Here's a brief overview of the five troubleshooting methods for resolving "Access Denied" errors when copying files: 1. **Run as Administrator**: When encountering "Access Denied" while copying files, try running the file explorer or the application you're using to copy files with administrative privileges. Right-click on the program icon, and select "Run as administrator." 2. **Change File Permissions**: Navigate to the source folder, right-click, choose "Properties," then go to the "Security" tab. Click "Edit" to modify permissions, add your user account, and grant full control or necessary permissions. Apply changes to the folder and its subfolders. 3. **Take Ownership**: If you don't have permission to change file permissions, you can take ownership of the file or folder. In the "Security" tab, click "Advanced," then "Change" next to "Owner." Select your user account or Administrators group, and check "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects." Apply the changes. 4. **Disable Antivirus or Firewall Temporarily**: Sometimes, security software can block file copying. Temporarily disable your antivirus or firewall and attempt to copy the files again. Remember to re-enable them after troubleshooting. 5. **Copy Using Command Prompt**: Use the command prompt with administrative privileges to copy files. Type `cmd` in the search bar, right-click "Command Prompt," and select "Run as administrator." Then, use the `copy` or `xcopy` command followed by the source and destination paths. These methods should help resolve most "Access Denied" issues when copying files. Always remember to exercise caution and backup important data before making any significant changes.

Translate into English

Reliable Solutions Solution Details
1. Take Ownership of the File or Folder
  1. Open "Windows Explorer" and locate the file/folder, right-click on it and select "Properties"...Read More>>
2. Change File and Folder Permissions
  1. Right-click the file or folder, then click "Properties". Click the "Security" tab...Read More>>
3. Decrypt the File or Folder

Right-click the file or folder, and then click "Properties". Click the "General" tab, then click "Advanced"...Read More>>

4. Run CHKDSK Command
  1. Press the "Windows" key and type cmd. Right-click "Command Prompt" ...Read More>>
5. Use Data Recovery Software

Under the Specify a location section, click "Browse" on Select Folder to choose the location where you lost the folder...Read More>>

"When attempting to copy or open files from my C drive on Windows 10, I receive an 'access denied' error message: 'error copying file or folder, access is denied.' Are there any solutions to address this issue?"

Error copying file or folder, access is denied

If you encounter an "Access Denied" error regarding a file or folder in your Windows system, you're not alone. Numerous Windows users have experienced this issue. It typically occurs when attempting to access or modify a file or folder. Occasionally, this error surfaces while copying files or upgrading from an earlier version of Windows.

Part 1: What Triggers This "Access Denied" Error

Before attempting to solve this problem, it would be helpful to determine the cause of the error.

    1. Folder ownership has changed. 2. You do not have the appropriate permissions. 3. The file is encrypted. 4. The file is corrupted. 5. There are bad sectors on the drive.

From the factors above, we can address the error accordingly.

You can first try fixing the "access denied" error using two quick methods:

Part 2: How to Resolve "Access Denied" Error While Copying Files (5 Solutions)

This pesky issue prevents you from opening or copying the file or folder. Maybe there's crucial data in there that you urgently need access to, but it's currently out of reach. But don't freak out, here are some effective solutions to help you fix the error or get your data back:

Important
To prevent data loss, utilize a data recovery tool to retrieve the contents from the inaccessible folder and relocate it to a different secure location. Proceed to Solution 5 for a detailed guide.

Solution 1: Take Ownership of the File or Folder

If you recently upgraded your computer to Windows 10 from an earlier version of Windows, some of your account information might have been altered. As a result, you might not currently have ownership of certain files or folders. You can potentially fix this issue by reclaiming ownership of the files and folders.

For Windows 10/8 users to take ownership:

Step 1: Open "Windows Explorer" and locate the file/folder, then right-click on it and select "Properties."

Take ownership of file or folder.

Step 2: Go to Security and click on "Advanced", then go to the "Owner" tab.

Fix 'You'll need to provide administrator permission to copy files or folder' error.

Step 3: If you want to change the owner to a user or group that is not listed: Click "Change" > "Other users and groups", and type the name of the user or group in "Enter the object name to select", then click "Check Names" > "OK".

Change owner to take ownership of target files or folders.

Step 4: If you want to change a user or group that is listed:

Click "New Owner" in the "Change" to field and proceed with the modifications.

Change a user.

Step 5: If you wish to change the owner of all sub-containers and objects within the tree, check the "Replace owner on sub-containers and objects" box.

Change subcontainers to fix 'access denied' issue. Translate to English: Switch subcontainers to resolve the 'access denied' issue.

Try opening or modifying the file or folder to see if the access denied error goes away.

For Windows 7 users to take ownership:

Step 1: Right-click on the problematic file or folder, and then choose "Properties."

