how do I get a lock icon on my folder to come off?
Ok, here's the situation. I shared my entire F:\ drive so that I could get music and video and etc etc etc to my new laptop, but now when ever I put in new folders onto that hard drive the turn out like this: I have everyone set to full access as well as have everything checked in the check boxes except for "special permissions" which is greyed out. My question is how can I get this stupid lock icon off of it. I constantly add new folders of both tv shows / movies onto this drive and I'd prefer not to have to have these folders appear like this everytime. Does anyone have a solution?? Thank you! ~Mike
May 9th, 2009 1:32am

It involves changing the ownership of the root directory.I wouldn't advise to attempt to change ownership. I did so I could gain access to the SendTo folder and it messed up something to do with the WMI. My Event Viewer can no longer start. I am erasing my drive right now and will install Win 7 x64 all over again.
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May 9th, 2009 5:52am

Its because "authenticated users" isnt added to the security permissions.
July 27th, 2009 9:28am

I had the same problem with this. Even though I messed with all the settings, I could still not make this lock go away. So, I just created a "New Folder" and drug everything in there and deleted the old Folder. Then I just renamed the "New Folder" like the one that was deleted. That took care of that problem.
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October 21st, 2009 7:18am

I successfully removed the lock Icon on a test folder by opening security tab and giving the group "Users" full permision.
October 21st, 2009 7:14pm

I successfully removed the lock Icon on a test folder by opening security tab and giving the group "Users" full permision.
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October 21st, 2009 7:14pm

Not sure if this is the same thing, but I have found the lock icon on files located on my own computer when I was trying to access them from within an application. In other words, my application allows me to create a file, and when I go to a certain sub-window within thatapplication and wish to open a screen, it shows me several choices including defaults it came with, and mine that i just created. Mine has a lock on it. No problem............except..................when I try to find the file from outside the application, which i could always do in XP and Vista, I can't. Uggh.Any ideas?
October 26th, 2009 8:17pm

I had this problem with one of my directories (Users\[username]\Downloads) and it happened after I tried to play around with the HomeGroup options. All the files in the directory had a lock on the icon, however I could access the files fine. I looked at the security permissions and saw a "HomeUsers" group that I didn't recognize, so I deleted it, and the locks disappeared. So I'm assuming this has to do with the permissions of your home group users group somehow.
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November 2nd, 2009 5:35pm

Ihad this problem with a folder that was created during Windows Update, on a separate HDD from my OS drive. I'm assuming it's a Windows Update-created folder because it has one of those auto-generated names : cd3b13b8392abf7b30fb6c2fced9. Inside are two folders, amd64 and i386, which Windows won't even let me open. Whatever tab I click on, I get "You do not have permission to view or edit this object's permission settings".When I tried to delete it, I get "Folder Access denied. You need permission to perform this action. You require permission from S-1-5-21-1844237615-202542965-839522115-1004 to make changes to this folder." I had no idea what that meant, or how to find out. Finally I found a tab that would allow me to switch the permissions from the mysterious "S-1-5-21-1844237615-202542965-839522115-1004" to me. That did it. But it was complicated!
November 2nd, 2009 9:13pm

Everyone's close. It means that the Users group doesn't have access to the folder. Adding even Read authority to the Users group will remove the lock.
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December 15th, 2009 9:41pm

Its because "authenticated users" isnt added to the security permissions. Simple as that! Big UP for this answer!!!
June 7th, 2010 6:09pm

There are multiple reasons for this - including the other causes & cures mentioned earlier, another one is that if there was a particular user account on computer #1 that had specific permissions on the "locked" folders, but that account does not exist on computer #2. So when you attach the drive to PC #2, it'll show the lock icon and an "unknown account" entry in the folder's permissions (folder properties -> security tab). Removing the "unknown account" from the permissions will also remove the lock icon.
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July 14th, 2010 5:15am

Hello! I have a related question. I have somehow created double folders with "exactly" the same name within the same root. This happened when attemping to merge folders from a .old folder from when I have Vista to Windows 7. Also, be aware that under Vista my personal folders were in English and in Windows 7 my folders (sys) is in French, so when I "merged" the folders, no matter whether I put "My Documents" or "Mes documents", the folders merged and I created a single user folder for various common folders such as the example I gave. However, when I go into my user folder, I can't merge "Mes images" (My Photos) or "Mes vidéos" (My Videos) folders in the user folder with the lock, like I did the other folders. So, what this does is when I click my Library folder or my user name from the Start menu and then select "Images", I only see the images in the user folder without a lock (did I say that when I look in the user folder I have two folders with the same user name, one with and the other without a lock. Issue: How to I get these remaining folders to merge?
August 6th, 2010 5:56pm

A correction, my two user folders do not have exactly the same name. (In case this has anything to do with finding the solution.)
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August 6th, 2010 6:18pm

A solution that I found that has worked so far: 1) Right-click the folder or drive that has a lock icon and select "Properties". 2) Click on the "Security" tab, then select "Edit..." to change permissions. Click "Add.." 3) In the text field for "Object Name", enter in "Users" (without quotations). Hit "OK". 4) "Apply", "OK", and voila, the padlock next to the icons should be gone.
September 13th, 2010 4:58am

Worked like a charm for me!! The lock is GONE!
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September 16th, 2010 12:53pm

Go into sharing and give everyone full access, this should take the lock off
October 15th, 2010 10:57am

RIGHT CLICK ON THE FOLDER/ GO DOWN TO SHARE WITH / THEN CHOOSE HOMEGROUP READ /THE END :d
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October 18th, 2010 5:55pm

Hey! Can some one help me? I have the same problem but I can't even view the file. I can only see it through a programs open window. And then, with administrator privileges, i've tried all of your advice but it can't find the folder! Its invisible and locked! And I can't copy or move anything because pasting says it can't find them. Please help!
November 12th, 2010 3:47pm

This worked perfectly! Give it a try...
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December 17th, 2010 10:55am

I successfully removed the lock Icon on a test folder by opening security tab and giving the group "Users" full permision. Yes dude you are right i had the same problem and got solved out by giving the group Users "full permission" thanks dude
January 2nd, 2011 6:48am

Are you saying that if I remove the lock the folders with the same name (my user folder and the other two folders I mentioned - "Mes images" and "Mes vidéos" will merge like the other folders did, even when I had the two user folders (one with a lock and one without - which happened because I transferred over my .old user folder from when I had Vista and now upgraded to Win 7)?JEL
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January 24th, 2011 12:18pm

JEL, yes, removing the lock from the old folders will enable you to move the folders as you want. Just don't mess with the new Windows 7 folders, or you'll give yourself more problems. And in the future, open a new question instead of adding your question to a different thread. You'll get a better response that way.
January 24th, 2011 12:31pm

Its because "authenticated users" isnt added to the security permissions. OMG THIS WORKED GREAT FOR ME !
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February 4th, 2011 8:20pm

Give "Users" "Read & Execute" permission. Full Control can be dangerous.
April 6th, 2011 2:16pm

Yes! This worked!
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May 10th, 2011 10:51am

The "lock" means to other users, so the answer is simple. Right-Click the "locked" file. Scroll to "Share With." Click either Homegroup READ or Homegroup READ/WRITE. File is now unlocked.
June 9th, 2011 10:55am

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