Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A.
It sounds like you're running into a very common issue when trying to edit protected system files in Windows. The problem isn't that your account isn't an administrator, but rather how Windows protects its critical folders.
Since you've already taken ownership, you could try following these steps below:
- Grant Yourself Full Control:
- You should be back at the Advanced Security Settings window for the
etcfolder. If not, go back into it (Properties > Security > Advanced). - Click the Add button near the bottom left. A new window will appear.
- At the top of this new window, click "Select a principal."
- Once again, type your username (e.g.,
Vera), click Check Names, and click OK. - You'll be returned to the "Permission Entry" window. In the "Basic permissions" section, check the box for Full control.
- Click OK.
- You should be back at the Advanced Security Settings window for the
- Apply the new permissions:
- You are now back in the main "Advanced Security Settings" window. You should see your user account listed with "Full control."
- Very Important: At the bottom, check the box that says "Replace all child object permission entries with inheritable permission entries from this object." This forces the
Full controlpermission onto all files inside, including thehostsfile. - Click Apply, then OK. You will likely see a security warning pop up; click Yes to continue.
- Click OK on the remaining properties windows to close them.
To assist others who might have similar questions and to help us improve our support system, we kindly encourage you to "Accept the answer" if it successfully addressed your concern. Accepting an answer lets other users know that this solution worked for you, and it also helps us track the effectiveness of our support efforts.
Best regards,
Bryan Vu | Microsoft Q&A Support Specialist