Accounts Add Take Ownership to Context Menu in Windows 11


Owner_banner.png

This tutorial will show you how to add Take Ownership to the context menu of all files, folders, and drives for all users in Windows 10 and Windows 11.

This will allow you to be able to instantly take ownership of a file, folder (and all contents), or drive (and all contents) by changing the owner to the current user and grant the Owner_Rights SID (for current owner) full access permission.

When you right click or press and hold on a file, folder, or drive, click/tap on Show more options, and click/tap on Take Ownership, you will be prompted by UAC for approval first.

If a user is signed in as an administrator, then the user would just click/tap on Yes to approve and take ownership. The owner of the file, folder, or drive would be changed to the current user account. Permissions would be set to allow this current owner (Owner_Rights SID) full control of the file, folder, or drive.

If a user is signed in as a standard user, then the user would need to enter a selected administrator's password to approve and take ownership. The owner of the file, folder, or drive would be changed to the selected administrator account and not the standard user. Permissions would be set to allow this current owner (Owner_Rights SID) full control of the file, folder, or drive.

The Take Ownership context menu will not be available when you right click or press and hold only on the specific C: drive, C:\Program Files folder, C:\Program Files (x86) folder, C:\ProgramData folder, C:\Users folder, and C:\Windows folder. This was done by design since taking ownership of the Windows "C:" drive and these specific system folders can make Windows unstable as it would also take ownership of all their content at the same time.

You will still be able to use the Take Ownership context menu on files and folders inside the locations above, and on all drives other than the C drive and FAT32 drives.

Application files (ex: EXE, CMD, MSI) will have the Take Ownership context menu without replacing Run as administrator.

You must be signed in as an administrator to add, remove, and use the "Take Ownership" context menu.


Taking Ownership of a FAT32 drive will not work and you will get an error indicating so since file permissions are only supported on NTFS and ReFS drives.


If you would like to have a custom location(s) of your own to not show the context menu for, then please feel free to post a request in this tutorial thread. I'll be happy to post back with a custom .reg file for it.



EXAMPLE: Take Ownership context menu

In Windows 11, you will need to click/tap on Show more options first by default, then click/tap on Take Ownership.


Show_more_options.png
Take_Ownership_context_menu.png



Here's How:

1 Do step 2 (add), step 3 (add w/pause), or step 4 (remove) below for what you would like to do.

2 Add "Take Ownership" to Context Menu

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the .reg file below, and go to step 5 below.​

Add_Take_Ownership_to_context_menu.reg​


(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code: 
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\TakeOwnership]
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\runas]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\TakeOwnership]
@="Take Ownership"
"Extended"=-
"HasLUAShield"=""
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""
"NeverDefault"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\TakeOwnership\command]
@="powershell -windowstyle hidden -command \"Start-Process cmd -ArgumentList '/c takeown /f \\\"%1\\\" && icacls \\\"%1\\\" /grant *S-1-3-4:F /t /c /l' -Verb runAs\""
"IsolatedCommand"= "powershell -windowstyle hidden -command \"Start-Process cmd -ArgumentList '/c takeown /f \\\"%1\\\" && icacls \\\"%1\\\" /grant *S-1-3-4:F /t /c /l' -Verb runAs\""


[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\TakeOwnership]
@="Take Ownership"
"AppliesTo"="NOT (System.ItemPathDisplay:=\"C:\\Users\" OR System.ItemPathDisplay:=\"C:\\ProgramData\" OR System.ItemPathDisplay:=\"C:\\Windows\" OR System.ItemPathDisplay:=\"C:\\Windows\\System32\" OR System.ItemPathDisplay:=\"C:\\Program Files\" OR System.ItemPathDisplay:=\"C:\\Program Files (x86)\")"
"Extended"=-
"HasLUAShield"=""
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""
"Position"="middle"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\TakeOwnership\command]
@="powershell -windowstyle hidden -command \"$Y = ($null | choice).Substring(1,1); Start-Process cmd -ArgumentList ('/c takeown /f \\\"%1\\\" /r /d ' + $Y + ' && icacls \\\"%1\\\" /grant *S-1-3-4:F /t /c /l /q') -Verb runAs\""
"IsolatedCommand"="powershell -windowstyle hidden -command \"$Y = ($null | choice).Substring(1,1); Start-Process cmd -ArgumentList ('/c takeown /f \\\"%1\\\" /r /d ' + $Y + ' && icacls \\\"%1\\\" /grant *S-1-3-4:F /t /c /l /q') -Verb runAs\""



[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\runas]
@="Take Ownership"
"Extended"=-
"HasLUAShield"=""
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""
"Position"="middle"
"AppliesTo"="NOT (System.ItemPathDisplay:=\"C:\\\")"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\runas\command]
@="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\\\" /r /d y && icacls \"%1\\\" /grant *S-1-3-4:F /t /c"
"IsolatedCommand"="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\\\" /r /d y && icacls \"%1\\\" /grant *S-1-3-4:F /t /c"

3 Add "Take Ownership" with Pause to Context Menu

This option does the same as step 2, except includes pausing the command when you use the "Take Ownership" context menu to be able to see the command results. This can be handy to verify if changing ownership and permissions was successfully processed or not.

