Context Menu - Take Ownership

How to Add Take Ownership to the Context Menu in Vista​

   Information

This will add Take Ownership to the Context (right click) menu for all folders, files, and drives in Vista and Windows 7.

Application files, (EX: EXE, CMD, MSI) will still have Run as administrator instead of Take Ownership in the context menu.

When you use take ownership on a folder, it will take ownership of all the files and subfolders inside the folder to.

   Tip

• To manually take ownership of items in Vista, see: How to Take Ownership of a Item in Vista
• To restore TrustedInstaller as the owner for a protected system resource, see: How to Restore TrustedInstaller as Owner of a File in Vista

   Warning

This Take Ownership context menu item needs to be used while logged on to an administrator account for it work.

EXAMPLE: Before and After Context Menus

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STEP ONE

Add or Remove Take Ownership

1. To Add Take Ownership​

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A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.​

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Add_Take_Ownership.reg​

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B) Go to step 3.​

2. To Remove Take Ownership​

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A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.​

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Remove_Take_Ownership.reg​

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3. Click on Save, and save the .reg file to the Desktop.​

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4. Right click on the downloaded .reg file and click on Merge.​

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5. Click on Run, Continue (UAC-Vista) or Yes (UAC-Windows 7), Yes, and OK when prompted.​

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6. When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.​

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   Tip

After you have taking ownership of the file, you may still need to "Allow" your user account "Full Control" of the file before you will have full permission to access it. See steps 11 to 22 in the tutorial below for how.

   Tip

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Take Ownership of file - Vista Forums​

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STEP TWO

How to Use Take Ownership

1. Right click on a folder, file, or drive.​

NOTE: When you use Take Ownership on a folder, it will take ownership of all the files and subfolders within that folder to.​

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   Warning

Do not take ownership of the drive that you have Windows installed on. If you do, you will end up having to reinstall Windows.

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2. Click on Take Ownership. (See Example at top)​

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3. Click on Continue in the UAC prompt.​

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4. You will see a command window pop-up and then go away when it's finished. (See example screenshot below)​

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5. The folder or file has been taken ownership of.​

NOTE:​

A) You can verify from METHOD TWO step 7 here: How to Take Ownership of a Item in Vista​

B) It will have your user name listed as the owner.​

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   Tip

After you have taking ownership of the file, you may still need to "Allow" your user account "Full Control" of the file before you will have full permission to access it. See steps 11 to 22 in the tutorial below for how.

   Tip

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Take Ownership of file - Vista Forums​

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That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Expand the Context (Shortcuts) Menu in Vista
• How to Customize the Context Menu for the Start Menu in Vista
• How to Customize the Send To Context Menu in Vista
• How to Customize the Recycle Bin Context Menu in Vista
• How to Add Encrypt and Decrypt to the Context Menu in Vista
• How to Add and Remove a New Menu Item in Vista
• How to Add COPY TO FOLDER and MOVE TO FOLDER to the Context Menu in Vista
• How to Take Ownership of a Item in Vista
• How to Restore the Search Context Menu Item after Installing the Vista SP1
• How to Add Flip 3D to the Context Menu in Vista
• How to Restore or Remove New from the Context Menu in Vista
• How to Enable or Disable the Context Menu in Vista
• How to Restore or Remove the Security Tab in Vista
• How to Remove or Show Drives in the Vista and Windows 7 "Send To" Context Menu
• How to Add View and Print File Directory to the Context Menu in Vista
• How to Add or Remove Copy as Path from the Vista Context Menu
• How to Add or Remove Send To from the Vista Context Menu
• How to Add or Remove Turn Aero On or Off from the Vista Context Menu
• How to Add System Properties to Computer Context Menu in Vista
• How to Restore TrustedInstaller as Owner of a File in Vista
• How to Restore or Remove "Restore Previous Versions" from the Vista Context Menu
• How to Add Empty Folder and Subfolders to the Vista Context Menu

 

[bukavu]

Hi Bukavu,

What is the name and location of the file that you are trying to delete?

The file may be in use. You might try booting into Safe Mode and see if you can delete it from there. This tutorial will show you how to boot into Safe Mode if needed.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/123496-safe-mode.html

Shawn

Hello there

Its a folder in Program Files located in the C drive

 

[Brink]

Bukavu,

Did you run the uninstall for the program first to see if it would remove the folder in C:\Program Files?

