Guide: How to Access Restricted Folders on Windows 10 PC
If you are stuck in a situation where Windows prevents you from accessing your own datathen maybe I can help you turn the tide. There may be multiple reasons why you see ‘Access Denied’ error when you try to open or change a folder. In this post, I will try to list all possible solutions for the Windows Access Denied error. Note: For the following methods to work, you must have PC administrator rights. If you have a standard account, you should talk to the PC administrator about this as standard accounts have limited access.
Method 1: Become owner
Usually this error occurs if there is a conflict with the folder ownershipThis happens after upgrading to a new version of Windows or after messing with user management options. Fortunately, as an administrator, you should have no problem regaining ownership. This should fix your access denied problem and give you access to the folder and its contents.
If you don’t want to go through the above process or it somehow didn’t work for you, a third-party tool can do it for you too. Becoming an owner is useful tool that adds a context menu item for easy ownershipAfter installing the tool, right-click on the folder and select Take ownership from the context menu to become the owner.
Method 3: use hidden administrator account
Apart from the regular administrator account, there is another one hidden administrator account that is much more powerful and can access most parts of Windows. If you are unable to access the folder due to a privilege issue, then this a highly privileged administrator account should be able to access it Note: It is not recommended to use an elevated administrator account regularly because it gives access to areas you shouldn’t skip (the reason it’s hidden). If you don’t use it anymore, you have to turn it off. If you manage to access the restricted folder in this account, make sure you have move the content to another place where the normal administrator account works
Method 3: Check if it is encrypted
There is a chance that the folder is encrypted that’s why you will get it Access denied wrong. Here is how to check if it is encrypted: You should contact the user who encrypted this folder and have it decrypted from their account.
Method 4: Use the Unlocker utility
Unlocker is one handy tool for unlocking folders which can solve many problems of accessing folders with a single click. Just install the tool and it will add an item to the context menu. Right-click on the restricted folder and select Unlocking The tool scans the folder and shows you what’s preventing you from opening the folder. You just have to click on Unlock everything here and Unlocker will automatically fix all problems.
Method 5: Open it from Safe Mode
There is also a chance that a a third-party application or virus may be preventing you from accessing the folder You should start the PC in safe mode and then try to open the folderIn Windows 8 and 10, you can access Safe Mode from the boot options and in Windows 7 you can press the F8 key several times while the PC starts to enter the Safe Mode menu. Safe mode starts the PC with limited drivers and no third-party apps, so no app or virus should prevent you from accessing the folder. If you can access it in safe mode, then try to remove recently installed apps and scan your PC for viruses with good antivirus software, such as Avast.
Method 6: try a different user account
There is a chance your user profile may get corrupted and Windows may not be able to open files / folders in it. Try accessing the details of another user account to confirm this. If you don’t have another user account, you can easily create one. You should refer to this one guides by Microsoft support to create a new user account in Windows 7, 8 and Windows 10.
Wrap up
The access denied error usually occurs when you use restricted or the folder is not within reach of your user accountThis problem should be solved by taking ownership of the folder or using the hidden administrator account. And of course there can be many other types of system and application based errors that prevent you from changing the folder, but the Unlocker utility should be able to fix them automatically.
How to Access Restricted Folders on Windows 10 PC: benefits
Faq
Final note
I hope you like the guide How to Access Restricted Folders on Windows 10 PC. In case if you have any query regards this article you may ask us. Also, please share your love by sharing this article with your friends. For our visitors: If you have any queries regards the How to Access Restricted Folders on Windows 10 PC, then please ask us through the comment section below or directly contact us. Education: This guide or tutorial is just for educational purposes. Misinformation: If you want to correct any misinformation about the guide “How to Access Restricted Folders on Windows 10 PC”, then kindly contact us. Want to add an alternate method: If anyone wants to add more methods to the guide How to Access Restricted Folders on Windows 10 PC, then kindly contact us. Our Contact: Kindly use our contact page regards any help. You may also use our social and accounts by following us on Whatsapp, Facebook, and Twitter for your questions. We always love to help you. We answer your questions within 24-48 hours (Weekend off). Channel: If you want the latest software updates and discussion about any software in your pocket, then here is our Telegram channel.
