[SOLVED] Lost file permissions after OS reinstall

mohawkade

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Jul 22, 2011
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After some drama I had with my OS earlier, I resorted to a clean reinstall, though I've kept most of my files. But now a new problem has emerged...

Within specific areas on my PC (mainly on other internal hard drives), every time I wish to Move / Rename / Delete any file or folder, I am greeted with a message saying "You need to provide administrator permission to perform this action". Pressing continue reveals an access denied message, clarifying that it requires permission from what seems to be either an old local user account that no longer exists (ALBA\MohawkADE) or an unknown account (S-1-5-21-4009105186-2181681972-3483528481-1001).

My current user account is tied with my Microsoft account and is not the same name as the old account.

FTrlrxy.jpg


Additionally, any new file deposited into these folders will also yield the same result.

Here's a list of things attempted thus far:
  1. Changed properties/security settings to add Full control to my current user account; Windows still demands permission from old account
  2. In safe mode, copied all files into a new folder and deleted the old files; Windows still demands permission on copied files
  3. Created local account with same name as old account; Windows still demands permission from old account
  4. Enabled Administrator account to manipulate files; Windows still demands permission from old account
  5. Copied all contents to another hard drive, formatted drive with problem files and copied files back into place; problem persists although the copied files on the other hard drive can be moved/renamed/deleted.
  6. Taken ownership of files using advanced security settings, Windows still demands permission from old account
While I am able to manipulate any of my files as I please in Safe Mode, I REALLY don't want to reboot into Safe Mode every time I need to move, rename or delete a folder.

Do you guys have any remedies?
 
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Solution
So I found an alternate solution!

It was suggested to me to try (in safe mode) copying the old problem files to a FAT32 drive, as they do not retain permission metadata, then copying them back after a reboot. Upon doing so, one odd note is that I renamed the folder to "temporary pictures" when putting it on the FAT32 flash drive. Upon copying it back it renamed itself back to "TEMP PIX". Very Strange.

On seeing that little detail, I went into my registry and did a search for "temporary pictures", "TEMP PIX" and every other naming scheme I had for that folder. Ended up finding all the folder names under a registry entry for AVG file protection, so I modified the entry to remove those names.

At this point, all...

mohawkade

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Jul 22, 2011
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Take ownership on your files and folders.
Heheheh... tried that already.
Windows STILL demands I get permission from my old user account.

b66


Also updated main post with some of the additional steps I've taken.

One odd thing to note is that I'm still able to copy the problem files to another location, the copied files can be moved / renamed / deleted all while the originals cannot, without going into safe mode. On learning about this, I tried a nuclear tactic: copying all data off the HDD with the problem files, formatting the drive and restoring the old data back into it's original place.

The restored files retain the same problem yet their copies do not.

Additionally, the problem seems to be specifically targeted towards a folder I use for my pictures and select files on my desktop. Restoring the pictures target location to the default does not seem to affect the problem.

5KQAuNV.jpg


I'm hoping these details may provide a clue for some of you Windows Wizards.
 
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mohawkade

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Jul 22, 2011
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So I found an alternate solution!

It was suggested to me to try (in safe mode) copying the old problem files to a FAT32 drive, as they do not retain permission metadata, then copying them back after a reboot. Upon doing so, one odd note is that I renamed the folder to "temporary pictures" when putting it on the FAT32 flash drive. Upon copying it back it renamed itself back to "TEMP PIX". Very Strange.

On seeing that little detail, I went into my registry and did a search for "temporary pictures", "TEMP PIX" and every other naming scheme I had for that folder. Ended up finding all the folder names under a registry entry for AVG file protection, so I modified the entry to remove those names.

At this point, all problem files are now renamable and deleteable. Thanks for all the guidance!
 
Solution