How to fix “You don’t currently have permission to access this folder” error in Windows 10

What is the “You don’t currently have permission to access this folder” error

If you opened this guide, then you are likely to be a victim of You don’t currently have permission to access this folder – an error that pops while trying to open some folder directory. Many users started facing this issue after migrating from older versions to Windows 10. As a result, this error became a huge bottleneck preventing users from opening folders, running deletion, or even affecting some plain changes. The symptoms are quite similar to “Access denied”, which is another popular message deteriorating users’ experience. Usually, the most common reasons for problems with accessing folders are related to user permissions. If some of them are disabled or run into conflict, users may have restricted access to some directories including files and folders located within. Luckily, the problem is more than solvable with a couple of simple steps. Make sure to follow them down below to resolve the “You don’t currently have permission to access this folder” error.

You don’t currently have permission to access this folder” error in Windows 10 (sample 1)

You don’t currently have permission to access this folder (sample 2)

1. Change Permissions in the folder properties

There is a chance that upon upgrading to Windows 10, the system did not write your User name to the list of permitted owners. In this method, we are going to check this and fix the shortage, if necessary. You can use both manual and Command Prompt ways. The latter requires only one command to enter and have your ownership over the folder back in your hands. Choose whichever you like:

Using manual steps:

1. Right-click on the problematic folder and choose Properties.
2. Move to Security tab and check if there is your user name under User name or Group.
3. If there is no name out there, open Advanced and click on Change (highlighted with blue) next to Owner.
4. In the opened window go to Advanced again. Choose Find now and select your current User name from the appeared list and click OK.
5. Also select Replace owner on subcontainers and objects if there such an option available.
6. Click OK to close the window and reboot your PC to see if the error has vanished.

Using Command Prompt:

Before running the commands, we need to know the path of your folder. To do this, right-click on the problematic folder and choose Properties. Copy your folder path (next to Location) and paste it somewhere to not forget. After this, you should be ready to complete the next steps below:

1. Open Command Prompt by typing cmd into the searching box next to the Start Menu button.
2. Right-click on Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator. Allow UAC window by clicking Yes.
3. Then, copy-paste this command replacing “Folder Path” with the path of your folder we found above.

TAKEOWN /F "Folder Path" /R /D Y

For instance, a complete command with the C:\Users\{username\Documents\Photos path should look like this TAKEOWN /F C:\Users\{username}\Documents\Photos /R /D Y

4. After writing the command, press Enter to bring it to action.
5. Finally, you should run another command using the same pattern above.

ICACLS "Folder Path" /grant administrators:F

6. Once the process is finished, close the console and restart your PC to make all changes come to force.

We hope you managed to resolve problems with accessing folders. If not, follow the next steps we have presented below.

2. Grant Permissions to Everyone

If you failed to resolve the issue using the previous method, try this alternative way of granting permissions. The previous two steps had the same target to solve – lack of personal ownership. Although this one is quite similar, it is still worth giving it a try to get rid of the issue.

1. Right-click on the problematic folder and choose Properties.
2. Move to Security tab and click Edit.
3. Then click on Add, type Everyone, click Check Names, and OK to finish.
4. Select Everyone and tick the box next to Full control.
5. Click Apply and OK to close the window.
6. Reboot your PC and check if you can access the folder again.

3. Alter Values in Local Policy Editor

There is another way you can work around administrator problems and that is via modifying Local Policy settings. We will disable the Admin Approval Mode to prevent Windows from being too strict in terms of access. Follow the steps below:

1. Press Windows key + R buttons, copy-paste gpedit.msc and open it up.
2. On the left pane, navigate through these folders Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > Security Options.
3. After clicking on Security Options, find and double-click User Account Control Admin Approval Mode for the Built-in Administrator account on the right pane.
4. Set it to be Disabled, then click Apply and OK to save the changes.
5. You should also find an entry called User Account Control Run all administrators in Admin Approval Mode and do the same changes we did in the previous step.
6. After this, close Policy Editor and reboot your system to ensure these changes come to effect.

4. Scan your PC for malware

If you ever had a suspicion like your PC is under infection, it is also worth running a scan for malware and other unwanted software. Whether you know it or not, malicious software could sneak into your system without consent and cause some changes inside system configuration, which led to various errors. Despite you’ve just upgraded to Windows 10, we still recommend you to do this even if there is a minor chance of being infected. You can use either in-built Windows Defender or install advanced anti-malware software that will combat threats that Windows could miss. We recommend you to use an antivirus developed by Malwarebytes – a trusted and talented group of experts constantly updating their software to combat both minor and global threats. You can download it now using the link below and try a 14-day trial of the ultimate antimalware experience for free.

Malwarebytes main window

Malwarebytes settings

Malwarebytes scan results

Summary

We hope you are no longer dealing with the “You don’t currently have permission to access this folder” message. However, if none of the listed solutions helped you forget about this problem, try to reinstall your system from scratch. It is possible that something went wrong while migrating to Windows 10. This is why complete reinstallation of Windows may help you root out the issue. If there is anything more deteriorating your PC experience, you can search for other guides on our page to get quick and effective solutions. We update them on a regular basis as new errors appear.