Take Ownership - Add to Context Menu in Windows 8

How to Add "Take Ownership" to Context Menu in Windows 8 and 8.1​

   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 8.

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.

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 signed 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 signed 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.

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

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A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the top, middle, or bottom of context menu file below, and go to step 5 below.​

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Add_Take_Ownership_to_context_menu.reg​

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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.

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A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the top, middle, or bottom of context menu file below, and go to step 5 below.​

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Add_Take_Ownership_with_Pause_to_context_menu.reg​

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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.

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

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Remove_Take_Ownership_from_context_menu.reg​

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5. Save the .reg file to your Desktop.

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

7. If prompted, click/tap 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 Take Ownership of a File, Folder, Drive, or Registry Key in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Allow or Deny Access Permisions to Users and Groups in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Allow or Prevent Users and Groups to be able to Take Ownership
• How to Add Reset Permissions to Context Menu in Windows
• Enable or Disable Inherited Permissions for Files and Folders in Windows

 

[m18xr2]

Hello quavadisuk,

If you wanted the command prompt to pause, did you use the download in step 3?

hey Brink, just wanted you to know .exe files context menu won't show take ownership, however if exe files are in folder then it might work. any workaround for this problem to have it show in context menu of .exe files?

also I wanted to add the take ownership for win 7 is different, although it shows up in win 8 context menu but it has no affect on files if I were to run win7 add ownership reg file.

 

[Brink]

Hello m18xr2,

For .exe files, it was an either have the "Run as administrator" or "Take Ownership", but not both option.

I opted to keep "Run as administrator" since that would be used more for .exe files than "Take Ownership". However, if you would prefer to have "Take Ownership" instead, then I'll add an option in the tutorial here shortly to include .exe files.

UPDATE: Ok. An option to add "Take Ownership" for .exe files has now been added.

 

[m18xr2]

Hello m18xr2,

For .exe files, it was an either have the "Run as administrator" or "Take Ownership", but not both option.

I opted to keep "Run as administrator" since that would be used more for .exe files than "Take Ownership". However, if you would prefer to have "Take Ownership" instead, then I'll add an option in the tutorial here shortly to include .exe files.

UPDATE: Ok. An option to add "Take Ownership" for .exe files has now been added.

did Microsoft purposely do this or is it a bug? perhaps they may fix this issue in windows 8.1, can anyone confirm?

 

[Brink]

I suppose that you could technically call it a bug since you can only have one affective "Run as" entry for a file extension. If you try to add both, one or the other will not work.

It's the same in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8/8.1.

 

[m18xr2]

I suppose that you could technically call it a bug since you can only have one affective "Run as" entry for a file extension. If you try to add both, one or the other will not work.

It's the same in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8/8.1.

well, my window 7 .exe files can show both take ownership and run as admin.. reason I mention it was a bug for 8/8.1 was cause my win7 OS could show both..

 

[Brink]

It can easily show both, but does both actually work?

The one method I've seen out on the internet that had both, the "Take Ownership" display, but didn't actually work when I wen back to verify the owner and permission settings.

If you like, could you export the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile key from your Windows 7 registry, and upload it here? This will show what method was used to have both, and if it may work or not.

 

[m18xr2]

It can easily show both, but does both actually work?

The one method I've seen out on the internet that had both, the "Take Ownership" display, but didn't actually work when I wen back to verify the owner and permission settings.

If you like, could you export the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile key from your Windows 7 registry, and upload it here? This will show what method was used to have both, and if it may work or not.

I think it worked and I was pretty certain that it did. what lead me to believe 8 and 8.1 were different due to the fact that 8 had a much more complicated way to grant access in take ownership or grant full access control to users. remember removing library and homegroup via registry? grant access control was easily done in 7 where as in 8 would take extra few steps to make it work.

I just tested it with deleting a file in system32 on my win7 machine. deleting defrag.exe wouldnt work but after taking ownership it worked and allowed me to delete the file.

the attachment thing isn't working for me, i uploaded onto 4shared.. ** REMOVED LINK **

View attachment exefile.rar

 

[Brink]

Thank you. You did successfully upload the file, but just forgot to attach it afterwards.

Here's what is has for Run as administrator below. This is normal, except the part in red is not needed. The runas key is what elevates this to be able to "Run as administrator" when clicked on.

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas]
[COLOR=#FF0000][B]@="Run as Administrator"[/B][/COLOR]
"HasLUAShield"=""
[B][COLOR=#ff0000]"MuiVerb"="Run as Administrator"[/COLOR][/B]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"
"IsolatedCommand"="\"%1\" %*"

Here's what it has for Take Ownership below. This would essentially be the same as running the command in a normal command prompt instead of an "elevated" command prompt. If the user is not running elevated (ex: like the built-in Administrator), then they would not be able to successfully take ownership and grant "full control" permission to the Administrators group using this. It would be the same as getting an access denied message trying to do the same in a normal unelevated command prompt.

