Take Ownership Shortcut

Add "Take Ownership" to Context Menu of Files, Folders, and Drives in Windows​

   Information

This tutorial will show you how to add Take Ownership to the context menu of all files, folders, and drives for all users in Windows.

This will allow you to be able to instantly take ownership of a file, folder (and all contents), or drive (and all contents) by changing the owner to the current user and grant the Owner_Rights SID (current owner) full access permission.

You must be an administrator to be able to add, remove, and use the "Take Ownership" context menu.

   Note

Application files (ex: EXE, CMD, MSI) will continue to have Run as administrator instead of Take Ownership in their context menu.

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When you right click or press and hold on a file, folder, or drive, and click/tap on Take Ownership, you may be prompted by UAC for permission to do so first.

If a user is logged in as an administrator, then the user would just click/tap on Yes to approve and take ownership. The owner of the file, folder, or drive would be changed to the current administrator user account. Permissions would be set to allow the Owner_Rights SID (current owner) full control of the file, folder, or drive.

If a user is logged in as a standard user, then the user would need to enter a selected administrator's password to approve and take ownership. The owner of the file, folder, or drive would be changed to the selected administrator account, and not the standard user. Permissions would be set to allow the Owner_Rights SID (current owner) full control of the file, folder, or drive.

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The Take Ownership context menu will not be available when you right click on the C: drive, C:\Program Files folder, C:\Program Files (x86) folder, C:\ProgramData folder, C:\Users folder, and C:\Windows folder. This was done because taking ownership of these system folders can make Windows unstable since it would also take ownership of all the folder's content at the same time.

You will still be able to use the Take Ownership context menu of files inside the folder locations above.

If you would like to have a custom location(s) of your own to not have the context menu, then please feel free to post a request in this tutorial thread. I'll be happy to post back with a custom .reg file for it.

   Warning

This context menu will only work with English Windows installations.

If you have a different language, then please post a reply with what language you have instead. I'll be happy to post back a translated version for you.

EXAMPLE: Take Ownership in Context Menu






Here's How:

1. Do step 2, 3, or 4 below for what you would like to do.


2. To Add "Take Ownership" to Context Menu

   Note

Application files (ex: EXE, CMD, MSI) will still have Run as administrator instead of Take Ownership in the context menu when you use this step.

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 5 below.

Add_Take_Ownership_to_context_menu


Download


3. To Add "Take Ownership" with Pause to Context Menu

   Note

This option pauses the command when you use the "Take Ownership" context menu to be able to see the command results. This can be handy to verify setting ownership and permissions was successful or not.

Application files (ex: EXE, CMD, MSI) will still have Run as administrator instead of Take Ownership in the context menu when you use this step.

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 5 below.

Add_Take_Ownership_with_Pause_to_context_menu.reg


Download


4. To Remove "Take Ownership" from Context Menu

   Note

This is the default setting, and will also restore the default Run as administrator for .exe files.

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 5 below.

Remove_Take_Ownership_from_context_menu.reg


Download


5. Save the .reg file to your Desktop.

6. Double click on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

7. If prompted, click on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

8. When finished, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.



That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Add or Remove the Security Tab from Properties in Windows 7
• How to Restore TrustedInstaller as Owner of a File in Vista and Windows 7
• How to Allow or Deny Permissions to Users and Groups
• How to Add or Remove Users and Groups from "User Rights Assignment"
• How to Allow or Prevent Users and Groups to Take Ownership
• How to Add Reset Permissions to Context Menu in Windows
• Enable or Disable Inherited Permissions for Files and Folders in Windows

Related Windows 10 Tutorials

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• How to Add View Owner to Context Menu in Windows
• Change Permissions of File, Folder, Drive, or Registry Key for Users and Groups in Windows 10
• How to Change Owner of File, Folder, Drive, or Registry Key in Windows 10
• How to Add Advanced security to context menu in Windows 8 and Windows 10
• How to Add a File Attributes context menu in Windows 10
• How to Remove Security tab from Drives, Files, and Folders Properties in Windows 10
• How to Add Reset Permissions to Context Menu in Windows
• Enable or Disable Inherited Permissions for Files and Folders in Windows
• How to Add Inherited Permissions Context Menu in Windows
• How to Add List Permissions Context Menu in Windows
• How to Backup and Restore Permissions of Files, Folders, or Drives in Windows 10
• How to Add Change Owner to Context Menu in Windows 10

 

[HughShaw]

Well those options are blanked out and do not allow modification. I think another program is preventing modification to the file. But I've already found another way to do what I needed done, thanks anyways.

