Error 5 Access Is Denied in Windows 10 [Best 7 Fixes]

If you’re a Windows 10 user, chances are you’ve encountered the error message Error 5 Access is Denied at least once. This frustrating error can occur when trying to perform a specific task on your computer, such as installing a program or accessing a folder.

Different error codes can accompany the message, typically indicating that your user account doesn’t have the necessary permissions to perform the action.

Fortunately, there are several ways to fix this error, and in this article, we’ll explore the best 7 fixes to help you regain control and get back to using your computer without any interruptions.

What is error 5 Access Denied on Windows 10?

Error 5 Access Denied on Windows 10 typically means that the current user does not have sufficient privileges to execute a certain command or perform a specific action.

Many factors can cause this error; the most common causes are listed below.

• User account control (UAC) settings: UAC is a security feature that prevents unauthorized changes to your computer. If your UAC settings are too strict, it can cause access-denied errors.
• Administrative privileges: Some tasks require administrative privileges to perform. You may encounter the error if you’re not logged in as an administrator.
• Corrupted system files: Corrupted files can cause access denied errors when trying to access or modify them.
• Antivirus or firewall settings: Your antivirus or firewall software can block certain actions or prevent access to specific files or folders, causing access denied errors.
• Ownership and permissions: If the ownership or permissions for specific folders are not set correctly, you may encounter access-denied errors.
• File or folder in use: If a file or folder is currently in use by another program or process, you may not be able to modify or delete it until the program or process releases it.

How can I fix the access denied error?

1. Take ownership of the folder

1. Right-click on the file or folder giving this error and select Properties.
   
2. Select the Security tab and click on the Advanced option.
   
3. You will see a field at the top of your window with the label Owner, the message displayed will likely be Unable to display current owner; to fix this, click the blue Change link.
   
4. In the Enter the object name to select box, input the account name of the new folder owner, hit Check Names to make sure it is correct, and then click OK.
   
5. If you want the changes you made to apply to all folders inside the current one, click the box next to the Replace all child object permission entries with inheritable permission entries from this object option at the bottom.
   
6. Verify to know if this solution fixed the problem.

2. Verify folder permissions

1. Right-click on the file or folder giving this error and select Properties.
   
2. Select the Security tab, choose an entry from the list of users, click the Edit button to change permission as required, and click OK.
   
3. Now check to see if this solution helped to fix the problem.

3. Set your account as an administrator

1. Press Windows + R simultaneously, type control userpasswords2, and hit Enter.
   
2. Check the box next to Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer, choose your account and select Properties.
   
3. Click the Group Membership tab, select Administrator, choose Apply, and finally, press OK.
   
4. Now reboot your PC and check if the problem has been solved.

4. Disable ransomware protection

1. Press the Windows + I keys simultaneously and select Update & Security.
   
2. Select Windows Security and choose Virus & threat protection.
   
3. Select the Manage ransomware protection option.
   
4. Disable the toggle under the Controlled folder access option.
   
5. Check to see if the problem has been fixed.

5. Disable file encryption

1. Right-click on the file or folder giving this error and select Properties.
   
2. On the General tab, select the Advanced button.
   
3. On the Advanced Attributes window, uncheck the box next to the Encrypt contents to secure data option.
   

6. Disable User Account Control

1. Type uac in the search bar and click Open.
   
2. Bring the slider down and click OK.
   
3. Follow solution 1 to take ownership of the folder and check if the problem has been fixed.
4. Reset the UAC settings to how they were to protect your PC.

7. Close and reinstall Google Drive

1. Hold Ctrl + Shift + Esc simultaneously to open the task manager.
2. Find all Google drive processes, right-click on them, and select End task to close them.
   
3. After ending the Google drive processes, uninstall them.
4. Hold Windows + R simultaneously, input %localappdata%Google, and hit Enter.
   
5. Look for the drive folder and change the name to Drive.old.
6. Reinstall your Google drive and check if the problem has been fixed.

Following the solutions listed in this article, you can effectively resolve the error 5 access is denied issue and regain access to your files and applications.

Remember that each solution is different and may work better for different situations, so it is important to try all of them to find the one that works best for you