Take_Ownership_with_pause.png


A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the .reg file below, and go to step 5 below.​

Add_Take_Ownership_with_Pause_to_context_menu.reg​


(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code: 
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\TakeOwnership]
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\runas]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\TakeOwnership]
@="Take Ownership"
"Extended"=-
"HasLUAShield"=""
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""
"NeverDefault"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\TakeOwnership\command]
@="powershell -windowstyle hidden -command \"Start-Process cmd -ArgumentList '/c takeown /f \\\"%1\\\" && icacls \\\"%1\\\" /grant *S-1-3-4:F /t /c /l & pause' -Verb runAs\""
"IsolatedCommand"= "powershell -windowstyle hidden -command \"Start-Process cmd -ArgumentList '/c takeown /f \\\"%1\\\" && icacls \\\"%1\\\" /grant *S-1-3-4:F /t /c /l & pause' -Verb runAs\""



[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\TakeOwnership]
@="Take Ownership"
"AppliesTo"="NOT (System.ItemPathDisplay:=\"C:\\Users\" OR System.ItemPathDisplay:=\"C:\\ProgramData\" OR System.ItemPathDisplay:=\"C:\\Windows\" OR System.ItemPathDisplay:=\"C:\\Windows\\System32\" OR System.ItemPathDisplay:=\"C:\\Program Files\" OR System.ItemPathDisplay:=\"C:\\Program Files (x86)\")"
"Extended"=-
"HasLUAShield"=""
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""
"Position"="middle"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\TakeOwnership\command]
@="powershell -windowstyle hidden -command \"$Y = ($null | choice).Substring(1,1); Start-Process cmd -ArgumentList ('/c takeown /f \\\"%1\\\" /r /d ' + $Y + ' && icacls \\\"%1\\\" /grant *S-1-3-4:F /t /c /l /q & pause') -Verb runAs\""
"IsolatedCommand"="powershell -windowstyle hidden -command \"$Y = ($null | choice).Substring(1,1); Start-Process cmd -ArgumentList ('/c takeown /f \\\"%1\\\" /r /d ' + $Y + ' && icacls \\\"%1\\\" /grant *S-1-3-4:F /t /c /l /q & pause') -Verb runAs\""



[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\runas]
@="Take Ownership"
"Extended"=-
"HasLUAShield"=""
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""
"Position"="middle"
"AppliesTo"="NOT (System.ItemPathDisplay:=\"C:\\\")"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\runas\command]
@="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\\\" /r /d y && icacls \"%1\\\" /grant *S-1-3-4:F /t /c & Pause"
"IsolatedCommand"="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\\\" /r /d y && icacls \"%1\\\" /grant *S-1-3-4:F /t /c & Pause"

4 To Remove "Take Ownership" from Context Menu

This is the default setting.


A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the .reg file below, and go to step 5 below.​

Remove_Take_Ownership_from_context_menu.reg​


(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code: 
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\TakeOwnership]

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\runas]

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\TakeOwnership]

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\runas]

5 Save the .reg file to your Desktop.

6 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

7 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

8 When finished, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.


That's it,
Shawn Brink


Related Tutorials

 

Attachments

Last edited:
Click to expand...
ImGabagool said:
I just used this tutorial, and it was really helpful, but now I have a separate admin user on my laptop, and I'm unable to remove it. Please help!
Click to expand...
Hello, and welcome. :alien:

Not sure how you had an admin account added to sign in to the PC with, but this context menu is not able to add one.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
Thank you for welcoming me and being eager to help! Just to give you some background on what I've done, I'm on Windows 10, and I'll admit I'm a little stupid. I was messing around with a file, went into the properties, and then into the security settings. I changed all the permissions to Deny, which ended up locking me out of the file. I looked up how to fix it and found your Take Ownership file solution. I downloaded and used it, and it worked, I was able to access my file again. However, when I checked my lock screen, I noticed a new user named Administrator that wasn’t there before.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    asus
also the administrator user doesnt show up in "family and other users" tab only on the lock screen
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    asus
ImGabagool said:
also the administrator user doesnt show up in "family and other users" tab only on the lock screen
Click to expand...
That's the built-in Administrator account which can be enabled or disabled. Please see this tutorial:
www.elevenforum.com