Step 2: Click on the "Security" tab, and then press the "Advanced" button. This will display the Advanced Security Settings for the selected file or folder.

take the ownership in windows 7

Step 3: Click on the "Owner" tab. Next, click the "Edit" button to modify the owner.

edit the ownership in windows 7

Step 4: Click the "Other users or groups" button to select the user manually.

choose other users groups

Step 5: Type the account name in the box below. Enter the object name to select. Then click the "Check Names" button (to let the computer fill in the complete object name for you). After that, click "OK".

Step 6: If you wish to take ownership of all files and subfolders, check the box "Replace owner on sub-containers and objects." Then click "OK." Click "OK" again to apply the changes. Verify if the error has disappeared.

Solution 2: Modify File and Folder Permissions (Grant Full Control)

This error might be related to permissions. Permissions dictate whether you can access or modify files and folders. You can attempt to grant yourself permission by following these steps:

Step 1: Right-click the file or folder, and then select "Properties."

Step 2: Click on the "Security" tab.

Step 3: Under Group or user names, click your name to see the permissions that you have.

In the "Group or user names" field, click on your account name. Next, in the "Permissions for Users" section, check the "Allow" checkbox next to "Full control" (this will grant you complete access to view and modify the file or folder). After doing so, click "OK" to apply the modifications.

give full control

You can open or modify the files or folders to verify if this method works.

Solution 3: Decrypt the File or Folder

Encryption can aid in safeguarding files and folders from unauthorized access. It is impossible to open an encrypted file or folder without the certificate that was utilized for encryption. If you're unable to copy files, you can verify if they are encrypted by following these steps:

Step 1: Right-click the file or folder, and then click "Properties."

Step 2: Click on the "General" tab, and then click "Advanced."

If the "Encrypt contents to secure data" checkbox is selected, you'll need to decrypt the file or folder to be able to access it.

Solution 4: Run the CHKDSK Command

If your hard drive has bad sectors, you might also encounter the "access denied while copying files" error. In this case, it's recommended to run the CHKDSK command. This utility marks the bad sectors and prevents data corruption by rectifying file system errors.

Step 1: Press the "Windows" key and type cmd.

Step 2: Right-click "Command Prompt" and select "Run as administrator."

Step 3: Enter the following command: chkdsk e: /f /r /x (replace "e" with the letter assigned to the partition you want to repair).

run chkdsk command

Step 4: Once the process is complete, try accessing the folder to see if it works.

CHKDSK Alternative: "Alternative to CHKDSK"

CleanGenius is a user-friendly computer repair tool that is both secure and lightweight. It serves as an ideal alternative to the CHKDSK command. Utilize this one-click solution to effortlessly fix a damaged file system.

Step 1. DOWNLOAD CleanGenius on your computer and complete the installation.

Step 2: Run the software. Click "Optimization," and then select "File Showing."

select the file showing option

Step 3: Select the drive with a corrupted file system. Check the "Check and fix file system error" option, then click "Execute."

fix file system

Step 4: Wait for the tool to complete the repair process. Afterwards, click on the "here" button to scan the drive.

fix file system

Solution 5: Utilize Data Recovery Software to Access the Files

Corrupted files are unable to function correctly, and they can encompass various file types such as images, documents, system files, and more. Often, corrupted files cannot be repaired or accessed. However, you can still attempt to utilize tools like the Data Recovery Wizard to scan the affected location and recover as many files as possible. The Data Recovery Wizard offers several notable features:

  • Restore erased, formatted, and inaccessible data in various data loss scenarios.
  • Recover photos, audio, music, and emails efficiently, securely, and comprehensively from any storage device.
  • Retrieve data from the recycle bin, hard disk, memory card, USB flash drive, digital camera, and camcorder.

Give this software a try and access your files right now.

Step 1. Launch the Data Recovery Wizard tool. Select the drive where you lost your files and initiate the scanning process. This software enables you to retrieve lost data from various devices, including HDD, SSD, USB drives, SD cards, pen drives, cameras, and more.

select a location to scan
This HTML code represents an image container with a pop-up effect. The image has an alternative text "select a location to scan," is 700 pixels wide, 466 pixels tall, and its source is "/images/en/data-recovery/drw-pro/screenshots/recover-lost-data-step1.png". The actual image will be displayed when the HTML is rendered in a web page.

Step 2. Browse the full scan results. You can select the file type you need by clicking on the file type filter. The data recovery software supports over 1000 file types, including photos, videos, documents, emails, audio files, and many more.

Select files to recover

Step 3. Select the files you wish to preview. Click "Recover" and choose a storage location to save the retrieved data.

Recover lost data

In conclusion

Regardless of the cause of the "access denied when copying files" error, the solutions provided above are worth attempting. Furthermore, these solutions can also address similar issues such as the "LOCATION IS NOT AVAILABLE error."