Fix You Need Permission to Perform this Action Error

Fix You Need Permission to Perform this Action Error: One of the most annoying errors of Windows is when you get “You need permission to perform this action” message displayed. It’s just like you have lost control over your computer. There may be no clear reason for such an error on Windows 10, 8, or 7. The error is not customary for every task on your PC. It generally happens when you are trying to copy a program, uninstall a program, install a program, delete a file, or change folder name or file. However, it can be easily fixed with any of the following methods.

6 Methods to Fix “You need permission to perform this action” Error

1. Disabling third party anti-virus

Such an error can occur can happen due to your third-party antivirus software. You can try disabling your antivirus to test it. If your problem resolves, you can switch to a better anti-virus product.

1. Press CTRL+ALT+DEL keys simultaneously and select Task Manager.
2. In the Task Manager, click Startup It opens all the apps which automatically start when Windows boots up.
3. Locate the third-party antivirus which you’ve installed to Disable. The status changes from Enabled to Disabled. Some examples for popular third-party antivirus software can be Avast, AVG, Norton, McAfee, etc.
4. Repeat the action for every third-party anti-virus installed on your computer.
5. Restart your computer.

If the error disappears, turn off Windows Defender and you can re-enable your antivirus software. But, if the error still appears, try other options given below.

2. Reboot your PC in safe mode

The next easiest option to fix the error is rebooting your PC in Safe Mode. Follow the steps given below-

If you have Windows 10 or 8.1, follow these instructions-

1. Click the Start >
2. Press and hold the Shift key and click Reboot.
3. Reboot will display a Troubleshoot screen.
4. Click Troubleshoot > Advanced options.
5. Click Startup settings > Restart.
6. Now, your PC will reboot.
7. Press F4 key once your PC restarts.

Check if the problem persists.

To start your Windows 7 PC in Safe Mode, follow these steps-

1. First, save your work and restart your PC.
2. As it boots, press F8 ( make sure you do it before Windows screen appears).
3. Select Safe Mode.

Now, check your PC to ensure that the issue is resolved.

3. Add your account to Administrator group

You may experience such permission errors if you do not enjoy administrator privileges. You can resolve the errors by following the steps given below-

1. Right click on the Windows Start button and choose Computer Management.
   
2. From the category of System Tools, click Local Users and Groups, then double click on Users
   
3. Next, double click on “your account name” showing in the left side.
   
4. In the dialog box, under tab “Member of”, click Add Changes will be only effective when the user logs in the next time.
   
5. In the next dialog box, type “Administrators” in the space under “Enter the object names.”
   
6. Click Check Name > Ok. Under Administrators, hit Apply > Ok.

After these steps, your account appears in administrators group. Now, check if the error persists or as has been resolved.

4. Scan your Computer for Malware

You can run a scan to check system for malware when you get errors of permission. You can use your anti-virus or built-in Windows Defender. To initiate Windows Defender, follow the given steps for Windows 10 –

1. Open Start Menu > Settings > Update and Security
2. Open Windows Defender > Run a full scan of the PC.
   

Antivirus software helps you to find out the malware leading to error issues. You can get rid of these errors by following the steps and run a full scan.

5. Select full control over a file/folder

To get full control permission over a file/folder causing errors, follow these steps-

1. Right-click on the file or folder you wish to delete, select Properties.
2. Select Security > Advanced > Ok.
3. Next, go to Owner, click Change.
4. In Select User or Group, it shows “Enter the object name to select” write your user account name and click Check names.
5. Click Ok and tick the checkbox named “Replace owners on sub containers and objects”.
6. Go to the Properties window, click Ok.

6. Reinstall the application showing errors

If a specific application is showing permission errors, try to reinstall and check if the errors have resolved or not.

1. Click Start > Settings > Apps.
2. Click the app you wish to reinstall and click Uninstall the app.
3. Next, install the app again. Now, check whether has issue has resolved or not.

Ajit Yadav

Author Bio: Ajit yadav is a professional blogger and co-founder of WindowsClassroom. He is a software engineer by education and blogger & writer by profession.