Take / Assign Ownership of file / folder

karlsnooks · Feb 23, 2010

Brink has written an excellent tutorial on this, however, for those of you who prefer to "roll your own":

Take Ownership of file - Vista Forums

Taking Ownership of Files and Folders
As an administrator you can take ownership of a file or folder as follows:
1. In Windows Explorer, rt-click on "properties" for the file or folder.
2. Security tab | Advanced
3. Owner tab| click Edit
4. In the Change Owner To list, select the new owner. To take ownership of all subfolders and files within the folder, select Replace Owner On Subcontainers And Objects option.
5. OK | OK

Assigning Ownership
As administrator or the current owner, you can assign ownership to another user or group as follows:
1. In Windows Explorer, rt-click on "Properties" for the file or folder.
2. Security tab | Advanced
3. Owner tab | Edit
4. Click Other Users Or Groups
5. Type the name of a user or a group | click Check Names | Choose the name you want if its not already filled in | OK
6. From the Change Owner list, select the new owner. For a folder, select Replace Owner On Subcontainers and Objects to assign ownership of all subfolders and files within the folder.
7. Ok | OK

karl

WindowsStar · Feb 24, 2010

Thank you for providing the above information. However, I keep seeing people on this forum saying they want to be the BOSS I want full control without understanding what they are doing and want to take ownership of every file and remove all others.....then 30 minutes later they are asking why their machine is crashing why it is doing weird stuff why this is not working, why they cannot install or uninstall software. Holy Cow you just took ownership of everything and the system has no access!!! Duh! You can’t uninstall or re-install or anything.

If you (anyone) really want to take ownership of every file on the machine spend the time reading "Windows 7 Resource Kit" and "Windows 7 Inside Out" cover to cover twice and then do some research on the internet for several months. This way you can be absolutely sure you know what you are doing.

I would add a disclaimer to your tutorial.

:: WARNING! Making these changes without completely understand the full effects; can or will result in requiring a complete clean reinstall of your operating system (i.e. Windows 7).

Raargh · Mar 19, 2010

Ok, I understand the warning. I wish I had the time to read all that fun stuff. Seriously, I really do. But I don't. I'm a network admin, author and Web Developer, I need to use Windows 7, not study it. I just want to do one little thing, that was trivial in WinNT, Win2k, WinXP .... but seems to be nearly impossible and/or dangerous in Win7 ....

I'm just trying to fix the horrible harsh white explorer window backgrounds so that I can join the rest of the world who uses Aero without blinding myself. Is this too much to ask? I don't want to break my system. I just want it to not blind me when I'm using an Aero theme.

Through much reading and research I have learned that I need to muck with aero.msstyles. Have created a modified version that hopefully has subdued grey backgrounds like I enjoy with Classic theme. Have saved the original aero.msstyles in several places, also on thumb drive. I *think* I need to delete it and rename my modified version, then logout and back in. But, even though I have Taken Ownership of the darn thing, I still can't delete it.

Any help much appreciated. Been working on this for months, off and on.

Thanks,

$teve

Johnson · Mar 19, 2010

Raargh said:
I'm just trying to fix the horrible harsh white explorer window backgrounds so that I can join the rest of the world who uses Aero without blinding myself

Hello Steve,

Try this little program:

F.lux: software to make your life better

The lighting is adustable and works quite well for me.

WindowsStar · Mar 20, 2010

Note: This will delete the file and there is NO quick recovery if you type the wrong file name in, so please be extremely careful. Create a restore point if you want to have a backup.

Open an elevated Command Prompt and type:

Code:

c:
cd c:\windows\resources\themes\aero
takeown /F aero.msstyles /R /A
attrib -r -s -h aero.msstyles 
del aero.msstyles /q

OldBloke · Mar 20, 2010

that might work if you first change to the right folder

CD \windows\resources\themes

and also spell it aero.msstyles not areo.msstyles

WindowsStar · Mar 20, 2010

OldBloke said:
that might work if you first change to the right folder

CD \windows\resources\themes

and also spell it aero.msstyles not areo.msstyles

Good catch...I fixed it.

Raargh · Mar 20, 2010

Thanks WindowsStar and OldBloke. I appreciate the details; prefer command prompts when they facilitate things.

Still having problems, though. The errors I get via cmd prompt are the equivalent of what I'm getting via GUI efforts. Dir /Q shows I'm already the owner, having taken ownership last night via GUI. It is as if something is locking the file. I'm using a Classic theme during all of this. Wondering if Win7 is using aero.msstyles while I'm trying to work with it?

Code:

C:\Windows\Resources\Themes>dir
 Volume in drive C is WIN7
 Volume Serial Number is 38E3-D77A

 Directory of C:\Windows\Resources\Themes

07/14/2009  01:45 AM    <DIR>          .
07/14/2009  01:45 AM    <DIR>          ..
03/19/2010  08:29 PM    <DIR>          Aero
06/10/2009  02:57 PM             1,897 aero.theme
06/10/2009  02:57 PM             2,376 architecture.theme
06/10/2009  02:57 PM             2,366 characters.theme
06/10/2009  02:57 PM             2,360 landscapes.theme
06/10/2009  02:57 PM             2,319 nature.theme
06/10/2009  02:57 PM             2,326 scenes.theme
               6 File(s)         13,644 bytes
               3 Dir(s)  414,666,899,456 bytes free

