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Rizone TakeOwnership Extension – Right Click to Take Ownership of Files
Microsoft has tightened up security in Windows Vista and 7 by disallowing access to critical system files using a Unix like permission system. While this is great for the average user because it helps protect them from viruses and themselves preventing them from being able to accidentally delete a critical system file. It isn’t so great for a Computer Technician who may need to access those areas.
Even if your user account is set to be an Administrator, there are many files and folders you cannot access including something as simple as changing the Start Menu under Windows 7. If you try, you will get an “Access Denied” error because SYSTEM owns this folder, not your user account. While there is a round-about way to assign yourself permission of these files, its a little long winded.
This is where Rizone’s “Take Ownership” Extension comes in. It is a small, freeware and portable application that will add a “Take Ownership” option to your right click context menu. Just right click on the file or folder you want to be able to access, and choose “Take Ownership” and it will assign you the necessary rights.
Screenshots:
Downloads:
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I tried this with regard to editing the HOSTS file in Windows7 and I still get that I don’t have permissions to make the change error.
Thank you!!! this will save so much time for me. I was actually using linux to do windows 7 repairs just because the permissions were so annoying.
To those asking about returning ownership, you can always manually re-assign ownership once you are finished with the task…
Also, this tool would likely be used in the event malware turned ownership against you – in which case returning ownership wouldn’t be necessary.
Sure I’m overlooking something, but that’s how I look at it. Great tool, thanks for featuring it!
Nice tool – very convenient. I ran it on my machine, but it doesn’t give the option to restore ownership back to windows. I tried a system restore to before I installed Rizone, it did not return ownership back to windows. What if I run it on a client’s machine, it would leave the client’s machine wide open to system files and folders. I would like to see a reverse ownership on an uninstall of this software to put things back to normal. I would feel a lot more comfortable then running it on a client’s machines.
I agree with iciavarella, and logged on to post the same. You can’t easily revert the permissions changes. It would be easier to just open explorer or cmd with elevated privileges.
Of course you can run CMD in windows 7. I use it to ping servers all the time.
Amazing.
I somehow fouled up my operating system fonts (had been doing a lot of design work and installed a lot of odd fonts and then some system fonts were off even though the settings looked correct).
I ran the WinPower’s Repair Font Registrations and in 2 seconds all the font problems were fixed.
I will check this out more.
Thanks!
@Thor where can i get WinPower’s Repair Font Registrations to download?
Sounds like a great repair tool!
If you are under Windows Vista/7 I have found a good work around my self in editing the HOSTS file. All I did was manually go to c:\windows\system32 folder and then find notepad.exe press and hold the CTRL button and then right click on notepad.exe that will give you an option there on the pull down menu to run that program as administrator. Click on Run as Administrator, then on Notepad click on Open, there type:
c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts and press enter
from there you are able to edit HOSTS, where you are finished just click on FILE and SAVE, it will SAVE.
At least the current version of TakeOwnership (v0.0.4.48) should not be run on any portion of a W7 file system that contains junction point. It will run in an endless loop, all the while creating bogus ACL’s.
To prove it to yourself, set up a new test user account on a W7 system (which you can delete afterwards).
Now, take a backup of the pre-existing junction points using a tool like JunctionBox:
http://www.iwrconsultancy.co.uk/software/junctionbox/junctionbox.htm
Now run the TakeOwnership tool on that user’s profile (e.g., on the top level folder for that user in the Users directory, for example, since there are plenty of junction points below it).
Note that TakeOwnership is in a loop because it doesn’t know how to traverse junction points. You can stop the tool by clicking the close box on the command prompt.
Now, take another backup using JunctionBox (be sure to name it differently than your first backup). Notice all the new bogus nested “Application Data” directories listed under that user’s profile in the backup. (You can view both the before and after backups in notepad.)
Perhaps the TakeOwnership authors can correct the software in the future and then it can be recommended again.
Neal