Solved Folder Access Denied (Windows 11)

Method · Jul 5, 2025

Hi

I can happily create and delete folders on my C: (Windows 11 install drive) and my D: (data drive).

However I was just about to create a folder on my D: for Game recordings (which will by high bandwidth recordings from OBS) when I saw the folder below. I think it was created by my SHURE microphone when I installed it but I cant be sure. I dont recall ever creating it. But Im a useless human with a fallible memory.

It contains one subfolder called audio (which is why I think my SHURE mic created it) and in that folder were some test mic level recordings I remember making when I set up the mic.

I dont need any of this data at all. I dont want the Test folder, its parent the Audio folder or its parent the AV folder. When I try to delete it I get the below message from Windows 11.

If I click continue it starts to look like its deleting stuff and then it says 'you need permission to perform this action'. You require permission from TARS\Endurance to make changes to this folder.

TARS is my computer name
Endurance is my user login

When I set up this PC at Christmas, I followed the Elevenforum clean install process (it worked perfectly and wonderfully) and I dont have a microsoft account Im using a local.

Whilst I would love a solution to this (and Im sure this forum will give me one), I really want to understand more about how this may have happened.
When I install programmes and get the UAC prompt I can just click OK, I dont need to give admin details as I already thought my account was admin.

Many thanks!

FreeBooter · Jul 5, 2025

You can use the batch script add Take Ownership context menu which you can use it to get full permission on folder/file.

TakeOwnership.zip

drive.google.com

pseymour · Jul 5, 2025

We would need to see the permissions on the folder to give a definitive answer, but this generally comes down to permissions.

For example, this can easily happen if you have UAC enabled, and the permissions are set such that Administrators have Full Control and Users have read-only permission. Actually, it comes down to whether users have delete permission in that case. So to delete that folder without "permission from the admin," the Users group would need either delete rights, or modify rights, which includes delete. This is because, even though you are logged in with an admin account, your admin token is basically filtered out until you explicitly activate it with UAC.

When an application makes a folder, it can set permissions basically how it wants to, so again, a clear answer would require us seeing the permissions and knowing how your UAC is set.

Method · Jul 5, 2025

pseymour said:
We would need to see the permissions on the folder to give a definitive answer, but this generally comes down to permissions.

For example, this can easily happen if you have UAC enabled, and the permissions are set such that Administrators have Full Control and Users have read-only permission. Actually, it comes down to whether users have delete permission in that case. So to delete that folder without "permission from the admin," the Users group would need either delete rights, or modify rights, which includes delete. This is because, even though you are logged in with an admin account, your admin token is basically filtered out until you explicitly activate it with UAC.

When an application makes a folder, it can set permissions basically how it wants to, so again, a clear answer would require us seeing the permissions and knowing how your UAC is set.

Thank you for the reply. Ive taken a bunch of screenshots. Hopefully the correct ones to help you see whats happening. Let me know if there is a specific one you want I didnt do.

Rollback_Jockey · Jul 5, 2025

If you have software installed that relies on these folders then it may fail.

pseymour · Jul 5, 2025

That actually looks right. Authenticated Users should give you permission to delete. Unless something underneath that folder has permissions that differ from the AV folder.

antspants · Jul 5, 2025

Method said:
Let me know if there is a specific one you want I didnt do.

And your UAC settings are?

Change User Account Control (UAC) Settings in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to change User Account Control (UAC) settings in Windows 11. User Account Control (UAC) helps prevent malware from damaging a PC and helps organizations deploy a better-managed desktop. With UAC, apps and tasks always run in the security context of a...

www.elevenforum.com

pseymour said:
a clear answer would require us seeing the permissions and knowing how your UAC is set.

Method · Jul 5, 2025

pseymour said:
That actually looks right. Authenticated Users should give you permission to delete. Unless something underneath that folder has permissions that differ from the AV folder.

I checked the Audio subfolder and the Test subfolder of that folder and the permissions are all identical to those I posted above.

antspants said:
And your UAC settings are?

pseymour · Jul 5, 2025

Method said:
I checked the Audio subfolder and the Test subfolder of that folder and the permissions are all identical to those I posted above.

It can be anything under that folder you're trying to delete. I created a test folder with some folders and files in it, set the permissions exactly like your top level folder, and I was able to delete it without a prompt. I restored it, and changed the permissions on a single file, only taking away delete permissions for Authenticated Users on that one file. That was enough to trigger the permissions prompt.

TairikuOkami · Jul 5, 2025

Method said:
Ive taken a bunch of screenshots.

Taking a screenshot of Advanced Special Permissions would be more helpful.
The fact, that they are grayed out suggests, that they are inherited. Try this:

Code:

takeown /s %computername% /u %username% /f "D:\AV" /r /d y
icacls "D:\AV" /inheritance:r
icacls "D:\AV" /inheritance:e /grant:r %username%:(OI)(CI)F /t /l /q /c

DENY and Inheritance override any ALLOW rules.

Method · Jul 5, 2025

TairikuOkami said:
View attachment 138527

Taking a screenshot of Advanced Special Permissions would be more helpful.
The fact, that they are grayed out suggests, that they are inherited. Try this:

Code:

takeown /s %computername% /u %username% /f "D:\AV" /r /d y icacls "D:\AV" /inheritance:r icacls "D:\AV" /inheritance:e /grant:r %username%:(OI)(CI)F /t /l /q /c

DENY and Inheritance override any ALLOW rules.

Again, thank you.

Screens you asked for (I havent yet tried the above code as I honestly dont understand it!)

Each screen goes down 1 layer from AV folder > Audio folder > Test folder > MyActivity folders > .wav file inside

antspants · Jul 5, 2025

Method said:
(I havent yet tried the above code as I honestly dont understand it!)

Open Elevated Command Prompt — Search for `cmd` in the Start menu
• Right-click and choose “Run as administrator”

Paste the following from @TairikuOkami into the command window and press enter

Code:

takeown /s %computername% /u %username% /f "D:\AV" /r /d y
icacls "D:\AV" /inheritance:r
icacls "D:\AV" /inheritance:e /grant:r %username%:(OI)(CI)F /t /l /q /c

• `takeown`: Claims ownership of `D:\AV` recursively as the current user.
• `icacls` line 1: Removes inherited permissions.
• `icacls` line 2: Re-enables inheritance and grants full control explicitly to the user, recursively and quietly.

antspants · Jul 5, 2025

You may want to take a look at this tutorial. It may or may not be of use to you.

Add "Reset Permissions" to Context Menu in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to add or remove the "Reset Permissions" context menu to reset effective permissions of files and folders back to their default inherited permissions in Windows 10 and Windows 11. On NTFS and ReFS volumes, you can set security permissions on files and folders...

www.elevenforum.com

Method · Jul 16, 2025

Apologies to everyone in this thread. I went on holiday with the family and then work became absurdly busy.

Ive just surfaced and carried out the CMD code paste a few posts above and it worked.

Well, actually id didnt, becasue I posted the whole block and hit return and it did some parts and not others it would seem and I still couldnt delete D:\AV or anything in it.

Then i pasted each of the 3 lines individually and hit enter and that worked great. Thank you.

I will no probably discover my SHURE mic has stopped working now lol (someone did warn me at the top it might happen)

NormanF · Jul 16, 2025

Windows doesn't allow certain folders to be viewed or modified even if you give yourself ownership of them.

Solved Folder Access Denied (Windows 11)

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