Bypassing security on old files in Windows

Factual Questions
1

Sorry the title isn’t more… specific, it’s a somewhat odd problem.

I have some files and directories on external/backup hard drives that were apparently made with some odd permissions during a previous windows install. I’m not sure why this happens, I notice that it’s usually related to the files being extracted from a .zip generated on a Macintosh computer, but not always (my current problem is an old cygwin installation). This makes deleting or rearranging these files impossible, it prompts me to give administrator permissions to make changes (including copying/deleting), but then when I do it proceeds to complain that I’m not user S-15-<etc>, which I assume is the hash, ID, encryption key, or similar of my account on the previous install. The security tab for the folder/file doesn’t seem to let me alter permissions.

Now, obviously this is a security thing, and security wouldn’t be very good if I could just easily change the permissions on another user’s protected files, but can anyone think of anything short of formatting the drive that I can do to get rid of these files? The command prompt doesn’t seem to work either. Any utilities that can break built-in windows security over their knee?

ETA: Mods, I’m not doing anything illegal, but I understand if you want to lock this due to being about breaking computer security.

ETA2: Woah, I didn’t see this thread on the front page. Maybe the same solution will work for me. We’ll see.

2

this gets rid of files and i think is powerfull
Malwarebytes : Remove any locked file with FileASSASSIN

3

I had problems deleting a file for completely different reasons (system thought file was in use when it really was not) and was referred to a utility called LockHunter. It worked for me. YMMV.

4

People have mentioned unlockers. I guess they may also be security removers, but they tend to be deleters… reason being to delete unwanted programs, when programs lock the files, and restore the file security to the programs wishes …

SO What if the OP doesn’t want to delete ?
He just wants to change the security .
Security includes

  • owner … set it to a current owner.
  • DOS RSH (readonly, system, hidden) security settings… remove them… setting these on a directory will prompt for making it recursive to all files…
  • ACL security, who can do what (user can read, group can write… etc)… its called an ACL because its a LIST … an infintiely long amount of details about who can do what.

Now you find that you must be the owner to adjust the ACL.
And that the DOS “RSH” security can block other changes too

So there is a way to set security back to normal… its just not one step… Windows doesn’t yet provide a single screen/wizard for saying “please normalise this directory tree’s security”…

5

Try: