# Can't change attributes grayed out on folder created in XP



## DBASR (Jun 26, 2017)

I have an old external hard drive that has hidden file folders created on my old Viao laptop, where I ran Windows XP. I have a new laptop now with Windows 10 and I tried showing all hidden files and folders, and It does. The problem is is that when I open the folder it says it's empty, but the properties show that the folder size is 1.12 GB. I right click on the hidden folder and check it's properties, and under attributes, the check box for "hidden" is checked and grayed out so that it can't be un-checked. 

I have already tried: going through the command prompt as administrator and tried"
attrib -h -s "E:\safety\*" d/ s/
I got the error message:
not resetting E:\safety\
not resetting E:\movies\
not resetting E:\music\
not resetting E:\ New Folder\

(...etc with the folder names in that main folder)

I want to gain access to this folder and have the ability to delete any items that are no longer applicable or needed. How do I do that?


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

I found this: How to take ownership and get full access to files and folders in Windows 10.


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## DBASR (Jun 26, 2017)

TerryNet,
thank you for your response. I only have (2) "General" tabs and a tab called "Previous Versions" There's no "security" tab. I'm basically stuck there.


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## DBASR (Jun 26, 2017)

I think I have a bigger problem. I'm in Command prompt and the error says "Access is denied" where "H:" is my external hard drive, when I tried 

C:\Windows\System32>\>H:
Access is denied.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

I'd say to try elevated Command Prompt, but believe you are already in that. Sorry, I have no idea.


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## DBASR (Jun 26, 2017)

Hey TerryNet, I just appreciate you wanting to help me out! thanks!


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

You're welcome.  Good luck.


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## jenae (Mar 17, 2013)

Hi, folders in xp, vista, seven are all read only, their contents however are not, so what you see is by design. Your problem is permissions. If your user account is admin, then go to search and type:- command prompt, right click on the returned command prompt and select "run as administrator" an elevated cmd prompt will open, at the prompt copy paste:-

Takeown /F H: (press enter) you will see the drive H: is now owned by your user name.

Next at the prompt type:-

Icacls H: /grant (Your user name from the first cmd):F (press enter)

(example:- my user name is paul, so the cmd is 
Icacls H: /grant paul:F)

You should receive a success message from both cmds. Restart and try now.


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## DBASR (Jun 26, 2017)

Thanks! but I am trying to change these permissions using a new laptop on Windows 10. Not sure is that is part of the issue, but I tried what you posted and only got this far:










I think this is because the external was set on XP with my old laptop, and my new one has only Windows 10 on it.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Try *Takeown*, not Take*d*own.


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## DBASR (Jun 26, 2017)

Thanks Terry! (I feel dumb) - 
anyhow, here's how that went -


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Hafta wait for jenae. I only do typos.


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## jenae (Mar 17, 2013)

Hi, fat 32 no acl's. Do a chkdsk on the drive use the /F parameter.


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## DBASR (Jun 26, 2017)

Sorry, jenae. How do I do that? I've only done things I've discussed because I searched it online or from this thread. Could you walk me thru it please?


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

In a Command prompt

chkdsk H: /F


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## DBASR (Jun 26, 2017)

I think we are getting somewhere!










now what? are we close?


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## jenae (Mar 17, 2013)

Hi, your laptop is it HP? If so boot to safe mode see if you can copy over from there.


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## LIS333 (Dec 2, 2016)

I've been monitoring this thread and wanted to offer a thought. Do you think converting the drive file system from fat32 to NTFS might help in accessing the folder or at least in changing the permissions?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## texasbullet (Jun 11, 2014)

You may want to check if your hard drive is not partitioned into a GPT.


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## DBASR (Jun 26, 2017)

Jenae, I have an ASUS. 

LIS333 - not sure. I am open to anyone who may be able to answer that question - (I'm not very knowledgeable on that, either) How would changing the drive file system help me? is it because my laptop may only read in NTFS, and not fat32?

texasbullet- I did a little reading on what the GPT partions are, and I don't think this external qualifies since this had drive is less than 2TiB. I did also read about a "system BIOS" and I know for sure that my old viao had this cause I went in it alot to reset things back to factory settings...it also had start up problems towards the end of it's life and I tried going thru the system BIOS then to try to see if there was something I could do to fix it...This was 2010 however, and the machine was already 5 yrs old then.


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## jenae (Mar 17, 2013)

Hi, still try to access in safe mode, OR do a clean boot and try to access then. It is possible to convert fat32 to NTFS, (one of the reason's we had you run a chkdsk) unfortunately you cannot backup the data so there is a risk during the conversion that the data could be lost, that is why I asked about HP they have a util that comes with some of their laptops that can cause this problem, possible for ASUS to have the same. With a clean boot the util will not be running so try safe mode and if not successful a clean boot (Your user account on ten is as admin I take it?)

https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/help/929135/how-to-perform-a-clean-boot-in-windows


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## texasbullet (Jun 11, 2014)

If you have important documents in your HDD I would suggest trying in a different computer and moving them to another HDD. Reformat your HDD and check with W10 to see if it is detected.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Ramon, if you review the thread, especially the initial post, I think you'll see that your advice is getting a bit nonsensical. The hard drive in question (from an XP PC) is already being used as an external on another computer (Windows 10). If he were able to move documents to other media (or even open the documents) this thread would not exist.

Or maybe you mean that while Windows 10 is having trouble a computer with a different OS may be able to read the disk? If so, please be more specific.


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## texasbullet (Jun 11, 2014)

TerryNet said:


> Ramon, if you review the thread, especially the initial post, I think you'll see that your advice is getting a bit nonsensical. The hard drive in question (from an XP PC) is already being used as an external on another computer (Windows 10). If he were able to move documents to other media (or even open the documents) this thread would not exist.
> 
> Or maybe you mean that while Windows 10 is having trouble a computer with a different OS may be able to read the disk? If so, please be more specific.


I have this problem now with a new HDD I got back. It works fine with W7 and W10 but with Windows XP I cannot get into it. The partition changed to GPT in windows xp.
Before I sent the old one back it worked fine with all three OS without any issues.
For now, I am out of this thread.
Good luck.


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## DBASR (Jun 26, 2017)

Thanks Ramon for your help!


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## DBASR (Jun 26, 2017)

trying to catch up with the previous threads...I will follow up right after


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