I recently updated to Windows 11 with a clean install, but I completely forgot about the encrypted files I had on my Windows 10 setup. Now, when I try to transfer my backed-up files from my external drive, Windows is blocking me because it says I need permission from a user that doesn't exist anymore. I attempted to change the file ownership, but now it's telling me I need permission from the user that I am. I'm feeling pretty stuck here! I didn't back up my encryption keys, and while the files aren't super critical, they're private, and I'd really like to get them back. Am I out of luck?
1 Answer
Try opening File Explorer as an Administrator. Right-click on the File Explorer icon and select 'Run as Administrator.' This might help you tackle the permission issue enough to change ownership of the files properly. If 'Run as Administrator' isn’t showing up, go to C:windows, right-click on Explorer.exe, and choose 'Run As Administrator' from there.
I managed to change ownership, but I still can't do anything with the files even as the owner.