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Win 11 using account with Admin privileges but get access denied on some of my own files

DeeDee 111 Reputation points
2022-04-10T12:21:21.163+00:00

This is a new PC that came pre-installed with Windows 11 and I connected various existing USB drives and network drives to it. I do backups between the various drives. Just now I noticed that a folder that had about 50 files in it that I haven't accessed since long before I got this new PC has some files that are not accessible to me - it says I don't own them and don't have privileges to read or copy. When I right-click on the file it shows the permissions as being that everyone has access to do everything with it.

Firstly, I don't understand how Win 11 can decide that I don't have access to 8 of the 50 files in the folder. They should all be in the same state, whether that be accessible or inaccessible. In fact, everything on the entire drive should.

Is there a way I can right-click on a drive and force the permissions on ALL of the files on the entire drive to be read/writeable to everyone. I'm not wanting to do this to Drive C, I can imagine that being problematic. Currently I don't know how many more files on those drives are not accessible and at some point will result in something unexpected happening - e.g. if I'm trying to install something from a folder with software installers and resources in it and randomly it won't let me access some of its files.

Windows 11
Windows 11
A Microsoft operating system designed for productivity, creativity, and ease of use.
9,036 questions

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  1. T. Kujala 8,706 Reputation points
    2022-04-10T16:22:26.24+00:00

    Hi @DeeDee ,

    You could try the following method.

    Open the Registry Editor.

    Navigate to the following location.

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Services/LanmanWorkstation/Parameters

    Once you’re in the Parameters folder, right-click anywhere on the right window pane and select New> D-WORD (32-Bit) Value.

    Name the new entry as “AllowInsecureGuestAuth” and enter “1” in the Value Data field.

    3 people found this answer helpful.
  2. Limitless Technology 44,126 Reputation points
    2022-04-13T07:49:46.617+00:00

    Hello DeeDee,

    Yes, usually this issue happens when the computer object associated with the NTFS permissions has changed (for instance, if the drive was created under a different system, or if the system has been reinstalled with different computer name. Even the default groups are the same, the computer container is different. For example you may see PC01\Everyone but in your system is PC02\Everyone.

    The solution for this is to make a takeover of the drive following the next steps:

    1.Plugin the USB drive
    2.Go to Start > Computer. Right-click the drive and choose properties.
    3.Go to Security tab, then click Advanced.
    4.Change the owner to yourself (replace on all child objects), then click OK to close all boxes.
    5.Right-click the drive again and go back to properties.
    6.Go to the security tab again, and this time click Edit, and give yourself full control.

    If this doesn't work or you receive Access Denied error, it is possible that at some point this drive has been encrypted with a software like Bitlocker, to which the software should be configured to unlock the drive.

    For example, for Bitlocker you can check the status of a drive through the "Manage Bitlocker" option, as related in the next article:
    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/device-encryption-in-windows-ad5dcf4b-dbe0-2331-228f-7925c2a3012d

    For other encryption programs, the original software would be required.

    --If the reply is helpful, please Upvote and Accept as answer--

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  3. Timothy OGrosky 0 Reputation points
    2023-07-21T23:34:53.2133333+00:00

    I know I have had a rootkit for 4 years and this happens to me all the time you need to look at your event viewer and see what NT Authority is enumerating if its enumerating all built in users and using Null in the xml logs. I would say you have a hacker if not a rootkit.. I see many people that China has hacked but they have no Idea also look at how many of the internet connection you have and from where just today I had 20 connections loged in as me from a remote connection do that and hope it not cosmic strand as I have, it gets in Phoe TV and computers.. good luck..

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-10-14T13:23:31.88+00:00

    i know this is old but i've found a solution to the "access denied" errors all over the windows 11 system. it appears to be a fault with the group policy (if you have ultimate or a version that has policies. it appears some of the home versions may not). but this fixed my issues.

    if you open Local Group Policy Editor and navigate to User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> System -> Removable Storage Access or any of the folders in this area, there's options listed as state of Not configured. there's one labeled as All Removable Storage classes: Deny all access. if you set that to Disabled then it will disable all permissions requirements. sometimes it will even reset and i'll have to go back to this setting and change to Not Configured then back to Disabled. this fixes the inability to write to or delete from flash drives or other external media. this may not be exactly what you were experiencing, but there may be something around this area where windows ignores policy, or may has conflicting policies. but take a look around this are and start disabling some things that sound like you situation. honestly, I use Windows OS because Apple seems to lock down and prevent access to many things to "protect the user" and it appears Microsoft is getting a little outta control with it as well.

    just let us have admin access to everything if we create an admin account. It's not that hard, Microsoft...