Certain files refuse to open in one folder. Permission problem?

Bullfighter · 25 May 2016

In one folder that contains photos, many of them refuse to open. The message "Photo gallery cannot open this photo because you do not have permission to access the file location" is displayed.

Its not a file type issue because many of the png. and jpg. will open while others won't.

I've tried to concentrate on just one photo which happens to be a copy of another photo which does open. I've gone through the Properties>Security>Advanced>Owner technique to find CURRENT OWNER is "unable to display current owner". When I click EDIT, I see a random group of numbers. When I try this procedure on a photo which will open, I get the same random group.

One more thing when comparing a working photo and a non working photo. When I open a working photo's PROPERTIES then go to SECURITY, there is a group of user names or numbers. When I open a non-operating photo's PROPERTIES, then go to SECURITY, I am given the message "To continue, you must be an administrative user with permission to view this object's security properties".

What could be causing this problem. I hate to lose these files.

Alejandro85 · 25 May 2016

Seems pretty much like you don't have permission to some of those files, and also you aren't the owner of none of them. Those "random numbers" is just the SID of an unknown user, likely from another computer.

Just select them all, go to the current owner and make your own user the new owner. Close all dialogs and open them again, and in the permission tab add your own user and give yourself full control. That should restore access to everything.

This sort of things is common when you take disks from one computer and put in another, or when sharing a disk after a clean install, for example.

TechnoMage2016 · 25 May 2016

Since the first day I installed and ran Windows XP, many years ago now, I've been cursing that "you don't have permission" BS.

Finally after all those years of cursing and hair pulling, some kind soul wrote "Grant Admin Full Control", so you can click on any file or folder in your computer, and 'Take Ownership' of it. That makes life with Windows a whole lot easier and less stressful.

Grant Admin Full Control and "Take Ownership" have been around long enough now, I'm really surprised that everyone doesn't know about it. Google it, download it, install it, and then you can Right Click on any file to become its Owner.
Simple! Problem solved!

Cheers Mate!
TechnoMage

Bullfighter · 26 May 2016

Thanks for the advice guys but I found a solution to the problem.

I copied all the picture files that refused to open into a new folder on my desktop. Then I tried to open one. IT OPENED. I tried most of them. THOSE OPENED TOO! Next, I deleted all the non-operating picture files and replaced them with the desktop folder copies. Everything is working great. A permission window popped up while I doing some of this but I clicked the right button and was able to carry on.

THANK FOR YOUR REPLIES!!!