If Windows 11 locks you out of your PC, there may be multiple reasons. Here are the five most common reasons.

Are you having trouble accessing specific files, directories, and folders on your Windows 11 computer? If so, you may have seen an "Access Denied" error pop up when trying to browse the system. Encountering this problem can be frustrating, especially when you are the sole owner of the PC and cannot access your files.

An "Access Denied" error occurs when certain operations (including accessing, moving, copying, or deleting files and folders) are performed. In this article, we will show several ways to fix this error and why you keep getting this error.

Access denied error is a common problem on Windows systems, which means that you do not have permission to view files or folders. This is because your system has not yet granted you access to the current user account you are currently using on your computer. In short, you are using an unauthorized account to access paths, folders, and files.

In some cases, ownership issues and file encryption can also cause this error. Your third-party antivirus software may also prohibit access. For example, some programs may mistake the actual installation wizard as a threat, which is usually a false positive detection.

Here are some common fixes for the "Access Denied" error in Windows 11.

Related: How to fix Windows access denied error 0x80070005

So, how do you recover Windows 11 from an access denied error? That's it.

In most cases, you can fix the "Access Denied" error by setting your user account as the computer administrator. Here’s how to set up an account as an administrator:

Antivirus software is necessary to ensure your system is safe and protected from threats and malicious actors. However, it can also cause various errors, such as access denied issues and false threats. For example, many users report that they receive an "Access Denied" error when trying to install certain applications, mainly due to their security procedures.

Related: Is Microsoft Defender the best antivirus software for your PC?

To check if this is also your case, temporarily disable your third-party antivirus program and try to access or install it. If the error does not appear, it may be caused by your antivirus software, and you should consider using other programs to protect your computer. Otherwise, please use the Windows 11 built-in security program Microsoft Defender.

If this does not solve the problem, please proceed to the next repair.

This is a simple solution, you can try to make sure that your account can correctly access the file or folder you are opening. That's it:

Note: If your username is not in the list, you must manually add it and then change its permissions.

Related: How to change application permissions in Windows 10

Your Windows 11 system has a hidden administrator account with more permissions than ordinary accounts. You can enable this feature to access files, folders, and paths that are restricted to ordinary users. Please follow the steps below:

Note: Switching back to your main account will cause the error to reappear. If you need constant access to files, use the hidden administrator account to make the necessary changes to your system and fix ownership or access issues.

As mentioned earlier, "Access Denied" errors sometimes stem from ownership issues. If this is the cause of your problem, taking ownership of the file can provide you with the required access right away. That's it:

In addition to manual execution, you can also use the command prompt to obtain ownership of the file. If you prefer to type commands, follow the steps below.

Note: You need to replace the "path_to_folder" part with the actual path of the inaccessible file or folder.

Restart the computer after completing the above steps to check whether the problem is resolved. But generally, after running these commands, you should be able to access files and folders.

Resolving the "Access Denied" error is simple and does not require many technical steps. You can solve this problem by taking ownership and granting user permissions. Essentially, you need to use the system's administrator account to access files and folders, and everything goes well. Or, use an administrator account to change ownership to your primary account. It's all up to you.

Did you know that Windows has a built-in administrator account that is disabled by default? This is what you should know.

Kim is a technical writer with a passion for animal welfare and the environment. She is a writer by day and a reader by night. She is happy to acquire new knowledge. She is an experienced researcher and advertising supervisor. In another world, she is a professional model.

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