Enable or Disable Built-in Administrator Account in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable the built-in Administrator account in Windows 11. Windows 11 includes a hidden built-in Administrator account that serves as the local system administrator with elevated rights by default without needing Run as administrator or UAC (User...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10/11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer
ImGabagool said:
Thank you for welcoming me and being eager to help! Just to give you some background on what I've done, I'm on Windows 10, and I'll admit I'm a little stupid. I was messing around with a file, went into the properties, and then into the security settings. I changed all the permissions to Deny, which ended up locking me out of the file. I looked up how to fix it and found your Take Ownership file solution. I downloaded and used it, and it worked, I was able to access my file again. However, when I checked my lock screen, I noticed a new user named Administrator that wasn’t there before.
Click to expand...
Ah, ok.

It's not unusual for the "Administrators" group to be added to the security permissions of the file's properties to allow it access.

If it's specifically "Administrator", then it's for the built-in Administrator account to allow it access.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
ImGabagool said:
i fixed it thank you
Click to expand...

Depending on what files you’re messing with, you might also like to add this:

www.elevenforum.com

Add "Reset Permissions" to Context Menu in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to add or remove the "Reset Permissions" context menu to reset effective permissions of files and folders back to their default inherited permissions in Windows 10 and Windows 11. On NTFS and ReFS volumes, you can set security permissions on files and folders...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com

At the bottom of most tutorials (first post of actual tutorial) are more tutorials, complimentary to or relatable to the one you’re on.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 Build 22631.5039
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Sin-built
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4770K CPU @ 3.50GHz (4th Gen?)
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus VI Formula
    Memory
    32.0 GB of I forget and the box is in storage.
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte nVidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super OC 6GB
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    4 x LG 23MP75 - 2 x 24MK430H-B - 1 x Wacom Pro 22" Tablet
    Screen Resolution
    All over the place
    Hard Drives
    Too many to list.
    OS on Samsung 1TB 870 QVO SATA
    PSU
    Silverstone 1500
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 820 Full-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Elite Class Dual Tower CPU Cooler / 6 x EziDIY 120mm / 2 x Corsair 140mm somethings / 1 x 140mm Thermaltake something / 2 x 200mm Corsair.
    Keyboard
    Corsair K95 / Logitech diNovo Edge Wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech G402 / G502 / Mx Masters / MX Air Cordless
    Internet Speed
    100/40Mbps
    Browser
    All sorts
    Antivirus
    Kaspersky Premium
    Other Info
    I’m on a horse.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 Build: 22631.4249
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LENOVO Yoga 7i EVO OLED 14" Touchscreen i5 12 Core 16GB/512GB
    CPU
    Intel Core 12th Gen i5-1240P Processor (1.7 - 4.4GHz)
    Memory
    16GB LPDDR5 RAM
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics Processor
    Sound Card
    Optimized with Dolby Atmos®
    Screen Resolution
    QHD 2880 x 1800 OLED
    Hard Drives
    M.2 512GB
    Antivirus
    Defender / Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    …still on a horse.
ERROR: Invalid syntax. Value expected for '/d'.
Type "TAKEOWN /?" for usage.
Press any key to continue . . .

Windows 11 Pro 64bit
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 / winServer
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
antspants said:
Depending on what files you’re messing with, you might also like to add this:

www.elevenforum.com

Add "Reset Permissions" to Context Menu in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to add or remove the "Reset Permissions" context menu to reset effective permissions of files and folders back to their default inherited permissions in Windows 10 and Windows 11. On NTFS and ReFS volumes, you can set security permissions on files and folders...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com

At the bottom of most tutorials (first post of actual tutorial) are more tutorials, complimentary to or relatable to the one you’re on.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I think this one is working. takes a while to go through every folder. but it seems to be working instead of error TAKEOWN command not found
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 / winServer
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
Hi Brink,

I used to have a sort of Takeownership in my previous os context menu,
not the patch with the pause (uninterested), but the one i had didn't have
that ugl powershell window popping up before, plus, i didn't have the actual
stupid takownership (a double, original version of win11) still appearing,
after patching my registry with your reg file.

I saw that which looked interesting, but i donno how to add it to the registry:
takeown /F "full path of folder or drive" /A /R /D Y

Could you personalize your patch to reach files, folders & subfolders included
while closing itself in the end without pause or human intervention, nor the presence
of powershell popping up before cmd ?

& explain me how to delete the left double in the context menu from the registry
that only takes ownership of one file or one folder at a time ?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win11 Pro, 24H2 26100.2152
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    lenovo

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
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