2] Change Folder Permissions
If taking over ownership of a folder isn’t enough to resolve the issue of folder access being denied, you might need to change the folder’s permissions. Folder permissions define what specific users or groups can do with the folder, such as read, write, or execute. If a folder’s permissions don’t suit your needs, you might not be able to access or modify the folder.
To change folder permissions, follow these steps:
- Right-click on the folder you want to change permissions for, and then click “Properties” from the context menu.
- Under the “Security” tab, click the “Edit” button to change folder permissions.
- In the “Permissions for [folder name]” window, you’ll see a list of users or groups who have access to the folder. Select the name of the user or group you want to change permissions for, then check or uncheck the box under the “Allow” or “Deny” column to your liking.
- If you want to add a new user or group that has access to the folder, click the “Add” button. In the “Select Users or Groups” dialog box, type the name of the user or group you want to add, then press the “Check Names” button to verify it. After that, click the “OK” button. Then, set the permissions as in the previous step.
- If you want to remove a user or group that doesn’t need access to the folder, select the name of the user or group, then click the “Remove” button.
- When finished setting folder permissions, click the “Apply” button, then click the “OK” button twice to close the properties window.
By changing the folder permissions according to your need, you can solve the folder access denied issue easily.
3] Disable User Account Control
User Account Control (UAC) is a Windows security feature that aims to prevent unauthorized changes to the system by unauthorized programs or users. UAC works by displaying a confirmation dialog whenever there is a request to make important changes to the system, such as installing new software, changing system settings, or changing file permissions. Thus, UAC can help protect your computer from malware or hacker attacks.
However, UAC can also be the source of folder access denied issues in Windows 11. This is because UAC may prevent you from accessing certain files or folders if you do not have sufficient administrative rights. If you are sure that the file or folder that you want to access is safe and harmless, you can try disabling UAC temporarily to resolve this issue.
To disable UAC in Windows 11, follow these steps:
- In the Windows search bar, type “uac” and select the “Change User Account Control settings” option.
- In the “User Account Control Settings” window, slide the slider down until you reach the “Never notify” level. This means that UAC will not display any confirmation dialog when there is a request to make changes to the system.
- Click the OK button, then enter your administrator password if prompted.
- Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
After disabling UAC, try accessing files or folders that were previously denied. If it works, it means that UAC is the cause of the problem. However, remember that disabling UAC may increase your computer’s security risks. Therefore, we recommend re-enabling UAC after you finish accessing the problematic file or folder.