How to Fix File or Folder Permissions Broken — Access Denied Everywhere on Windows
Getting "Access Denied" on your own files, can't change permissions, or ownership messed up after Windows reinstall? Fix file permissions on Windows.
Symptoms
You might be experiencing this problem if you notice:
- •"Access is denied" when opening files you own
- •Can't delete, rename, or move files even as administrator
- •Permissions tab shows unknown SIDs (S-1-5-21-...) instead of usernames
- •After reinstall: can't access files from old Windows installation
- •"You need permission to perform this action" on your own drives
- •Entire drive or folder tree has wrong permissions
Common Causes
- ⚠File ownership belongs to an old/deleted user account
- ⚠Permissions inherited incorrectly from parent folder
- ⚠NTFS permissions corrupted
- ⚠Windows reinstall created new user SID — old SID no longer valid
- ⚠Malware or security software locked down permissions
- ⚠TrustedInstaller owns system files — can't modify without ownership change
Solutions
Solution 1: Take Ownership Recursively
- 1For a single folder and all contents:
- 2CMD as Administrator:
- 3takeown /f "C:\path\to\folder" /r /d y
- 4icacls "C:\path\to\folder" /grant %username%:F /t
- 5/r = recursive, /t = all subfolders and files
- 6This makes you the owner and grants full control
- 7For entire drive: takeown /f D:\ /r /d y
Solution 2: Reset Permissions to Defaults
- 1If a folder has completely broken permissions:
- 2CMD as Administrator:
- 3icacls "C:\path\to\folder" /reset /t /c
- 4This resets to inherited permissions from parent
- 5For system folders (Windows, Program Files):
- 6DO NOT reset these — they have specific permissions by design
- 7Instead: sfc /scannow will restore correct system folder permissions
Solution 3: Fix After Windows Reinstall
- 1Old files show "S-1-5-21-..." instead of username:
- 2This is the old user SID — no longer exists on the new install
- 3Take ownership: right-click folder → Properties → Security → Advanced
- 4Change owner to your current username
- 5Check "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects"
- 6Apply → then Edit → Add your user → Full Control
- 7Bulk fix: takeown /f D:\ /r /d y && icacls D:\ /grant %username%:F /t
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