 

[dcsmusic]

I was working on trying to word my problem as a post and find out what catagory to stick it in on the forums here, and stumbled across this...it seems to have fixed my problem!

For reference, after having everything working nicely in Win7 RC 32b, I purchased Win7 Home Premium 64B. When I added my music partition only some music files were accessible to itunes and wmp. I new it was something to do with permissions from the error dialogues, but it wouldn't let me change permisions manually in the properties dialogue from windows explorer. I tried this script and it looks like I am back in buisness! SO, THANK YOU!!!

 

[Brink]

Well those options are blanked out and do not allow modification. I think another program is preventing modification to the file. But I've already found another way to do what I needed done, thanks anyways.

Start from scratch using this METHOD TWO in this tutorial instead to see if it may help. You may need to manually add your user account to the permission area. If you run into any issues, could you post a few screenshots of what you are seeing to help see what may be wrong?

 

[pspuser007]

Thank you!

 

[drcsd]

Doesn't work in 7

 

[drcsd]

Take Ownership Shortcut Tool in Windows 7

This tool doesn't work in Windows 7.

 

[zigzag3143]

This tool doesn't work in Windows 7.

Hi and welcome

Does on mine. what happens on yours? error, nothing?, etc?

Ken J+

 

[Mark]

This tool doesn't work in Windows 7.

Seems to work for me and thousands of others for the last year that I have been using it, there are a few system files like explorer that you will still have to do the manual way but for the vast majority it will work.

 

[tedcredted]

Hello Jav, after I right click the folder I want to take ownership of after extracting the reg file and merging it, the take ownership command is not available. Do you know why that is or how I can make it show up?

 

[Brink]

Hello Ted,

What folder is this, and it's full path and name?

 

[artinusa]

What a great series of sharing knowledge ..wonderful thanks

 

[Minotar]

This is the one thing that has never worked for me,it opens the CMD type box and dissapears (flashes basically) with no change to the ownership.
Ive used and seen this working on other pc's and was just wondering if theres any reason why it wont work on my own?

 

[Brink]

Hello Minotar,

As a test, create a new administrator account to see if it may work in that account instead. This will help rule out if there is a problem in your current administrator account.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Minotar]

Hello Minotar,

As a test, create a new administrator account to see if it may work in that account instead. This will help rule out if there is a problem in your current administrator account.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Yes,it worked.
Then when i went back to my own it also worked:sarc:
Weird huh
Thanks Shaun

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Shaun.

LOL, that figures. Let's hope it still works after deleting the new account that you do not need now.

 

[Minotar]

You're welcome Shaun.

LOL, that figures. Let's hope it still works after deleting the new account that you do not need now.

It does,this is great,ive been putting it off becasue i thought it would just be a headache with registry files etc

Thanks again lol

 

[jonr]

Is there a way to 'take ownership' recursively? I have tons of backup from my XP drive, all owned by different user, maybe a script or something?

 

[Xbar1]

Thanks A lot for your help, Really Really Thank you for your Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[DragonPoet]

YES!!!!

YOU HAVE SOLVED MY PROBLEMS. MUCH LOVE HOMIE. THANKS SO MUCH!!!

 

[solowin]

I'm a new Win7 user. I do machine embroidery, using digitized embroidery files. I'm trying to use a new program from Sierra called StitchEraUniversal. It's a slimmed down version of their professional embroidery program, StitchEraLiberty. One of the constraints of this new program is that to use it, you need to be online while using it - they run ads to make money since they're not charging for this lite version. I've been using embroidery files with no problem under Win7, but in trying this new program, my files are now locked. I'm the administrator, and the files are under my user name. I've tried running the reg edit, I've tried changing permissions to all users, I've tried sharing the files - nothing is working. In reading more about permissions, I'm wondering if this has something to do with this program having to be connected to the internet, and some security feature of Win7 because of that? Another note, I've moved some of my files onto my desktop, and I'm able to read those from within SEU, so I'm thinking there's something different about the files within a User, vs. those outside? I've spent hours researching this, and since SEU is a free program, that's been about the value of the help I've gotten from Sierra.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!