Since this is not under the runas key in the registry, it doesn't run it elevated. The problem is, only Run as administrator or Take Ownership can be under runas and not both.

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\takeownership]
@="Take Ownership"
"HasLUAShield"=""
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\takeownership\command]
@="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F"
"IsolatedCommand"="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F"

As a test of proof. While signed in a normal administrator account (not built-in Administrator), go to the Dism.exe system file in the C:\Windows\System32 folder, and verify that the default owner is still Trusted Installer.

Next, use the Take Ownership context menu on the Dism.exe file, then check to se if the owner has been changed. It should not be since it's not under the runas key.

 

[m18xr2]

how do I verify what the default owner of a file is? the only thing I notice changes was, prior take ownership a file, only trusted installer has full access box checked in file properties in security tab. after taking ownership it, administrator (me) has full access box checked as well.

so basically I am not taking ownership of the file, I am just granting access to admin user? but I still have full access to it :s

 

[Brink]

Are you signed in to the built-in "Administrator" account, have disabled UAC, or set to elevate all administrator accounts privilege level?

You would basically check using OPTION FOUR in the tutorial below to see who the owner of the file is before (to see default) and after using your "Take Ownership" to see if changed the owner to be your account afterwards. If not, then it didn't work.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorial...le-folder-drive-registry-key-windows-8-a.html

Technically, you should not even be able to change permission settings using your Take Ownership unless your account already has access permission.

 

[dskiller]

I verify that there is something wrong with the take ownership with exe.

because some installers wont run. a dosbox flashes and thats it. they would only run if went to compatibly and mark run as administrator.

removed the reg keys and programs run.

also caused the game for windows live installer to error during install.

the regular takeownship works fine

 

[Brink]

Hello dskiller,

Are you using "Take Ownership" to run the programs, or is this happen while just double clicking on the program?

Using "Take Ownership" on an .exe file will not run it or have it "Run as administrator".

 

[dskiller]

Hello dskiller,

Are you using "Take Ownership" to run the programs, or is this happen while just double clicking on the program?

Using "Take Ownership" on an .exe file will not run it or have it "Run as administrator".

Its doing it when doubleclicking the program.

 

[Brink]

The "Take Ownership" context menu itself wouldn't cause that. It sounds like the problem is that the program needed "Run as administrator" used, but wasn't since it was replaced by "Take Ownership".

That's the main reason why I prefer to have "Run as administrator" instead of "Take Ownership" for .exe files. If the .exe needs to run elevated to run properly, "Run as administrator" would make is easier versus having to use another option (ex: CTRL+SHIFT and click) below if you had "Take Ownership" instead.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/9564-run-administrator-windows-8-a.html

 

[PrincessIchaIND]

Somehow When I use the takeown Context menu, when Run Command Prompt as Administrator that this only appear...

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And this only happens when running CMD With Administrator Privilege, I thought its Cause RunAs Command's. and after being checked from antecedent Script Create by Shawn in this Part

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas]
@="Take Ownership"
"HasLUAShield"=""
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas\command]
@="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F"
"IsolatedCommand"="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F && pause"

All of .exe File will Run as Administrator and Will do takeown on the File and error due to the exefile key runas, missing or undefined. And Then to Return it to Default I using the Reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\cmdfile\shell\runas]
"HasLUAShield"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\cmdfile\shell\runas\command]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
  00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,63,00,6d,00,\
  64,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,20,00,2f,00,43,00,20,00,22,00,25,00,31,00,22,\
  00,20,00,25,00,2a,00,00,00


[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas]
"HasLUAShield"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"
"IsolatedCommand"="\"%1\" %*"

Just My Experience~
​

 

[Brink]

Hello Icha,

I don't see a problem in your screenshot.

If you used step 5, then it will show the command prompt pause like that.

If you don't want the command prompt, then step 3 would be better.

 

[PrincessIchaIND]

The Problem, Only if Opened "Command prompt With Administrator Privilege" But If I Only Opened Command Prompt Without Administrator Privilege that message not Appear, I just assumed that because that command part will RunAs all .exe file
Less is More Like it

 

[Brink]

Icha,

Sorry, but I'm not sure what you mean since you would be using the context menu and not manually opening a command prompt. Could you please explain what you mean?

 

[PrincessIchaIND]

Only if I Opened Command Prompt With Administrator Privilege Whether it Through the Power Users (Win + X), the Message appear
And the message was not the time wanted takeown.

if confused you I'm sorry

 

[Brink]

No worries.

My confusion is that you say you are using the "Take Ownership" context menu when opening an elevated command prompt.

This is not possible since you can only use "Take Ownership" if you right click on a file, and click on it.

Could you please clarify that?