How To Move, Delete, and Merge Locked Files On An External Hard Drive in Windows 7

Ahhhhh! Those files won't let you delete or move them. You have hit a roadblock.

“You need to provide administrator permission to delete this folder.”

Or

"You need permission to perform this action."

Or

“You require permission from TrustedInstaller to make changes to this file.”

So you allow the administrator permission, but it does nothing to help you out. You are still at a jam. You still can't delete or move those pesky files.

This scenario was driving me up a wall. I have an external hard drive and had saved three separate computers on it. I wanted to merge all of the files and then work with them at one time rather than go through each saved computer three times.

Here are the steps to gain control over files in directories like “Program Files” or “Windows.” Warning: Do not do this to you working computer’s C: Drive. That would open you up to all sort of malicious vulnerabilities. This is for an external hard drive.

These steps must be done from the administrator’s account.

1) Right click on the folder causing you problems and select “Properties”.

2) Select the “Security” tab.

3) Then click the “Advanced” button in the bottom right.

We will now deal with Ownership Rights that is one of the roadblocks preventing you from manipulating the files. This is to transfer the ownership of those files to you, the administrator.

4) Select the “Owner” tab.

5) Select “edit” and give the user account control permission.

6) Select you, the administrator, as the owner. Next, select the box to “Replace owner on subcontainer and objects.” Select “ok”

Wait for the process to complete and ownership to change. TrustedInstaller will no longer own those files. You will.

Now we will give you permission to you to change the files.

7) Start over, per the instructions after the ownership change.

8) Right click on the folder causing you problems and select “Properties”.

9) Select the “Security” tab.

10)Then click the “Advanced” button in the bottom right.

11) Click the “Change Permissions” button.

12) Select the administrator name in the “Permission Entries” section.

13) Select both boxes at the bottom: “Include inheritable permissions from this object’s parent” and “Replace all child object permissions with inheritable permissions from this object.”

14) Click “OK” and choose “Yes” when asked the security question.

This will take a little while as all the permissions for the objects in the folder are being rewritten.

Only one simple task left. If you want to merge files, you need to change the files from “read-only.”

15) Right click on the folder causing you problems and select “Properties”.

16) Unclick the box marked “read-only” if it is colored. If it is not colored, then you don’t need to do this step.

17) Choose to “apply changes to this folder, subfolders, and files” and choose “ok.”

Wait for it to be done.

Now you are in control of the folder that did not allow you to have control. You can move it, merge it, or delete it.