How to change ownership of a file in Windows 10

Question

I have a file that's created by a program, and apparently an interaction with the system and Google Backup & Sync somehow scrambles the owner and permissions of the file. (The owner shows up as either "Unknown" or "Unable to display current owner", depending on where I look at it.)

I need to reclaim ownership of the file.

The standard method (from the File Explorer right click, Properties, Security tab, Advanced, Change Owner) doesn't work because I don't have permission to do that. Basically I need super user access on my own system so I can override what the OS thinks and actually administrate the file.

Anyone got a clue? Rebooting seems to clear the issue but that's a crappy solution. I have a Cygwin shell on this system if that helps. I'd prefer to not have to download any special utilities unless the source is very trustworthy.

Edit The problem re-occured. So far I'm not able to set the owner of the offending files:

C:\Users\Brenden>icacls "C:\Users\Brenden\Google Drive\proj\tempj8\build   \classes\quicktest\AbstractTest.class" /SETOWNER "%username%" /c
C:\Users\Brenden\Google Drive\proj\tempj8\build\classes\quicktest\AbstractTest.class: Access is denied.
Successfully processed 0 files; Failed processing 1 files

C:\Users\Brenden>

This command fails too:

C:\WINDOWS\system32>takeown /F "C:\Users\Brenden\Google Drive\proj\tempj8\build\classes\quicktest\AbstractTest.class"
ERROR: Access is denied.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>

Solution

Try:

Taking ownership of a file or folder from command line

Open an elevated Command Prompt window.

To do so:

a. Go to > Start > All Programs > Accessories

b. Right-click on Command Prompt, and then click Run as Administrator.

c. Type the following command and press Enter key:

takeown /f [path to folder] /r /d y

d. Then assign the Administrators group Full Control Permissions for the folder, use this command and hit Enter key:

icacls [path to folder] /grant administrators:F /T 

The /T parameter is added so that the operation is carried out through all the sub-directories and files within that folder.

Comments

[Vomit IT - Chunky Mess Style]

markspace - Try these two commands and tell me if this helps solve: icacls "C:\folder\path\file.txt" /SETOWNER "%username%" /C and then takeown /F "C:\folder\path\file.txt".... If this helps, tag me back as @PimpJuiceIT and I'll add this information along with some additional detail plus some reference sources for further learning.

[markspace]

The first command you gave me didn't work: see my edit but it says "Access is denied." Any other ideas? @PimpJuiceIT

[markspace]

@PimpJuiceIT Just tried takeown by itself in a command prompt and it fails also.

[Vomit IT - Chunky Mess Style]

Read over this post and look over some of the commands if states to run with options and such. I think perhaps running takeown /f "C:\Users\Brenden\Google Drive\*.*" /r /a /d y and then ICACLS "C:\Users\Brenden\Google Drive\*.*" /reset /T /C /L /Q may help but look over all the thread and what people say does work for some. It's likely a security setting at a higher level up parent folder wise that needs to be reset or whatever but not sure if you could disable inheritance from `"C:\Users\Brenden\Google Drive` and then set the security but another thought I had.

[Vomit IT - Chunky Mess Style]

Oh.... here's the post too by the way: social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/…

[DrMoishe Pippik]

Chris, to make this a self-contained answer, please summarize or quote at least the essentials from that tutorial (and keep the link to that useful article).

[Chris]

I'm on mobile right now, so I'll have to do several edits to meet the guideline. I'll remember that from now on.

[markspace]

I specifically mentioned this in my OP. It doesn't work. At the point where I click Change next to the Owner, it says I'm not allowed to do that. So no doesn't work.

[Chris]

@markspace I'm blind. I'll do some more research when I get back to my computer and I'll update you if I can figure another method, if it's still unsolved. Sorry about that

[markspace]

This also says "access denied" even though I ran it as administrator and got the little "Are you sure you want let this app make changes to your device?" pop up.

[sree]

The grant administrators full rights didn't work for me, but the reset argument works: icacls found.000 /reset /t.