In this article we will see how to delete files and folders in Windows 7 (also in Windows Vista) when you are denied to delete them.
When you want to delete some of your old files as they may take up space on the computer's hard drive and will subsequently get to a error message that you do not have the authorization to delete them and that you would need to get permission from windows trusted installer.
Even if you own this particular computer you will be forced with this message. Now the question is "what do one have to do to change the permissions"?
Even if you try to change them through the properties of the afore mentioned program files, all options necessary to change them will be grayed out, making us unable to select them. Why does one unable to change settings on my own computer when run as the administrator?
Here is my step by step process for reclaiming the right to delete and move files.
Warning: DO NOT change the permissions of the Windows folder using the following method. Should you need permissions to edit files in the Windows folder, change them individually. Windows Backup can be irreparably (as far as I know) broken by such a change. LEAVE THE WINDOWS FOLDER ALONE UNLESS YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT FILE YOU NEED ACCESS TO.
- 1. Click the start menu and open Computer.
- 2. Click on the drive that contains the file you are trying to move/delete.
- 3. Right click on the folder that contains the file you are trying to move/delete. Select Properties.
- 4. Click on the Security tab.
- 5. Under the box containing the permissions each entity has, click on Advanced.
- 6. In the new Advanced Security Settings window, click on the Owner tab.
- 7. In the owner tab, click on the Edit button.
- 8. In the new window, you should see "Current Owner:" over a box with (most likely) trusted installer in it. Under that you should see "Change Owner to:" followed by a short list of possible owners.
8a. If you see your username (listed as [Name] (My-PC\[Name])), then click on it and check the box below the Other users which says "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects".
8b. If you do not see your username, click on the "Other users" button. From there, enter your username into the space provided and click Check names. The username you typed should then get underlined and expanded. Then click Ok. From there follow step 8a.
- 9. Click Apply.
- 10. Now close all windows opened from the properties window and close the properties window. Reopen it, and under the box entitled "Group or user names," Click Edit.
- 11. If you do not see your username, as chances are you won't, click add. In the add window, type your username into the given space and click the Check names button. Your username should become underlined and expanded to include the computer name. Then click OK. (I typically just click OK but if for some reason it doesn't work for you, at least you will know at what step you were tripped up.)
- 12. Upon clicking OK, the Select User or Groups window will close and you should see you username has joined the other names in the Group or User names box. Click it, and then check the "Full Control" check box lower down. This will grant you complete permissions for everything except "Special Permissions". This is normal, and so far I have not found a way to check that checkbox but it hasn't presented itself as a problem yet so I wouldn't worry about it.
- 13. Click Apply. You should see a window pop up saying "Changing Permissions" and file locations rapidly going by. This is normal and it means that the folder, subfolders, and files are having their permissions changed.
Alternatively, after closing and reopening the properties of the folder you want to change, you can click on the Advanced button again and then the Change Permissions button and follow similar steps once there. This also allows you to create inheritable permissions. That is a whole new can of worms that I don't understand, so I just leave the checkboxes blank.
AGAIN, DO NOT CHANGE THE PERMISSIONS OF THE WINDOWS FOLDER. THIS COULD CAUSE A WHOLE HOST OF NEW PROBLEMS, ONE OF THEM BEING BROKEN WINDOWS BACKUP.
And if you want, you can completely remove Trusted Installer from the permissions. I can't say what the benefit is, but it's satisfying. I hope this helps some of you.