[SOLVED] Cannot Delete WindowsApps folder in W10/Corrupt Access control entry

[QwerkyPengwen]

To clarify:
I cannot change my install path for games with GamePass.
If I select my D:\ drive, and select "Apply" it gives me a message saying that it detected stuff already on there, and will delete everything related to Windows Store games and Xbox App.
I am fine with this.
It is left over from my previous Windows Installation where I had installed some games.
However, after saying "OK" it gives me an error saying it couldn't do anything.

I have gone into the properties of this folder and cannot change security options.
I get an error message about access control entry corrupt for my account.

I cannot delete it, and I cannot make changes.

I further cannot delete the WindowsApp folder.
I have tried running as admin in CMD, as well as running PowerShell and doing things that way from within the D:\ drive doing command prompt level deletion to no avail.

I have tried seeing if there are updates to Windows. There are none.
I have updated the Microsoft Store.
I have done the DSIM or whatever it was, along with an sfc scannow, and it reports back nothing wrong.

Not entirely sure what the heck is happening, but I don't like it.
This is a fairly recent install and I have installed nothing sketchy that would potentially harm my system.
I don't visit weird websites, and I use an adblocker and VPN when browsing the web.

I have not messed with account permissions at all with this installation of Windows.

If there is anything else you need to know from from just ask.

If you know exactly what my problem is and exactly how to go about fixing it that would be much appreciated.

The only thing I haven't done yet actually is to try doing this in safe mode.

I will try that next if nobody here can give me any other instructions.

 

[Lutfij]

Are you able to move the data that's stored onto D:\ ? You might want to run us by with the version for your OS. A lot of people tend to be on older versions of Windows 10. I'm also leaning towards you having logged in with your credentials on the previous install that has the drive locked.

I had a similar issue with a client, he forgot his password but the log in details were right so I was left to format the drive and he called up Microsoft to verify it's his email address.

 

[QwerkyPengwen]

Are you able to move the data that's stored onto D:\ ? You might want to run us by with the version for your OS. A lot of people tend to be on older versions of Windows 10. I'm also leaning towards you having logged in with your credentials on the previous install that has the drive locked.

I had a similar issue with a client, he forgot his password but the log in details were right so I was left to format the drive and he called up Microsoft to verify it's his email address.

Latest version 2004.
Drive isn't locked.
Just this folder.
I'll state it again. Cannot delete folder. Cannot change security permissions on said folder from read only. Account control corrupt. Because folder and it's contents cannot be deleted, I cannot uninstall games in that folder, nor can I install new games to the drive itself from the Xbox Game pass.
Not sure what you mean by logging in.

 

[QwerkyPengwen]

I will specify further in case it wasn't apparent.
My D drive is not my OS drive. That is the C drive.
D drive is just an HDD I install all my games to.
I can do whatever I want on the drive expect anything that has to do with this folder. The drive is not locked or whatever.

 

[ex_bubblehead]

Quick fix is to boot one of the many Linux distros from USB and use that to move/delete the folder in question. Linux doesn't know or care about Windows permissions.

 

[Mtop]

I would save what I needed externally, then format and reinstall what I needed.
I want access to everything on my data drives. If windows won't format try mini disk partition wizard.

 

[QwerkyPengwen]

Quick fix is to boot one of the many Linux distros from USB and use that to move/delete the folder in question. Linux doesn't know or care about Windows permissions.

Ah yes, of course. I forgot about Linux LOL.
Made a quick and dirty live USB of Lubuntu and shift+deleted the whole thing along with other hidden folders associated with it.

And now I can select the D drive and install games from the Xbox app.

As has been noted, perhaps something was up with it having been created from a previous installation of Windows, and having done a clean install it borked things up.

Thanks.

 

[ex_bubblehead]

Ah yes, of course. I forgot about Linux LOL.
Made a quick and dirty live USB of Lubuntu and shift+deleted the whole thing along with other hidden folders associated with it.

And now I can select the D drive and install games from the Xbox app.

As has been noted, perhaps something was up with it having been created from a previous installation of Windows, and having done a clean install it borked things up.

Thanks.

Any files/directories from the previous installation have permissions that refer to SID's that do not exist in a new installation, thus the problems. Always keep a live Linux USB/DVD in your toolkit for just such occurances.