“You don’t currently have permission to access this folder.” issue.

Troubleshooting “You Don’t Have Permission to Access This Folder” Errors When Transferring Data from External Drives

Transferring data from old hardware can sometimes lead to unexpected permission issues. If you’ve recently connected an external SATA-to-USB drive containing files from an older laptop and are encountering errors such as “You don’t have permission to access this folder,” along with prompts to “Click Continue to permanently get access,” you’re not alone. This guide offers a comprehensive approach to resolve these access issues and successfully recover your valuable files.

Understanding the Issue

When connecting an old hard drive to a new computer, Windows may restrict access due to permissions set on the original system. Common scenarios include:

• Attempting to access user data such as documents, game files, pictures, or videos stored under a user profile from a previous system.
• Encountering permission denial even after clicking “Continue” in the security prompt.
• The ability to access certain folders (e.g., game data) but not personal user folders like “NEC” under the Users directory.

Step-by-Step Solutions

1. Run Windows with Administrative Privileges

Begin by ensuring you are logged in as an administrator, which provides higher privileges needed for folder access.

• Right-click on the folder or drive in File Explorer.
• Select Properties.
• Navigate to the Security tab.
• Click Advanced.

2. Take Ownership of the Folder

Ownership permission might be the root cause of access denial. To take ownership:

• In the Advanced Security Settings window, click Change next to the Owner.
• Enter your current user account name.
• Click Check Names to validate.
• Press OK to assign the ownership.

After reclaiming ownership:

• Back in the Permissions tab, select your user account.
• Check Full control under Allow.
• Click Apply, then OK.

3. Grant Permissions to Your User Account

• Return to the folder’s Security tab.
• Click Edit.
• Select your user account from the list.
• Check the box for Full control.
• Click Apply and OK.

This process often resolves persistent permission issues.

4. Use the Command Prompt for Elevated Permissions

If GUI methods don’t work, utilize the Command Prompt:

• Press Windows + X and choose **Command Prompt