Thread: administrator privileges re: deleting a file from a hard drive

Hello and welcome to the forum.
As your new installation of Windows 8 is unaware of the security identifiers that were present on the machine your external hard drive was formerly attached to you may find it necessary to "Take Ownership" of either the files and folders that are causing you problems or the root of the entire drive.
You can grab a copy of the program that will add this ability to the right click context menu from here Add "Take Ownership" to Explorer Right-Click Menu in Win 7 or Vista - How-To Geek
Regards
Randy

Dear Sir
Thank you for this help
I shall try it out (take ownlership) and get back with results

Originally Posted by Trouble

Hello and welcome to the forum.
As your new installation of Windows 8 is unaware of the security identifiers that were present on the machine your external hard drive was formerly attached to you may find it necessary to "Take Ownership" of either the files and folders that are causing you problems or the root of the entire drive.
You can grab a copy of the program that will add this ability to the right click context menu from here Add "Take Ownership" to Explorer Right-Click Menu in Win 7 or Vista - How-To Geek
Regards
Randy

[QUOTE=kasfig;9219]Dear Sir
I did install takeownership: However, it didn't seem to work. The files that are Locked remain locked.
If there is a further step I can take I would be grateful for advice please.
Ian

Simply taking ownership may not be in itself enough. You may also have to grant your user account full control (NTFS Permission) under the security tab in the file properties.
So pick a problem file, right click it and choose properties, select the security tab at the top and examine the Group or user names: to see who has what in the way of permissions.
Try adding you account explicitly and see if that helps, click edit, then add, then advanced then find now, select your username and click OK, back in the permissions properties box make sure your name is selected and Full control is allow(ed).
If for some reason you are not able to do this because some selections are opaque or grayed out, then you will need to break inheritance from the parent container.
Good luck and keep us posted.
Randy

[QUOTE=kasfig;9264][QUOTE=kasfig;9219]Dear Sir
Dear Randy
Your kind help is most appreciated.
The problem files concerned were actually files I had previously downloaded or created using dvd rip software.
Consequently I finally decided to re-download the files and re-create the iso file.
In this regard I finally deleted the problem files.
Thus, the problem is solved.
However I have had this problem in the past , and it is not always possible to get files lost in this way back.
Therefore, with your kind permission, I have bookmarked this webpage, as I feel it will be invaluable in the future.
For now though
Thank you and kind regards
Ian

I have been using this one for a few years and find it works a little more effectively than "Take Ownership"

GrantAdminFullControl; Take and Grant Full Control Permissions and Ownership in Windows 7 or Vista Right Click Menu « My Digital Life

Hope this helps,
Don

Works in both x86 & x64 versions in all Windows OS's & it also adds to right click context menu.

Dear Don
Thank you for the kind help I appreciate this
Ian

@Adamsapple1, It looks like your link helped a great many people. Unfortunately I wasn't one of them. It seems that administrators do not have permission to change permissions. I tried running the reg file; making suggested changes and rerunning the reg file. I wound up just resetting everything back. It just wouldn't work for me.
I sometimes make, or install files that Windows recognizes as "System Files". When this happens, Windows takes over the file, and I cannot modify, or change it in any way. As an administrator, I don't even have permission to change the permissions of these files. While I understand MS does not want people mucking around and accidentally crippling the system, there is sometimes a valid reason, (or sometimes not so valid whim) to go into these files by knowledgeable, or semi knowledgeable people. While locking these files (on the surface.) seems like a good Idea, there must be a simple way to unlock them. I cannot imagine anyone silly, or self centered enough to lock administrators completely out of the system files.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Scott

It's my network, I'll crash it if I want to.