Windows 10: Can't Enable Inheritance by Folder, Only by Individual File

I have document files, Word and PDF from 2008-2014 on my Windows 10 Desktop. I also have more recent documents, but I have no problem opening them. I cannot open the older files/folders because I don't have permissions. I can't enable inheritance by folder, only by individual file. When I try by folder, I get "This will replace explicitly defined permissions on all descendants of this object with inheritable permissions from FolderName, Do you wish to continue?" I click yes. Then I get, "An error occurred while applying security information to the old file name route. Failed to enumerate objects in the container. Access is denied." All I can do at that point is cancel. Then I get "If you stop the propagation of permission settings, it might lead to an inconsistent state where objects have different settings. If you made this change by mistake, you should apply the correct permission settings immediately." My only option is to click OK and close out of the remaining boxes. If I try only one file at a time, I can change the inheritance and get access to the document.


Is there anyway I can get access to my old documents by folder, or even by "Documents" and "Pictures" instead of having to go thru each file one at a time?


Thanks,

:)

 

Individual Folder/File Account Permissions

First...I know this question has been asked many times since 2017.

I've read every forum thread I could find on this topic, but concluded that no one, who has asked a similar question,

has been given a satisfactory answer/solution yet.

I will attempt to be detailed as I can.

There are many, but not all, folders and individual files on my Windows 10 system that have an "Account Unknown" listed in each of their user permissions security properties.

This "Account Unknown" has full access to the folder or the individual file that it is listed in the security properties.

Not all of my folders and individual files have this, but many video, mp3, documents, pictures etc...do have this in their file security properties.

I have folders and also individual files in my Downloads folder, C:\ drive, as well my user folders and also individual files,

many of which are folders or individual files that I have personally made.

Also,...

(1) There is no other general system user account by the "Account Unknown" name that I can delete from my computer.

(2) I can't change the permissions, in the individual folder or file, for the "Account Unknown" user permissions.

They will NOT highlight to allow a change.

(3) I can't simply delete the "Account Unknown" from the user permissions list, or disable inheritance of the folder or file.

If I do that, then I can't do anything with the folder or file either, can't play the video or mp3 file, can't open the document,

can't even open the folder that they are located, or delete it from my system.

All I can do then is to go back in and acquire inheritance myself of the folder or file, which I originally had when I made the folder or file.

This process does get rid of the "Account Unknown" user permissions in the folder or individual file, but...

I have 100s of folders and individual files that have this "Account Unknown" user permissions listed in their security properties,

I'm NOT going to change user inheritance for all of them simply to get rid of the "Account Unknown" user permissions in the folder or individual file security properties.

• To be clear...If I right click on many of my folders or individual files, video folder, some individual video files, mp3 folder, some individual mp3 files, some documents, downloads folder, individual program folders or files, picture folders, some individual
  picture files,...then open the folder or file properties, click security tab...there is an "Account Unknown" listed in that folder or file permissions list, and it has folder or file inheritance.
• I don't have a general system user account named "Account Unknown" on my computer.

FYI...I am running the OneDrive app that came with the Windows 10 system.

I have NOT re-installed my OS, formatted, partitioned, or changed the original OS in any way other than allowing it regularly update as it requests.

I have made a few restore points and a backup of the OS to my 1TB Western Digital external hard-drive.

I have changed my general system user name once, but the affected folders and files were already there, and only some of them have the "Account Unknown" listed now.

My wife and I both are user admins with no other users for the system.

I have NO viruses recognized by the installed Windows Security.

The computer runs fine and fast as always, and I haven't noticed anything unusual, except once when I looked at my restore points,

there was a restore point, that I didn't make, named "Probe".

This restore point showed up after I installed the game named "Probe" made by the "Imersatz GmbH" company.

All other restore points, even after installing a program, are either my manual restore points,

or are always named either Windows Update or Scheduled System Restore.

This is a game similar to the old Stratego game that I've had for along time. Never had any problems with the "Probe" game in the past, but I'm wondering if the game made the restore point, which would bother me, and possibly mean it has user access.

My questions?...

Why is there an "Account Unknown" listed for any of the folders or files at all?

Did the Windows 10 system make it, if so, then why didn't it make it for every folder or file, and why would it do that?

Does it have something to do with the OneDrive app? If so then why and how? Because the OneDrive app does NOT have access to my download folder, where many of the "Account Unknown" user permissions are listed in the folders and files security properties.

Have I been hacked?

What is Microsoft Windows solution for this since it has been happening since at least 2017?

Thank you for your time and any help regarding this issue.

I'll check back later.

 

individual files showing in File Explorer instead of just folders

Not a big problem, more of a grievance...

In my library, under videos, I have about 20 folders containing different videos and grouped according to category. If I click on the arrow beside the word videos in the leftmost column, I can see all the folders displayed underneath. All normal behaviour!

If I actually click on the word videos, then I see the same folders listed in the second column from the left, but with all the individual files from one of the folders displayed beneath the list of folders. In the past, I could only see these individual files by clicking on the folder in which they are contained. I can't understand why these files are now listed under the folders (and why just these files and not files from the other folders as well). And I don't know what to do so that I see only the folders and no single files. Any ideas?

Windows version 1903

 

Inherit permission from the parent folder in Windows Server 2012R2

Hi,

Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community Forums.

I understand that you want the child folder to inherit the permissions from the parent folder. You can try the following steps and check if that helps:

1. Right click on the folder to which you want to provide permission.
   
2. Click on Security tab.
   
3. Click on Advanced.
   
4. Click on Enable Inheritance and.
   
5. Click on Apply and OK.
   

If that doesn’t help, as you are using Windows Server 2012R2, I would suggest you to post your query in
TechNet forums, where we have support professionals who
are well equipped with the knowledge on Windows Server.

Hope it helps.

Nikhar Khare

Microsoft Community - Moderator