How to fix "You require permission from SYSTEM to make changes" in Windows?

"You require permission from SYSTEM to make changes to this folder" means the folder belongs to the SYSTEM account, so even an administrator may only read it. For old folders on a second drive, take ownership and give Administrators full control. For Windows.old, Store apps and running programs, Windows has a safer tool.

Facts checked on 15 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 25H2 and 26H2 and Windows 10 22H2.

What "You require permission from SYSTEM to make changes to this folder" means

File Explorer shows this window when you try to delete, rename or move an item that your account is not allowed to change. You first see a request for administrator permission. After you select Continue, a second window says:

Folder Access Denied
You need permission to perform this action
You require permission from SYSTEM to make changes to this folder

• SYSTEM is the built-in account that Windows and its services run as. It is not a person and has no password.
• The message names the owner. Windows tells you whose permission is needed. Here it is SYSTEM. Other versions name TrustedInstaller, Administrators or another user.
• Being an administrator is not enough. On such items the Security tab gives SYSTEM Full control and Administrators only Read, often with every box greyed out.
• For a file the window is called File Access Denied and the last line ends in "to make changes to this file". The cause and the fixes are the same.

Users on Microsoft's forum describe exactly this: they are the only user and the administrator, SYSTEM already has a tick for full access, and every box is grey. Changing the owner is the step that unlocks those boxes, and Microsoft's takeown page says so: it lets an administrator recover access to a file that was denied by making the administrator its owner.

Why Windows asks for permission from SYSTEM: the causes, most common first

Most often the item is a leftover of another Windows installation. Less often it belongs to a Store app or a game, or a running program holds it open. Rarely it is a part of the Windows you are running, and then it should stay where it is.

How to fix "You require permission from SYSTEM to make changes"

Look at the path in the address bar of File Explorer first, then use the table below. Fix 1 works for most readers, because most of them are cleaning old folders from a second drive.

Fix 1. Take ownership and give Administrators full control with takeown and icacls

2 minutesRead the warningThe folder is a leftover on a second drive or an old disk, and you are sure you no longer need it.

The message appears because SYSTEM is the owner and Administrators may only read. takeown makes the Administrators group the owner, and icacls then gives that group full control, so File Explorer can delete or change the items.

1. In File Explorer, click the address bar of the folder above the one you want to change and copy the full path.
2. Select Start, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. Select Yes in the User Account Control window.
3. Run the first command below with your own path in quotes. It makes the Administrators group the owner of the folder and of everything in it.
4. Wait for the lines that start with SUCCESS. A large old Windows folder can take several minutes.
5. Run the second command. It gives the Administrators group full control. *S-1-5-32-544 is the fixed ID of that group, so it works in every language of Windows.
6. Check the last line, for example Successfully processed 1520 files; Failed processing 0 files.
7. Delete the folder in File Explorer, or run the third command to remove it with everything in it.

Take ownership, give full control, then delete (replace the path):

takeown /f "D:\Windows" /a /r /d y
icacls "D:\Windows" /grant *S-1-5-32-544:F /t /c
rd /s /q "D:\Windows"

• /a gives ownership to the Administrators group instead of only your account.
• /r goes through all subfolders. /d y answers yes for folders you cannot even list, and Microsoft notes it replaces their rights with full control for you.
• /t applies the grant to all files and subfolders. /c keeps going when one file fails, so one locked file does not stop the rest.

Fix 2. Change the owner and permissions in File Explorer

5 minutesLow riskYou prefer windows to commands, or only one file or a small folder shows the message.

This is the same change as Fix 1, made in the Security tab. As long as SYSTEM is the owner, the permission boxes stay grey, so the owner must change first.

1. Right-click the folder or file and select Properties. Open the Security tab and select Advanced.
2. Next to Owner: SYSTEM, select Change.
3. Type Administrators, select Check Names, then OK.
4. For a folder, tick Replace owner on subcontainers and objects. Select Apply and OK in each window, then close Properties.
5. Open Properties > Security again. The boxes are no longer grey. Select Edit.
6. Select Administrators, tick Full control under Allow and select Apply, then OK.
7. Try to delete or change the item again.

Fix 3. Remove Windows.old and Windows setup folders with Disk Cleanup

5 to 15 minutesLow riskThe folder is C:\Windows.old, C:\$WINDOWS.~BT or C:\$Windows.~WS, left after an upgrade or a reinstall.

