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How to fix This Access Control Entry is corrupt error?

Windows, like most operating systems, has a clear distinction between user files and system files. While people can add, delete, or modify user files, their access to system files is quite limited. Windows protect system files prevent unauthorized use by individuals and other programs.

Imagine deleting a critical system file by mistake. When this happens, the computer will instantly run into issues, if not outright stop working. Thankfully, most PC users are content to play with user files and installed programs. People rarely dabble too deeply into the areas where system files are stored.

However, some experienced users may wish to work with certain system files or folders for some technical reason. In that situation, they could try to take ownership of the file. After all, Windows doesn’t allow any changes to be made until the ownership is changed. During this attempt, some users reported running into the following error:

This access control entry is Corrupt. Delete it and create a new one.

If you’re facing this issue, this article explains how to fix it through a couple of simple solutions.

What Does the Message, “This Access Control Entry Is Corrupt,” Mean?

Access control is the setting that determines who can access a file or folder. Usually, Windows vests the ownership of system files solely with Trusted Installer. So, if you want to modify a system file, you’d need to take ownership of it.

This error occurs typically occurs due to a lack of permission. Interference by, or conflicts with UWP apps can also cause the bug to show up. However, if the file or folder doesn’t have a particular user, the error is also likely to come up. The next section briefly explains how to remove the “This access control entry is corrupt” error message on Windows 10.

How to Fix the “This Access Control Entry Is Corrupt” Error on Windows 10

While we cannot control what any user decides to do with their computer, we recommend that any changes to system files or folders be done carefully. Performing wrong modifications can cause the operating system to stop working. So, we suggest creating a system restore point before attempting to modify any system file or change its ownership.

Furthermore, changing the ownership of a system file to yourself removes some of the file’s protections. So, it’s important to have antivirus software like Auslogics Anti-Malware active to detect and eliminate any lurking threats in the system.

That said, here are two ways to get rid of the “This access control entry is corrupt” error notification on Windows 10.

Fix 1. Take Ownership of the File

The most common solution for the “access control entry is corrupt” error on Windows 10 is to change the ownership of the file in question. Only then will you be free to make whichever security modifications you wish to make on the file.

Making yourself the sole owner of a file on Windows 10 is a slightly lengthy but straightforward process. The steps here explain how to do it successfully.

  1. First, open File Explorer and go to the location of the file whose ownership you wish to change.
  2. Right-click on the file and select Properties.
  3. When the Properties dialog box for the file opens, switch to the Security tab.

Note:

If it’s a system or protected file, the system will inform you that you must have Read permissions to view the properties of the object. To acquire the needed permission, you must take ownership of the file.

  1. Click Advanced to open the Advanced Security Settings window for the file or folder.
  2. Here, click the Change link and then type in the username of the admin account you’re using on Windows.
  3. You’ll notice that the owner has changed to your username. Now, tick the “Replace owner on subcontainers and objects” checkbox.

Note: If you’re trying to take ownership of a folder, this option applies the ownership change to the files within the folder.

  1. Now, click Apply to enforce the change.
  2. You’ll get a pop-up from Windows Security stating that “You do not have permission to read the contents of directory [directory path]. Do you want to replace the directory permissions with permissions granting you Full Control? All permissions will be replaced if you press Yes.” Just click on Yes to confirm.
  3. You’ll get yet another Windows Security pop-up. Click OK twice to proceed.
  4. Return to the Advanced Security Settings window of the file or folder. Under Permission Entries, you’ll see that you’ve been added with full control.
  5. From here, you can click “Change permissions” to add another object or to inherit permissions.

Your issue should be resolved after changing ownership according to these steps.

Fix 2. Close the UWP Apps

Universal Windows Apps are programs that work across all devices compatible with Windows. That said, they can prevent the user from changing the owner of a file. The exact relationship between UWP apps and file ownership isn’t particularly clear yet. However, the fact remains that they’re one of the factors that can cause the corruption of the access control entry.

So, if you’re facing this issue and the first step didn’t work for you, perhaps there are interfering UWP apps in the background. Basically, every native Windows program that you can download or update via the Microsoft Store is a UWP app. Some third-party developers use the UWP platform to create apps for Windows as well.

What you must do now is check which of these programs and apps are running in the background and close the processes. Several users have testified that this was ultimately what worked for them.

  1. To begin, open Task Manager. Right-click anywhere on your taskbar and select Task Manager.
  2. Go to the Process tab and identify the running UWP apps.
  3. Right-click on a running UWP app and select End Task. Repeat for every instance of these apps you find.

That’s all. Hopefully, this solution worked for you and you’re now able to change ownership in Advanced Security Settings.