How do I get permissions to delete files on Windows 7?
Problem
I updated my laptop's OS from Windows XP to Windows 7. There are some leftover files from Windows XP on the computer now. If I try deleting them I get the following error: You need permission to perform this action. You require permission from S-1-.... to make changes to this folder. What's weird is that I am logged in with the only user account on this machine and I have administrator privileges. I tried turning UAC off, but I still can't delete the files. How can I force removal of these files?
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1 Fix
Fix for: How do I get permissions to delete files on Windows 7?
It's possible that by upgrading, the old XP user was not converted well to Windows 7 - therefore these files are owned by a phantom user. You can follow the steps below: Take ownership of the files. Start a Command Prompt (cmd) as an administrator, and enter: Give yourself full rights on the file: can be used with wildcards and directory traversal. See also: Security from the command line with CACLS CACLS command For a more evolved Visual Basic script see: Xcacls.vbs to modify NTFS permissions.
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