How to Change File Permissions in Windows 11

To change file permissions in Windows 11, right-click the file or folder, select Properties, and open the Security tab. Select Edit, choose the user or group in the list (or select Add to add one), tick Allow or Deny next to the permissions you want, and select OK. If Windows says you don’t have permission to make changes, take ownership of the item first through Advanced > Owner > Change.

Applies to: Windows 11 Home and Pro, for files and folders on NTFS drives. The steps also work in Windows 10.

Understand the permission levels

The Security tab lists six basic permissions. Each one includes the ones below it in this list, so you rarely need to tick more than one box.

• Full control: everything, including changing permissions and taking ownership. Give this only to administrators and the file’s owner.
• Modify: read, change and delete the file or folder. This is the right level for someone who edits documents with you.
• Read & execute: open files and run programs, but not change them.
• List folder contents: see what’s inside a folder (folders only).
• Read: open and view files.
• Write: create new files and add data, but not delete existing ones.

A Deny entry always wins over an Allow entry. If someone can’t open a file even though you allowed it, check whether a group they belong to has a Deny tick.

Change permissions for an existing user or group

1. In File Explorer, right-click the file or folder and select Properties.
2. Select the Security tab.
3. Select Edit. Approve the User Account Control prompt if asked.
4. Under Group or user names, select the account to change, such as your user name or Users.
5. Under Permissions, tick Allow for the access you want to give, or Deny to block it.
6. Select Apply, then OK.

For a folder, the change applies to everything inside it that inherits permissions.

Give permissions to a new user

1. Open Properties > Security > Edit.
2. Select Add.
3. Type the user name, such as another account on the PC, or Everyone, and select Check Names. Windows underlines the name when it finds it.
4. Select OK, then tick the permissions for that user and select OK.

To remove a user’s access, select them in the Edit window and select Remove. If Remove is grayed out, the permission is inherited; see the next section.

Change inherited permissions

Files and folders normally copy (inherit) permissions from the folder they’re in, which is why some boxes on the Security tab are greyed out. To set different permissions:

1. Open Properties > Security > Advanced.
2. Select Disable inheritance.
3. Choose Convert inherited permissions into explicit permissions on this object to keep the current ones and edit them.
4. Edit or remove entries in the list, then select OK.

To apply a folder’s permissions to everything inside it, select Replace all child object permission entries with inheritable permission entries from this object in the same window before selecting OK. To undo it later, open Advanced again and select Enable inheritance.

Take ownership of a file or folder

If you see “You don’t have permission” or Edit is grayed out, your account isn’t the owner. You need an administrator account to take ownership.

1. Open Properties > Security > Advanced.
2. Next to Owner, select Change.
3. Type your user name, select Check Names, and select OK.
4. For a folder, select Replace owner on subcontainers and objects.
5. Select Apply and OK, then close and reopen Properties to edit permissions.

Change permissions with Command Prompt

For many files at once, use an admin Command Prompt (right-click Start > Terminal (Admin)):

• Take ownership: takeown /f "D:\Projects" /r /d y
• Give a user full control: icacls "D:\Projects" /grant YourUserName:F /t
• Give read-only access: icacls "D:\Projects" /grant YourUserName:R /t
• Reset to inherited defaults: icacls "D:\Projects" /reset /t

Replace the path and user name with your own. The /t switch applies the change to every file and subfolder.

Things to avoid

• Don’t change permissions on Windows system folders such as C:\Windows or C:\Program Files. Windows and apps rely on them, and changes can break updates.
• Don’t remove SYSTEM or Administrators from your own folders. Backup and security tools need them.
• Use sharing settings for network access. To let others on your network open a folder, use Properties > Sharing. Both the share and the Security tab must allow access.

Common situations

Give another user on the PC access to a folder

Open the folder’s Security tab, select Edit > Add, type the person’s account name, select Check Names and then OK. Tick Modify under Allow and select Apply.

Make a file read-only for everyone

For a quick fix, right-click the file, select Properties and tick Read-only on the General tab. This only stops accidental edits; anyone can untick it. To enforce it, remove Modify and Write for the Users group on the Security tab.

Copy files and keep their permissions

Files you copy normally take the permissions of the destination folder. Files you move within the same drive keep theirs. To copy and keep the original permissions, use Robocopy in Terminal: robocopy "C:\Source" "D:\Destination" /E /COPY:DATS. The S copies the security settings.

Troubleshooting

There’s no Security tab

The file is on a drive formatted as FAT32 or exFAT, such as many USB sticks and SD cards. These formats don’t support permissions. Copy the file to an NTFS drive, usually your C: drive, if you need permissions.

Access is denied even as an administrator

Take ownership first, then grant your account Full control. If the file is in use, close the app using it or restart the PC.

Permissions keep changing back

The item inherits permissions from its parent folder, or a sync app like OneDrive is resetting them. Disable inheritance or change the parent folder’s permissions instead.

I locked myself out with Deny

Sign in with another administrator account, take ownership, and remove the Deny entry. Or run icacls "path" /reset /t from an admin Command Prompt.

Frequently asked questions

Does Windows 11 Home have file permissions?

Yes. The Security tab works the same in Home and Pro.

Can I password protect a folder with permissions?

Permissions control which Windows accounts can open a folder; they don’t add a password. For that, use one of the ways to put a password on a folder in Windows 11.

How do I check if I’m an administrator?

Follow the steps for checking admin rights; they are the same in Windows 11.

Still getting permission errors? Try fixing administrator permission errors in Windows 11. On Windows 10, read about changing file and folder permissions in Windows 10.