Give Safe Mode a try to see if it will let you delete the folder from within it.

If not and since you have the 32 bit Vista, you can use the free program called Unlocker on it, then delete it. You will find it listed here:

http://www.vistax64.com/software/115872-free-software-list-vista.html

Shawn

 

[bukavu]

There was a adobe folder refusing to be deleted, need permission bla bla bla...

let me check the link you give me

 

[sidney1st]

Hi bukavu,
If you don't succeed, try this proggy, it deletes absolutly the undeletable
DelinvFile - Utility for Deleting Invalid Files and Folders

 

[broke]

Very helpful, thanks a lot.

 

[Brink]

Your welcome Broke, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Shawn

 

[neekpee]

Hey Brink, great tutorials!

I have an issue here - I was trying to fix my chkdsk on startup, religiously following your tutorials until I hit the "take ownership"part' segment. Failed to pay attention to the .exe part and how I should be using method 2, not the context menu method. Long story short, I wasn't able to take ownership of autochkdsk.exe and I ended up taking ownership of the entire system32 folder. Is this bad? Any way to "restore" ownership?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Brink]

Hi Neekpee,

Welcome to Vista Forums.

LOL, no problem. It happens. This tutorial will show you how to change the Owner back to TrustedInstaller.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/159360-trustedinstaller-restore-owner.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[merefolly]

Thank you for this, it is just so easy to setup/run.

I have reclaimed over 7gig of my D: partition ............. brilliant.

Jo

 

[Brink]

Your welcome Merefolly, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Shawn

 

[keep_usa]

This is amazing! Now I am starting to like Vista...

Thanks!
Keep_usa

 

[Brink]

Your welcome Keep_USA, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Shawn

 

[roach_779]

Awsome tool! It did the job of owning XP users files via Vista.

Now my problem. I wanted to run a program using XP, so I re installed HD with XP, but it seems XP lost ownership of users file (admin) and won't allow me run programs.

Is there a way to remove user file ownership under Vista or other methods?

Thanks

 

[Brink]

Hi Roach,

Usually you will need to install the program you want to run in the OS of choice. Copying it from another OS will usually not work. What kind of user files are these? It depends on what kind of files these are on how easy it will be to allow XP to access them again. Can you copy them from Vista over to a folder in XP?


It may be best to set up a dual boot with Vista on one drive or partition and XP on another drive/partition. This way you can install the programs on the separate OS's and run them when you like without messing with the ownership of the files.

Hope this helps some,
Shawn

 

[roach_779]

Hi Roach,

Usually you will need to install the program you want to run in the OS of choice. Copying it from another OS will usually not work. What kind of user files are these? It depends on what kind of files these are on how easy it will be to allow XP to access them again. Can you copy them from Vista over to a folder in XP?


It may be best to set up a dual boot with Vista on one drive or partition and XP on another drive/partition. This way you can install the programs on the separate OS's and run them when you like without messing with the ownership of the files.

Hope this helps some,
Shawn

The files I'm trying to access are located in "Documents and Settings" from my old XP which is stored in an old HD. Actually, I wanted to run a program that are only available in XP, but since I took ownership of files/folders using Vista, XP programs wont run. I guess XP programs can't write temp files in Documents and Settings because its owned by Vista. I might resolve problem, if I can only use the same "ownership script" I use in Vista for XP.

As far as dual boot is concern, I am completely going all Vista 64. I just want to run a program one time.


Also note, I converted old HD with XP into an external drive. I plan to eventually wipe disk (after I grab everything I need) and convert drive into a backup drive.

Thanks

 

[Brink]

Roach,

I'm not sure if you will be able to get to work again in XP, but try changing the Owner to the Administrators or System group to see if it will allow you access afterwards.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/67717-take-ownership-file.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[roach_779]

Using Administration worked in gaining access to locked files. It was hidden, so I had to unhide it.

I thought an account I created with Admin was the same level as default Administration. I didn't know Administration had even a higher power. Shows you what I know.

Thanks!

 

[Brink]

Roach,

I'm glad to hear that you got it sorted. Thank you for the feedback.

Shawn

 

[peong]

Hi tried, but only can change the filename, system still not allows me to rename the file extension. I received a message like this: "If you change a file extension, the file may become unusable."
Why?:eek:

 

[Brink]

Hi Peong,

Welcome to Vista Forums.

What is the file extension that you are trying to change (rename), and what file extension are you trying to change it to?

Shawn