13 ways to fix “Access Denied” folder error in Windows
Do you see the “Access Denied” error while trying to open a Windows folder? Suddenly, you get locked out of all files saved in that particular folder. This thing is not good, but we need to understand why the Windows 10 folder generates access denied popup errors before fixing.
Some users need to resolve the “Access Denied” error when they try to open a file saved inside a folder. While we mainly focus on the folder side, these solutions should also give you access to the files in question due to the way Windows works and treats these two elements.
1. Administration rights
The user account you are using to access the folder does not have the necessary administrative rights to access it. Change the user account or contact the system administrator responsible for the IT equipment if it is your work laptop.
2. Google Drive conflict
If you are trying to access a folder that you have synced with Google Drive, you may see this error. Google Drive can cause conflicts with File Explorer jobs, forcing the folder to show an “Access Denied” error. A quick way to test this is to close the Google Drive process from the Task Manager. A simple restart will reactivate your favorite cloud storage app.
Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open the Task Manager. Find “googledrivesync.exe” in the Processes tab, right click and select End Task.
3. The folder is encrypted / password protected
The folder may be password locked or encrypted by the administrator or someone who has control or access to your Windows computer. You will need to contact the administrator or your supervisor to unblock it.
You can also try to decrypt it yourself if your Windows user account has the correct rights and permissions. Right-click on the folder and select Properties or press Alt + Enter. Go to the General tab> Advanced and uncheck the “Encrypt content to protect data” option. Save these new settings.
4. The folder is damaged
The folder containing the files may be damaged. This could also damage the files inside. Thankfully, you can recover data from a damaged folder without breaking a sweat.
5. Change folder permission
- Right-click the folder that generates the access denied error and select Properties. You can also press the Alt + Enter keys to open it.
- On the Security tab, select the Edit button. Select your username in the popup below and give it full control.
6. Changed folder location
Moving a folder in Windows is easy. Just cut (Ctrl + X) and paste (Ctrl + V) anywhere. It may happen that you have moved the folder to a different location, but due to cache issues or some bugs, it still shows up there. Press F5 to refresh the screen and double check.
7. Add account to the administrators group
If a user account does not have administrator privileges, they can add the account to the administrators group.
- Press Windows key + X to select Computer Management or search for it from the Start menu.
- Go to System Tools> Local Users and Groups> Users and double click to open the user account name.
- Click the Add button on the Member of tab.
- Enter the word “Administrators” in the pop-up that follows and select the Check Names button to find the administrator account. Then click OK.
- You will be taken back to the previous pop-up where you will now notice the admin entry. Click on it once and select OK.
Check again if you still get the access denied error while opening that folder.
8. Enable integrated administrator account
Each install copy of Windows comes with a built-in administrator account that you can enable using command prompt. Once enabled, switch to the administrator account and you should be able to access that forbidden folder. The default administrator account acts as a super account with all privileges enabled by default.
9. Controlled access to folders
Continuing the previous point, Windows Security Suite also has a ransomware module to protect against such threats. You can find it in Windows Security> Virus & threat protection.
Disable the Controlled folder access option here and try again. You should now be able to access the folder.
10. Damaged user account
Your Windows user account may also be damaged, not just files and folders. Creating a new standard user or administrator account is quick and can help fix several common errors like folder access denied.
11. Disable User Account Control
- Look for UAC in the start menu and open “Change User Account Control Settings”.
- Drag the slider at the bottom of the screen towards Never notify and save your settings.
Windows Access Denied error should no longer appear when opening that folder.
12. Hack dell’editor registry
It is recommended that you back up your log files before making any changes in case something goes wrong. These are system-wide files and can mess up your computer. Do not you want it.
- Search for the Registry Editor in the Start menu and open it.
- Go to the folder structure below: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE / SYSTEM / CurrentControlSet / Services / LanmanWorkstation / Parameters
- In the right window pane, right-click to select New> DWORD (32-bit) Value and name the file “AllowInsecureGuestAuth”.
- Double click to open the file and enter the value as 1 and save the changes.
13. Run a malware scan
Usually you will see some sort of message about a ransomware attack displayed on the screen notifying that your computer has been hacked. The hacker would block you from the critical system and users’ folders / files and then ask for money, probably in Bitcoin. Some third-party apps like Malwarebytes also offer ransomware and malware scanning. You should download Malwarebytes and run a check just to make sure the folder is not infected.
Conclusion
Using a cloud storage service like OneDrive or Google Drive can solve such problems. Since there is a copy of the file on the cloud service provider’s servers, you will never have to face such problems again in life. Some premium cloud storage apps also offer saving multiple versions of the same file so you can undo any changes you’ve made.
Consider using cloud storage for important files, but if you are concerned about privacy and security, get yourself a HDD / SSD and make regular backups. For now, we hope one of the solutions worked for you.
Related posts:
How to access Steam games without an internet connection 
How to view FPS with Xbox Game Bar in Windows 10: Steps Made Easy 
Hacked account? How to check and remedy 
How to make video calls from WhatsApp Web 
How to increase the RAM memory of a desktop or laptop + Tips and Tricks 
How to organize your YouTube subscriptions into categories
+ Tips and Tricks