C:\Windows\Resources\Themes>cd Aero

C:\Windows\Resources\Themes\Aero>dir *.* /Q
 Volume in drive C is WIN7
 Volume Serial Number is 38E3-D77A

 Directory of C:\Windows\Resources\Themes\Aero

03/19/2010  08:29 PM    <DIR>          NT SERVICE\TrustedInsta.
03/19/2010  08:29 PM    <DIR>          NT SERVICE\TrustedInsta..
07/13/2009  05:54 PM         1,187,984 BUILTIN\Administrators aero-orig.msstyles

07/13/2009  05:54 PM         1,187,984 BUILTIN\Administrators aero-origWithAdmin
Ownership.msstyles
07/13/2009  05:54 PM         1,187,984 T3400-win7\steve       aero.msstyles
03/19/2010  07:52 PM         1,186,960 BUILTIN\Administrators aero1.msstyles
07/13/2009  11:37 PM    <DIR>          NT SERVICE\TrustedInstaen-US
03/19/2010  07:29 PM           216,816 BUILTIN\Administrators NORMALmoddedStc.re
s
03/19/2010  06:47 PM           216,816 BUILTIN\Administrators NORMALstc.res
07/13/2009  11:32 PM    <DIR>          NT SERVICE\TrustedInstaShell
               6 File(s)      5,184,544 bytes
               4 Dir(s)  414,667,075,584 bytes free

C:\Windows\Resources\Themes\Aero>takeown /F aero.msstyles

SUCCESS: The file (or folder): "C:\Windows\Resources\Themes\Aero\aero.msstyles"
now owned by user "T3400-win7\steve".

C:\Windows\Resources\Themes\Aero>attrib -r -s -h aero.msstyles
Access denied - C:\Windows\Resources\Themes\Aero\aero.msstyles

C:\Windows\Resources\Themes\Aero>ren aero.msstyles aero-origAfterTakeOwn.msstyle
s
Access is denied.

Ztruker · Mar 20, 2010

What happens if you boot to Safe Mode then do the rename or delete?

WindowsStar · Mar 21, 2010

@Raargh, I think the problem may be because the Shell is still running. Close all applications, Open your Command Prompt as Admin, then Open Task Manager and end all explorer.exe. Then run the above commands to delete/edit/replace the file. Once that is done type explorer.exe in the Command Prompt Window to re-start the shell. Or better yet reboot, with shutdown -r -f -t 0.

Raargh · Mar 21, 2010

@ztrucker - will try safe mode next.
@WindowsStar - same problem. FYI I'm using the Classic non-Aero theme while I try all of this. I also run Ivo's Classic Shell, if that helps. The problem smells as if something has a lock on the file. Is there a way to see file lock activity?

I hit the printscreen key after the last attempt. Here's the screen shot:

One thing to keep in mind - the only reason I'm trying to mess with aero.msstyles is to be able to change background colors in Aero Themed Explorer windows. I have no desire per-se to take ownership and mess with the OS. Just trying to make backgrounds have colors of my choice. If there is an easier way I would gladly use it ...

Thanks again,

$teve

Raargh · Mar 21, 2010

Ok, I've solved the "access denied" problem.

As are most solved problems, it seems trivial in retrospect.

As I sat here fuming, I calmed down and reminded myself that although it has been many years since I passed the tests and worked much with windows, I am a W2K MCSE. I called up some of the mantra's that got me through the tests, way back in July 2001.

The problem of course, was permissions. Ownership per-se does not grant permissions. TrustedInstaller, the original owner of that and most 'system' files, has Full Control. Administrators don't. After granting Administrators Full Control, I could do what I wanted with the file. Did not solve the gross white explorer backgrounds problem, but that is a story for another thread ...

Thanks to everyone for putting up with my ranting in this thread ...

$teve

WindowsStar · Mar 21, 2010

Sorry $teve, I assumed you had already checked NTFS permissions and this was some other issue. Once you said it did not work with the Shell Exited I started to think about NTFS permissions. I read here that, that is what it turned out to be. I need to remember to post the simplest things first before getting deep into it.

So glad you got it worked out.

tsunamiBTP · Feb 13, 2013

WindowsStar said:
Thank you for providing the above information. However, I keep seeing people on this forum saying they want to be the BOSS I want full control without understanding what they are doing and want to take ownership of every file and remove all others.....then 30 minutes later they are asking why their machine is crashing why it is doing weird stuff why this is not working, why they cannot install or uninstall software. Holy Cow you just took ownership of everything and the system has no access!!! Duh! You can’t uninstall or re-install or anything.

If you (anyone) really want to take ownership of every file on the machine spend the time reading "Windows 7 Resource Kit" and "Windows 7 Inside Out" cover to cover twice and then do some research on the internet for several months. This way you can be absolutely sure you know what you are doing.

I would add a disclaimer to your tutorial.

:: WARNING! Making these changes without completely understand the full effects; can or will result in requiring a complete clean reinstall of your operating system (i.e. Windows 7).

Is there directories that the SYSTEM actually has to have ownership or can you claim ownership as the ADMINISTRATOR, but still grant FULL access to the SYSTEM for that particular directory? I have on my WIN 7 machine that SYSTEM has ownership to Documents & Settings. I would think the USER would have ownership. Nonetheless, what directories does the SYSTEM need to have EXCLUSIVE OWNERSIP or is it dependent on software applications?

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