These folders are protected on purpose, because Windows uses them to go back to the previous version. Disk Cleanup removes them as SYSTEM, so you never need to change their rights.

1. Type disk cleanup in the search box on the taskbar and open Disk Cleanup. Choose drive C: and select OK.
2. Select Clean up system files, choose C: again and select OK.
3. Tick Previous Windows installation(s) and Temporary Windows installation files if they are listed.
4. Select OK, then Delete files, and confirm.
5. Restart the PC and check that the folders are gone.

In Windows 11 the same entries are under Settings > System > Storage > Temporary files. More ways to free space: Free up disk space and delete temporary files.

Fix 4. Uninstall Store apps and Xbox games instead of deleting their folders

5 minutesLow riskThe path contains WindowsApps, ProgramData\Packages or AppData\Local\Packages, or it is a Game Pass or Xbox game folder.

Store apps and Xbox games are registered with Windows, and their folders are owned by SYSTEM and TrustedInstaller. Deleting the files leaves the registration behind. Uninstalling removes both.

1. Select Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps (Windows 10: Apps & features).
2. Find the app or game, select the three dots next to it and select Uninstall.
3. Restart the PC, then check whether the folder is gone.
4. If the game was installed to another drive and its folder is still there, open the Xbox app, install the same game to the same folder, then uninstall it again from Settings.

A user on Microsoft's forum deleted such folders as SYSTEM, and the command reported no error. The folders under WindowsApps and the two Packages paths were still there afterwards. That is why uninstalling comes first.

Fix 5. Close the program or service that holds the file

5 minutesLow riskThe folder belongs to an antivirus, a backup program, a driver tool or another program that runs in the background.

Background services run as SYSTEM and keep their files open. While a file is open, Windows refuses changes even after you take ownership.

1. Press Win + R, type resmon and press Enter to open Resource Monitor.
2. Open the CPU tab and type the folder or file name into the search box of Associated Handles.
3. Note the program in the Image column. That program has the file open.
4. If it is a program you want to remove, uninstall it from Settings > Apps > Installed apps. Its own uninstaller removes the protected folder. Step by step: Uninstall a program or app in Windows.
5. If you want to keep the program, close it or stop its service, then try again.

Fix 6. Delete the folder in Safe Mode

10 minutesLow riskA service or program starts again and locks the files each time, or Fix 1 reported files in use.

Safe Mode starts Windows with only the basic drivers and services, so most programs that hold the files are not running. The SYSTEM rights do not change, so run Fix 1 or Fix 2 in Safe Mode if the message still appears.

1. Open Settings > System > Recovery and select Restart now next to Advanced startup. Or hold Shift while you select Restart.
2. Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
3. Press 4 or F4 for Enable Safe Mode.
4. Sign in, then delete the folder, or run the commands from Fix 1 in Command Prompt as administrator.
5. Restart the PC normally.

Full steps, also for a PC that does not start: Start Windows or a Mac in Safe Mode.

Fix 7. Run Command Prompt as SYSTEM with Microsoft PsExec

10 minutesRead the warningA leftover folder that is not part of the running Windows still refuses every other fix.

PsExec is a free Microsoft Sysinternals tool. With -s it opens Command Prompt as the SYSTEM account itself, so the owner of the folder is the one who deletes it. A Microsoft Independent Advisor suggested this on Microsoft's forum.

1. Download PsTools from Microsoft's Sysinternals page and extract it, for example to C:\Tools.
2. Open Command Prompt as administrator and run cd C:\Tools.
3. Run PsExec64.exe -s cmd.exe and accept the licence. A new prompt opens.
4. Run whoami. It must show nt authority\system. If it shows your own name, you are not in the SYSTEM prompt yet.
5. Run rd /s /q "D:\Windows" with your own path, then type exit.

If Windows still asks for permission from SYSTEM

• See who owns the item now. Run icacls "path" in Command Prompt. The list shows every account and its rights; (F) is full control. If Administrators lacks (F), Fix 1 did not reach that file.
• Check the drive. Files on a disk with errors can refuse every change. Run chkdsk D: /f for that drive. Step by step: Check a disk for errors (chkdsk).
• A drive that is read only. A USB stick with a lock switch, a disk set to read only or a network share gives a similar refusal. Check the switch, or the rights on the server.
• Work or school PC. An administrator may block changes on purpose. Ask the IT department, and do not try Fix 7 there.
• The file comes back. A folder that returns after deletion, under a name you do not know, can belong to unwanted software. Scan the PC: How to scan for malware with Microsoft Defender.

