Puzzled by sizes of Windows Apps folders on my desktops

Mcd,

Thanks for being Johnny-on-the-spot with that link. I couldn't remember the set of steps, because it's been ages since I did that reversal of ownership, and I could only suggest that he check for a Brink tutorial. I followed your link and found the instructions there perfectly simple and clear.

Dan

Hey there,

The link Mcd posted in #11 covers this situation: the author says, "Keep in mind that this works for system files as well as for system folders. Also, don't forget to check the "Replace owner on the subcontainers and objects" and "Replace all child object permission entries with inheritable permission entries from this object" options, if you previously changed these settings on system folders."

The instructions in that page are very clear. If you open that Web page and leave it open while you go to File Explorer and navigate to Windows Apps, you can follow the steps by using the icons in the taskbar to jump back and forth. What you will be doing is manually changing the ownership of the folder back to Trusted Installer. Be sure to follow all of the instructions, step by step.

Your suggestion, "I am thinking that if I run the Remove_Take_Ownership.reg file then this will add it to the context menu ..." will only remove the Take Ownership item from your context menus; it won't have any effect on your folders. You might want to take ownership of a file or folder some time in the future, so I'd leave it in the context menus and not use it until you actually need it.

This is important: Don't start tinkering again -- even with excellent instructions at hand -- until you make a system backup. I'd use Macrium Reflect Free to image the disk your Windows system is on. Put the image on a second internal disk if you have one, or on an external disk if you have that. Then if you slip (but I'm sure you won't), you're insured.

Dan

Good thinking. Good luck.

Dan

I'm sorry you've hit a snag, but I'm glad you made that backup. Restoring is a snap with MR.

Just a thought, though: since your posts just after you took ownership revealed none of the problems you cite in #18, and since you did fiddle around inside the Properties of Windows Apps (even though you cancelled part way through), before you restore the whole C: drive, it might be worth navigating to Windows Apps again and using the Take Ownership command in the context menu. If you try that and it succeeds and if the warnings and pop-ups stop, you're good to go. I'm absolutely certain that many Win10 users have taken ownership of Windows Apps -- as have I -- and experienced no complaints from Windows. I'm not pushing this idea; just suggesting that it's an option.