How to "Take Ownership" of a File, Folder, Drive, or Registry Key in Windows 8

   Information

This will show you how to take ownership of a file, folder, drive, registry key objects in Windows 8 to control how access permissions are set on the object and for what users and groups permissions are granted.



You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do the steps below to take ownership of a item in Windows 8.

   Warning

DO NOT take ownership of the Windows 8 C: drive.

Doing so, could result in Windows 8 becoming very unstable.

OPTION ONE

Take Ownership and Permission of a Object from the Context Menu

NOTE: This option will quickly grant your administrator account ownership of a file, folder (and contents), or drive (and contents), and grant "full control" permission to the administrators group by right clicking on the file, folder, or drive and clicking on Take Ownership.


1. For how, see: How to Add "Take Ownership" to the Context Menu in Windows 8


2. Afterwards, you or members of the administrators group will now be able to grant access permissions for this file, folder, or drive if you like.

OPTION TWO

Take Ownership of a Object in a Elevated Command Prompt

NOTE: You could also type takeown /? in the elevated command prompt for a complete list of availble switches and options that you could use with the takeown command.


1. Open a elevated command prompt, and do step 2, 3, or 4 below depending on what object you would like to take ownership of.


2. To Take Ownership of a File in a Command Prompt

A) In the elevated command prompt, type the command below and press Enter.
NOTE: Substitute full path of file with file extension with the actual full path of the file with it's file extension that you want to take ownership of within quotes.

(To grant currently logged on user ownership of)

takeown /F "full path of file with file extension"


(To grant administrators group ownership of)

takeown /F "full path of file with file extension" /A


For example:

takeown /F "C:\Windows\file.exe" /A

B) Go to step 5 below.

3. To Take Ownership of All Files with the same File Extension in a Folder or Drive in a Command Prompt

A) In the elevated command prompt, type the command below and press Enter.
NOTE: Substitute full path of folder or drive with the full path of the folder or drive letter, and substitute file extension with the actual file extention that you want to take ownership of within quotes.

(To grant currently logged on user ownership of)

takeown /F "full path of folder or drive/*.file extension"


(To grant administrators group ownership of)

takeown /F "full path of folder or drive/*.file extension" /A


For example:

takeown /F "C:\Windows\*.txt" /A

B) Go to step 5 below.

4. To Take Ownership of a Folder or Drive in a Command Prompt
NOTE: This command will take ownership of the folder or drive, and all files and subfolders in the folder or drive.

A) In the elevated command prompt, type the command below and press Enter.
NOTE: Substitute full path of folder or drive with the full path of the folder or drive letter that you want to take ownership of within quotes.

(To grant currently logged on user ownership of)

takeown /F "full path of folder or drive" /R /D Y


(To grant administrators group ownership of)

takeown /F "full path of folder or drive" /A /R /D Y


For example:

takeown /F "F:" /A /R /D Y

takeown /F "F:\Folder" /A /R /D Y

B) Continue on to step 5 below.

5. When finished, close the elevated command prompt.


6. You or members of the administrators group will now be able to grant access permissions for this file, folder, or drive if you like.

OPTION THREE

To Manually Take Ownership of Object in Advanced Security Settings

1. Do step 2 or 3 below depending on what object you would like to take ownership of.


2. To Take Ownership of a File, Folder, or Drive in Advanced Properties

A) Right click or press and hold on the file, folder, or drive that you want to grant a user or group ownership of, click/tap on Properties, and go to step 4 below.

OR

B) Select a file, folder, or open a drive that you want to grant a user or group ownership of, click/tap on the Share tab, click/tap on the Advanced security button in the ribbon, and go to step 5 below. (see screenshot below)

3. To Take Ownership of a Registry Key in Advanced Properties

A) In the left pane of Registry Editor (regedit), right click or press and hold on the registry key that you want to grant a user or group ownership of, and click/tap on Permissions. (see screenshot below)

B) Continue on to step 4 below.

4. Click/tap on the Security tab, and click/tap on the Advanced button. (see screenshot below)

5. At the top to the right of the current Owner, click/tap on the Change link. (see screenshot below)

6. If prompted by UAC, then click/tap on Yes.


7. Click/tap on the Advanced button. (see screenshot below)

8. Click/tap on the Find Now button. (see screenshot below)

9. At the bottom under the Name column, select a user (username) or group that you would like to grant ownership to, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: This would normally be your administrator account's name, or the administrators group.

10. Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

11. If this is a folder, drive, or registry key, then you will also have the option to check the Replace owner of subcontainers and objects box to also change the ownship of the folder/drive contents or registry key subkeys as well if you like. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: A file will not have this option available.

12. Verify that the new owner is correct, and click/tap on OK to apply. (see screenshot above)


13. If prompted, click/tap on Yes. (see screenshot below)

14. You or members of the administrators group, if selected in step 9, will now be able to grant access permissions for this file, folder, drive, or registry key if you like.
NOTE: See OPTION TWO in the link in this step.



That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

• How to Add "Take Ownership" to the Context Menu in Windows 8
• How to Allow or Deny Access Permisions to Users and Groups in Windows 8