Failed to enumerate objects - Access denied

Question

Hello! While transferring data to new server has bumped into the old issue: all folders were copied OK but some user started complaining they couldm't get access to their files (yes, I did really forget to grant needed permissions to some groups). The solution should (theoretically) be easy: assign permissions to the respective folders. The result: for each 1 of N (~10) files the "Failed to enumerate objects - Access denied" error arises. I have no issues to go to that particular file/folder and set the permission manually but of course it can't be done for hundreds of files. The owner is set correctly on all folders/files. Replacing the owner and re-applying permissions does not help. Does anyone know what can lead to such problem if there was no any single issue with permissions on the source folders (old server) and there were no problems when coping data to the new server ? Thank you in advance,
Michael

Answer 1

Hello Mikhail Firsov,

Thank you for posting in Q&A forum.

Here is a very similar thread with marked answer for your reference.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/permission-error-failed-to-enumerate-objects-in/93ea883f-853f-4981-a697-928bfbc71642

If it does work above, here are also a few troubleshooting steps and suggestions to troubleshoot the "Failed to enumerate objects -Access denied" error:   1.Permission Inheritance: Ensure that the parent folder's permissions are correctly set and inheritance is enabled. If the parent folder doesn't allow child items to inherit permissions, you might encounter this error.   2.File System Rights: Check if the account used to assign permissions has the necessary rights (e.g., Modify or Full Control) on the parent folder and the files themselves. Sometimes, restrictive permissions on individual files can cause this issue even if the parent folder has proper settings.   3.ACL Corruption: There could be corruption in the Access Control List (ACL) of the files causing the enumeration failure.   4.System File Checker (SFC): Run a system file checker scan to ensure system files are not corrupted. This may not directly relate to permissions, but it's a good practice to rule out any underlying system issues.   5.Antivirus or Security Software: Temporarily disable antivirus software or other security tools that might interfere with file permissions. Remember to re-enable them after troubleshooting.   6.Network or Hardware Issues: Make sure network connectivity between the server and client machines is stable and there are no hardware-related issues.   7.UAC and Permissions: If you're running the operation under a non-administrative account, try elevating your privileges by running as an administrator.   8.Audit Permissions: Enable auditing temporarily to see if there are any specific events related to access failures. This can give more insight into the root cause. 

I hope the information above is helpful. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to let us know. Best Regards, Daisy Zhou

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Answer 2

Hello Daisy Zhou, Thank you for your help - I'll take a look into it! Regards,
Michael