Why Don't I Have Full-Admin Rights to Any Photos on my Desktop?

[gplea]

Winver=22H2. Just a couple of weeks ago I KNOW I had FULL ADMIN rights to copy any file/photo off of my desktop. Now, I can't send anything from my desktop, and I desperately need to send scrnshots to support groups but I can't cuz some MSoft gremlin changed it on the fly. It's got to be something simple bcuz I know I didn't intentionally change any permissions for something like that. Also, I changed the UAC controls to the bare minim and it STILL won't give me control. I've also run a very good virus control and that doesn't help either.

 

[ChatGPT]

It sounds like the issue you are experiencing may be related to file permissions. In Windows, file permissions determine who can access, modify, and delete certain files. If your account is not a member of the Administrators group, you may not have the necessary permissions to access or modify files on the desktop.
To check your file permissions, right-click on the file or folder you are trying to access, select Properties, and then click on the Security tab. Here, you can see who has permission to access the file and what level of access they have.
If your account is not listed with full control permissions, you can try taking ownership of the file or folder. To do this, right-click on the file or folder you want to take ownership of, select Properties, and then click on the Security tab. Click on the Advanced button, then on the Owner tab, and click on the Edit button. Select your user account and check the box for "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects" if you want to take ownership of all files and subfolders within the folder. Click OK to apply the changes.
Once you have taken ownership, you should have full control over the folder and its contents. If this does not work, you may need to check your account permissions or consult with your IT department to ensure that you have full administrative access.

 

[gplea]

Sounds like ChatGPT needs to read my post a little deeper. I looked at the Properties folder for the file and there's nothing I can change. And as I previously mentioned, I have MAX UAC permissions.

 

[Mike]

Winver=22H2. Just a couple of weeks ago I KNOW I had FULL ADMIN rights to copy any file/photo off of my desktop. Now, I can't send anything from my desktop, and I desperately need to send scrnshots to support groups but I can't cuz some MSoft gremlin changed it on the fly. It's got to be something simple bcuz I know I didn't intentionally change any permissions for something like that. Also, I changed the UAC controls to the bare minim and it STILL won't give me control. I've also run a very good virus control and that doesn't help either.

It sounds like the issue you are experiencing may be related to file permissions. In Windows, file permissions determine who can access, modify, and delete certain files. If your account is not a member of the Administrators group, you may not have the necessary permissions to access or modify files on the desktop.

To check your file permissions, right-click on the file or folder you are trying to access, select Properties, and then click on the Security tab. Here, you can see who has permission to access the file and what level of access they have.

If your account is not listed with full control permissions, you can try taking ownership of the file or folder. To do this, right-click on the file or folder you want to take ownership of, select Properties, and then click on the Security tab. Click on the Advanced button, then on the Owner tab, and click on the Edit button. Select your user account and check the box for "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects" if you want to take ownership of all files and subfolders within the folder. Click OK to apply the changes.

Once you have taken ownership, you should have full control over the folder and its contents. If this does not work, you may need to check your account permissions or consult with your IT department to ensure that you have full administrative access.

Sounds like ChatGPT needs to read my post a little deeper. I looked at the Properties folder for the file and there's nothing I can change. And as I previously mentioned, I have MAX UAC permissions.

Hello, run the following from an elevated command prompt (Run as Administrator):

icacls %userprofile%desktop /reset /t /c /q

 

[ChatGPT]

I hear your frustration, Mike! Let’s address this issue with full admin rights over files, even though you’ve verified that UAC permissions are set to max and modifying Properties isn’t working.

Why This Happens:​

1. Ownership Issues: Even with admin rights, you may not own the file or folder because it’s assigned to another user account, system process, or group like "TrustedInstaller."
2. Inherited Permissions: Certain files inherit restrictive permissions from their parent folder, limiting changes.
3. Protected File: The photo file or folder might be protected by Windows as part of system integrity features.

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Steps to Fix:​

1. Take Ownership of the File/Folder:​

• Right-click on the file/folder > Properties > Security tab > Advanced.
• Click Change next to the "Owner" field.
• Enter your account name, click Check Names, and hit OK.
• Check the box Replace owner on subcontainers and objects (if working on a folder).
• Click Apply and OK.

2. Grant Full Permissions:​

• Return to the Security tab.
• Click Edit > Select your user account > Check Full Control > Apply.
• If this fails, repeat steps above after taking ownership.

3. Disable Inheritance:​

• Open Advanced Security Settings through the Security tab.
• Click Disable inheritance.
• When prompted, choose Convert inherited permissions into explicit permissions.
• Apply changes.

4. Change System File Protection (If Applicable):​

• Open Command Prompt (Admin).
• Use the takeown command:
  

  cmd takeown /f "C:\path\to\file.jpg"

• Then grant full control to administrators:
  

  cmd icacls "C:\path\to\file.jpg" /grant administrators:F

5. Move the File (Workaround):​

• If all else fails, try copying or moving the file to a non-restricted folder (e.g., Desktop or Documents) and modify the copy.

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Additional Checks:​

1. Third-Party Interference:
   • Check if antivirus/security software is blocking the modification of certain files. Temporarily disable it for testing.
2. Corrupted File:
   • Verify that the photo file isn’t corrupt or flagged as a bad sector issue on your hard drive.
3. Run as TrustedInstaller:
   • Use a utility like PSTools to modify the file permissions as the "TrustedInstaller" user if regular admin privileges fail.

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Let me know if this resolves the issue or if more troubleshooting is needed!