Quickly take ownership of files

Hi Welcome to Microsoft community. In Windows 11, you can adjust the settings to allow easier access to files on external drives without needing to take ownership each time. Here are some steps to help you achieve that:

1. Use File Explorer with Admin Rights:
   • Run File Explorer as an administrator. Right-click on the File Explorer icon and select Run as administrator. This can sometimes bypass ownership issues.
2. Enable Hidden Administrator Account:
   • If you frequently need access to user folders, consider enabling the hidden Administrator account. Open Command Prompt as an administrator and run:

       net user administrator /active:yes
     

   • Log in to this account for easier access.
3. Change Permissions on External Drives:
   • Right-click on the external drive in File Explorer and select Properties.
   • Go to the Security tab and click on Edit.
   • Add your user account or the Administrators group and grant Full Control.
4. Disable User Account Control (UAC):
   • While not recommended for security reasons, you can lower UAC settings to reduce prompts. Go to Control Panel > User Accounts > Change User Account Control settings and adjust the slider to a lower setting.
5. Set Default Permissions for New Files:
   • If you're formatting drives or setting them up frequently, ensure that the NTFS permissions are set to allow full access for your user or the Administrators group by default.
6. Using Command Line:
   • If you want to quickly take ownership of a folder, you can use the command line:

       takeown /f "D:\Path\To\YourFolder" /r /d y
       icacls "D:\Path\To\YourFolder" /grant administrators:F /t
     

   • Replace D:\Path\To\YourFolder with the actual path.

By applying these settings, you should find it easier to access files on external drives without the need to take ownership each time. Let me know if you need further assistance. Best regardsDerrick Qian | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

I do not have a resolution

I don’t have any errors. I’m trying to find out how I don’t have to take ownership every time I want to access user files on any external drive.

What error you are seeing

hello Jonathans ,

I'm Ashok independent advisor also user.

I see you have problems with files and rights.
In general there is no change on this scenario

Did you encounter any issues ?

If doesn't work I can rerouted to Microsoft

Thanks
Ashok