Windows 10 permissions is doing my head in

Hi

I have recently decided to start using Windows 10 rather than Windows 7 -- and I'm starting to really wonder if it was a wise move. The reason??? Permissions. I wrote a text file earlier today and tried saving it where I have placed all such files for the last 15-20 years. But no, windows decided I don't have permission to save to that location. Instead it asked me if I wanted to place it in my Documents folder. I said yes. However, yet again it told me I do not have permission and asked me again if I wanted to place it in my Documents folder -- and yes I was was caught in a loop. Easy enough to drop out of thankfully but somehow I managed to find a drive I could save my file to. Now I am trying to work out just what I can save to where.

Does anyone have an easy-to-follow tutorial that may explain exactly what Windows 10 permissions are all about? Quite frankly I am so close to giving up on Windows 10 as I am finding the subject of permission so damned frustrating and confusing. Why have MS made permissions bloody difficult to understand, and as for taking ownership!!! Can't they understand that for many user its a very scary subject. I don't consider myself a bimbo when it comes to using a PC but Windows 10 really is beginning to get to me big time. So I ask again is there any easy-to-follow tutorial which explains in easy terms just what the point is of permissions and why they have been made such an important part of computing that the sole user of a PC can't save to particular locations. It just seems so short-sighted and downright stupid. Sorry if I'm sounding off rather but its how I'm feeling just at the moment.

Tracey

The permissions problem is not generic to Windows 10. A couple hundred million people are using Windows 10, including 4 users of a dozen computers on my home network, with no permission problems.

Here is how I would recommend how to fix the permissions problem on your installation of Windows 10:

Create a new local user account:
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/...a.html#option3

NOTE: The new user account can not have the same username as any account already created on the computer. You can look the \users folder (probably on C:\ drive) to see the existing accounts usernames.

Change the new local account to administrator:
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/...dows-10-a.html

Log in to new local account and if desired changed it to a Microsoft account login:
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/...dows-10-a.html

NOTE: If you want to reuse an existing Microsoft account for the new user account, you must first convert the old user account to a local account:
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/...dows-10-a.html

Once you have the new account set up, you can copy over your data files from the \Users\<Username> folder to your new account. First time accessing the old user account will require that you grant administrator access to them. After you are sure you have everything you want from your old account transferred to your new account, then you can delete your old account:
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/...dows-10-a.html

If it's an old drive or used before the permissions will be set to the old admin not you even if name is the same the did won't be

Samuria said:

If it's an old drive or used before the permissions will be set to the old admin not you even if name is the same the did won't be

SID . Autocorrect got you!

lehnerus2000 said:

For example, what's the point of being in the Administrators Group when you still get messages like, "you must be Administrator to perform this action".

That is a protective action that requires the user to acknowledge that it was the user that initiated the action which requires administrative action rather than a virus or malware running posing as the user.

Many thanks for your responses but I seem to be getting nowhere just trying to follow NavyLCDR's guidance.

<Log in to new local account>

How do I log in to the new local account. Each time I enter the username it tells me its already in use and to pick different username. It doesn't help that the process seems to have changed since the tutorials were written - certainly the screen shots are different to what I am getting and thus introducing even more frustration and confusion. It seems that MS have made subtle changes to the process of doing things differently AFTER the tutorials have been written such as subtle but significant changes to the wording of various screens. Not necessarily major changes but enough to frustrate and confuse. I've noticed this on numerous occasions when I've tried to follow various tutorials on this site.

Tracey

Edit: I'm wondering whether I could move/copy all files on a drive to another location that I do have access to and completely reformat it, i.e. a full format as opposed to a quick format, then apply permissions before copying the files back to it. Would there be any merit in doing this particularly as some of the drives are on an SSD. Yes, this would take a long time in view of the size of some of the drives, i.e. 1TB, but would it work?

Hi PJL

Thanks for your response. It seems that yes, I can do both with no problems. The problem comes when I try to save from within an application, in this case Textpad. To put it a different way, I was able to copy AND move the original file I wrote yesterday into the folder that I was not able to directly save into the folder using Textpad. This morning I've also tried saving into the folder using another program (Serif PagePlusX9) and that does not work either. So the problem occurs when I try to save from an application directly into the folder. Perhaps this would give the likes of yourself further clues as to what may be wrong and what I may need to do to correct things. So any ideas?

Some time ago I also added Everyone to my permissions and I've found that this is not necessarily a good idea so I've tried removing them. I succeeded in removing them from the partition security tabs but I can't from the folder permissions as they are greyed out. I therefore need advice about that too I'm afraid. Just how should I go about doing that? If you have any ideas then I would appreciate any advice you may be able to give. Many thanks.

Tracey