How to avoid the SYSTEM permission message next time

• Format an old system disk instead of deleting folders. If you reuse a disk that held Windows, back up what you need and format it. That removes all old rights at once.
• Remove programs and games through Settings. Their uninstallers clean their own protected folders.
• Let Windows remove Windows.old. Disk Cleanup and Storage settings do it without any change of rights.
• Do not take ownership of whole drives. Change one folder at a time, and only folders you no longer need.
• Keep your own files in your user folder or a data folder you created. Those folders give your account full control from the start.

Frequently asked questions

What does "You require permission from SYSTEM" mean?

It means the file or folder is owned by SYSTEM, the built-in account that Windows and its services run as, and your account has no right to change it. Being an administrator does not help, because the rights on such items often give Administrators only read access. The message is a protection, not an error in the file. For a folder you no longer need, take ownership with takeown and give Administrators full control with icacls (Fix 1). For Windows folders, use Windows' own tools.

How do I get permission from SYSTEM to make changes to a folder?

You do not ask SYSTEM. You make Administrators the owner instead. Open Command Prompt as administrator and run takeown /f "path" /a /r /d y, then icacls "path" /grant *S-1-5-32-544:F /t /c. The first command changes the owner, the second gives full control. Microsoft notes that after takeown you may still need to give yourself full rights, which is what the second command does. The same can be done in Properties > Security > Advanced, as Fix 2 shows.

Why do I need permission from SYSTEM when I am the administrator?

An administrator can take control of any file, but does not have it by default. Windows protects its own files and old system folders by giving full control only to SYSTEM or TrustedInstaller. Your account can read them and can change the owner, and that is all. This stops a program you run from quietly deleting parts of Windows. Once you change the owner to Administrators and add full control, your account can do what it wants with that one folder.

Is "You need permission from SYSTEM" the same message?

Yes. People remember it in different words: "You need permission from SYSTEM", "You require permission from SYSTEM" or just "need permission from SYSTEM". The window itself says "You need permission to perform this action" on the first line and "You require permission from SYSTEM to make changes to this folder" on the second. On some PCs the account name is missing and the line reads "You require permission from to make changes". The cause and the fixes on this page are the same.

How do I fix "You require permission from SYSTEM" on Windows 10?

The steps are the same on Windows 10 22H2 and Windows 11. takeown and icacls work on both, and the Security tab looks the same. Only two paths differ: on Windows 10 uninstall apps under Settings > Apps > Apps & features, and open Disk Cleanup from the search box for Windows.old. Windows 10 left support on 14 October 2025. If you are cleaning a drive after moving to Windows 11, Fix 1 and Fix 3 are the ones you need.

Can I delete Windows.old if it says I need permission from SYSTEM?

Yes, but not by changing its rights. Use Disk Cleanup > Clean up system files > Previous Windows installation(s), or Settings > System > Storage > Temporary files in Windows 11 (Fix 3). Windows then removes the folder itself. Once it is gone, you cannot go back to the previous version of Windows from Settings > System > Recovery. So keep it until you are sure the new version works. If Disk Cleanup does not list it, the folder is older and Fix 1 can remove it.

Is it safe to take ownership of a folder owned by SYSTEM?

For a leftover folder on a second drive, yes: nothing runs from it any more. For folders of the Windows you are running, no. Taking over C:\Windows, C:\Program Files, WindowsApps or System Volume Information changes rights that updates, Store apps and System Restore rely on. Windows will not always repair them on its own. Change one folder at a time, never a whole drive, and only when you know what the folder is.

Does enabling the hidden Administrator account fix it?

Usually not. The built-in Administrator account is a member of the same Administrators group, and the folder still gives that group only read rights. It may skip the extra User Account Control question, which is why some guides suggest it. But the SYSTEM ownership stays. Leaving that account turned on also adds a powerful account without a password prompt. Use Fix 1 from your own account instead, and turn the account off again with net user administrator /active:no if you turned it on.

What about "You require permission from TrustedInstaller"?

It is the same kind of protection with a different owner. TrustedInstaller is the Windows Modules Installer service, which owns most files in C:\Windows and WindowsApps. Fix 1 and Fix 2 work the same way for a TrustedInstaller folder on an old drive. On the Windows you are running, leave TrustedInstaller files alone: they are the files Windows Update replaces. If such a file is damaged, repair it with SFC and DISM instead: Run DISM and SFC to repair Windows system files.