6 Ways to Fix “Folder Access Denied” Error on Windows

Quick Tips

• Switch the user account type to an administrator and try accessing the folder.
• Open File Explorer options, go to View, and select the Show Hidden Files option.
• Right-click on the folder, select Properties, go to Security, and edit the permissions for the folder.

Basic Fixes

• Check if the folder is encrypted. The administrator could have password-locked or encrypted the folder, so contact them for assistance.
• Check if the folder is corrupted: You can recover data from a corrupt folder if you cannot access it.
• Check if the user account is corrupted: Creating a new standard or admin user account is quick and can help fix the error.
• Check for malware: Use Windows Defender to scan files and folders for malware.

Fix 1: Check Admin Rights

The user account you are using to access the folder doesn’t have the necessary administrative rights. If it is your work laptop, switch the user account or contact the system administrator responsible for the IT equipment.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + X > select Computer Management or search for it from the Start menu.

Step 2: Navigate to System Tools > Local Users and Groups > Users > double-click the user account name to open it.

Step 3: Click on the Add button under the Member Of tab.

Step 4: Type administrators in the pop-up that follows and select the Check Names button to find the admin account. Then, click on OK.

Step 5: You will be taken back to the previous pop-up, where you will notice the Administrators entry. Click on it once and select OK.

Also Read: How to access the WindowsApps folder on Windows

Fix 2: Change Folder Permissions

If you see the message ‘Folder Access Denied As Admin’, you can modify the permissions and take ownership of the folder.

Step 1: Right-click on the folder throwing the access denied error and select Properties. You can also press the Alt + Enter keys to open it.

Step 2: Under the Security tab, select the Edit button. In the pop-up that follows, select your username and give it Full Control.

Fix 3: Disable Hidden Folders

If you’re trying to access a hidden folder, you might encounter an error message.

Step 1: In the start menu, search for File Explorer Options and click on the first result.

Step 2: Once opened, click on View.

Step 3: Check the option for Show hidden files, folders, and drives. Click on OK to apply the settings.

Fix 4: Turn off Controlled Folder Access

Windows Security Suite also has a ransomware module to protect against such threats. You can find it under Windows Security > Virus & Threat Protection.

Disable Controlled folder access here and try again. You should be able to access the folder now. Proceed with caution, as you may incur a security risk once you disable the option.

Fix 5: Turn off User Account Control

Disabling User Account Control (UAC) can potentially help you fix “Folder Access Denied” errors on your Windows PC by reducing certain restrictions on file and folder access.

Step 1: Search for UAC in the Start menu and open Change User Account Control settings.

Step 2: Drag the slider to the bottom towards the Never Notify and save settings.

The Windows access denied error should not appear again when opening that folder.

Fix 6: Use Registry Editor

You can try tweaking the registry settings if you can’t access a folder.

We recommend taking a backup of registry files before making any edits if something goes wrong. These are system-level files and can mess up your computer. You don’t want that.

Step 1: Search for the Registry Editor in the Start menu and open it.

Step 2: Navigate to the folder structure below.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Services/LanmanWorkstation/Parameters

Step 3: In the right window pane, right-click to select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value and name the file as AllowInsecureGuestAuth.

Step 4: Double-click to open the file, input the value as 1, and save changes.