Accessing Another User’s Directory On Windows Via Command Line

You Should Know:

When working as an Administrator on Windows, you might still encounter “Access Denied” errors when trying to access certain files or folders. This happens due to NTFS permissions and User Account Control (UAC) restrictions. Below are practical methods to bypass these restrictions using Command Line (CMD) and PowerShell.

Method 1: Taking Ownership via Command Line

To access restricted folders, you must take ownership first.

Using `icalcs` Command:

:: Take ownership of a folder 
takeown /F "C:\Path\To\Folder" /R /D Y

:: Grant full permissions to Administrators 
icacls "C:\Path\To\Folder" /grant Administrators:(F) /T /C

– `/R` – Recursively applies to subfolders/files.
– `/T` – Applies to all subdirectories.
– `/D Y` – Suppresses confirmation prompts.

Using PowerShell:

 Take ownership 
Take-Ownership -Path "C:\Path\To\Folder" -Recurse

Grant full access 
$acl = Get-Acl "C:\Path\To\Folder" 
$accessRule = New-Object System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemAccessRule("Administrators","FullControl","ContainerInherit,ObjectInherit","None","Allow") 
$acl.SetAccessRule($accessRule) 
Set-Acl -Path "C:\Path\To\Folder" -AclObject $acl

Method 2: Bypassing UAC for Elevated Access

If UAC is blocking access, force an elevated CMD session:

:: Run CMD as TrustedInstaller (highest privilege) 
sc.exe create TrustedCmd binPath= "cmd /k start" type= own type= interact 
sc.exe start TrustedCmd

Method 3: Accessing Another User’s Directory

If the folder belongs to another user, reset permissions:

icacls "C:\Users\TargetUser\Documents" /setowner "Administrators" /T /C 
icacls "C:\Users\TargetUser\Documents" /grant "Administrators:(F)" /T

Method 4: Using `robocopy` to Extract Files Without Permissions

robocopy "C:\Protected\Folder" "C:\Temp\Copy" /E /ZB /COPYALL /R:1 /W:1

– `/ZB` – Uses restartable mode (if denied, tries Backup mode).
– `/COPYALL` – Copies all file info (including permissions).

Method 5: Disabling Inheritance & Resetting Permissions

icacls "C:\Secure\Folder" /inheritance:d 
icacls "C:\Secure\Folder" /remove:g "Users" 
icacls "C:\Secure\Folder" /grant:r "SYSTEM:(OI)(CI)(F)"

What Undercode Say

Windows permissions are complex, but with the right commands (takeown, icacls, robocopy), you can bypass restrictions. Always ensure you have legal rights to access such directories. For cybersecurity professionals, mastering these commands is essential for pentesting, forensics, and system administration.