-to-disable-uac-windows-10-004.html

That will get most of them but Windows’ “User Access Control” is such an abomination that you might still have an occasional trouble spot. You can fix them by taking ownership of the directory the files are in.

2. Go to the website below:

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/3841-add-take-ownership-context-menu-windows-10-a.html

Download the file “Add_Take_Ownership_to_context_menu.reg”

Right-click on the *.reg file and choose “add to registry.” When it asks if you’re sure, click yes. It will tell you the new key has been added.

Once that’s installed, you can right-click on any directory and choose “Take ownership.” You user account will then “own” that directory. Do the same to the individual files within that directory if necessary.

[Paal Gulli]

"Easiest way to get rid of "Access Denied" errors Windows 10/11"

I'm afraid there is no "easy" way because User Access Control is. That. Horribly. Botched.

[SaveFerris]

😂

[musicman]

BTTT!!!

[Trot]

Thanks for the suggestion. I do have the latest Cinnamon Mint distro, but have been so busy trying to get my W10 22H2 system set up again--lost everything on the C:--I haven't had time to play with the Linux OS.

My C: disk was critical, cannot be accessed at all. Even SpinRite spent more than 24 hours trying to fix probs. Had to shut it down.

Had to reinstall everything, and still don't have it done.

My D: drive is in excellent shape, but I can't get to it from my laptop, even though W11 sees it on the home network.

I have used EaseUS, but nothing can get to the drive.

I've tried setting up user ID and pwd in Credentials Manager, but the system won't recognize one or the other elements.

[TChad]

What does Disk Management show in Win 11?

[Yo-Yo]

Get Windows 7. XP also works just fine.

EVERYTHING after Windows 3.11 is just bloatware...

[Pollard]

[Pollard]

Easiest way to get rid of "Access Denied" errors Windows 10/11

.....

one has to be a little bit computer savvy.

[SaveFerris]

[Windows 3.11]

Loved Windows 3.11 - And that was about the time I started writing Windows software - good times - lot of fun

[Trot]

Sorry not to get back to you before now. I really appreciate your helpful hints. I went to bed before checking for a reply.

Disk Management shows only the laptop HD.

I tried to initiate a remote desktop connection, but got the 3 reasons I could not connect:

not enabled

turned off

not available on network

But I have the Home edn, so no RDC.

The desktop is a fresh install, and everything works as it should. What mystifies me is that before my crash, I had full access, as I'd set it up, and could transfer, move, delete, or copy files with no problem.

Now, although the desktop system is visible, no HDs are, either C: or D:; just the computer name.

[TChad]

I guess I need clarification. Your missing D: drive that runs Win 10 must be on a different physical hard drive than your boot C: drive, that runs Win 11. Right? In other words, your missing D: drive is your old drive C, that was assigned a different drive letter by Win 11, or by you when you mapped the drive to D:. Right? Can you still boot from the old hard drive? If so, is all your data visible?

[daniel1212]

So you need to do keep providing a password or do sudo?

[daniel1212]

2. Go to the website below: https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/3841-add-take-ownership-context-menu-windows-10-a.html Download the file “Add_Take_Ownership_to_context_menu.reg” Right-click on the *.reg file and choose “add to registry.” When it asks if you’re sure, click yes. It will tell you the new key has been added. Once that’s installed, you can right-click on any directory and choose “Take ownership.” You user account will then “own” that directory. Do the same to the individual files within that directory if necessary.

That is what I was going to recommend, but in W/11 it does not work as it used to for me.

But I see this:

Windows 10 "Access Denied" Folder Errors: 5 Easy Fixes BY BEN STEGNER UPDATED APR 15, 2022

[Trot]

OK, TChad, here's my setup. My desktop has 2 HDs. The W10 OS is on C:, 500GB. The D: drive, 4TB, is simply my storage drive, so that, if my C: gets messed up--and it did--all my really valuable files (15 or more years worth) would not be lost or compromised too.

That's all in an upstairs office. I'm downstairs in the evening and to avoid having to go upstairs for whatever I need computer-wise--I'm 79--I work on my laptop.

BTW, this afternoon, I did some messing with stuff and got to where now the laptop sees the desktop as well as the D: drive, but I still cannot get to the folders there. In other words, I've made a little progress.

[Pollard]

Not as long as you have a log in password. If during set up, you choose log in automatically, then yes, you may have to type in a password once per session for certain programs when a popup/dialog asks for one. I run Kubuntu/KDE so when I start the Brave browser, I get prompted by KDE Wallet to input a password. That’s because KDE knows Brave stores web passwords/logins for me. I also have one email client that asks for a password or as Gnome calls it, a keyring. It’s an email client created by the makers of the Gnome desktop. Since I chose to use an email Client from Gnome instead of the KDE version while running Kubuntu KDE, I have to live with the keyring password.

As far as sudo, the average home PC user wouldn’t need it. When I use it, it’s usually a command copied and pasted from a trustworthy Linux based website to do something a little advanced.

My VPN for instance. I use Private Internet Access(PIA) which is one of the most well known. To install it on Linux, you have to add PIA’s software repository and then doing sudo apt install [name of package] which requires pasting commands in a terminal. Not a real big deal and likely safer than downloading an exe file.

Some linux systems use su instead of sudo. The SU stands for Super User and sudo stands for Super User Do(stuff).

[ShadowAce]

Some linux systems use su instead of sudo. The SU stands for Super User and sudo stands for Super User Do(stuff).

While most people use those for running commands as root, su technically stands for "switch user" and sudo stands for "switch user do" as you can use them to run commands as any user--not just root.

[daniel1212]

Thanks. In my experience even launching Syaptics required a PW, as with using terminal every single time, while I could not edit files in my own FF profile without (trying to find) the correct sudo command. As a 20 year solitary user (on Windows) with extensive Internet use and customization who has only had 2 (and minor, years ago) infections, thank God I do not like being told I do not have rights to any file. By Windows included. But I am glad you are here to help.

[TChad]

This all sounds like your problem is not with local disk access, but with your network, which I gather is probably Microsoft's built-in peer-to-peer Windows networking. The first solution that comes to mind is that you could reinstall that network from scratch. An alternative might be for you to install remote control software such as Anydesk, TightVNC, or the newer program RustDesk. That way you could remotely edit files on your upstairs computer from your downstairs computer, or vice versa.

Good luck.