Question: I am having this really weird problem with Windows 8 where it won't let me edit or save to my program files folder in my C: drive. It keeps telling me `access is denied`, even when I have taken ownership of the folder and am logged in as an administrator. I can save to my other drives just fine.

The `new` menu item is even missing the regular items and only allows me to create a folder.

[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Faxbz.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Faxbz.jpg)

Can someone please help me out? This is really frustrating.

Here is what the file looks like after I edited the permissions:

[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/woKZf.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/woKZf.jpg)

I gave myself full control yet I can't edit or create files in the directory.

Answer: 
Being the owner does not automatically grant you the right to modify a file or directory. There's an ACL (access control list) that's preventing you from doing what you want. You can display or edit the ACL using the `cacls` command. For example, here's the ACL on my own `Program Files` directory:

```
12 C% cacls '\Program Files'
C:\Program Files NT SERVICE\TrustedInstaller:F
                 NT SERVICE\TrustedInstaller:(CI)(IO)F
                 NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:C
                 NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(OI)(CI)(IO)F
                 BUILTIN\Administrators:C
                 BUILTIN\Administrators:(OI)(CI)(IO)F
                 BUILTIN\Users:R
                 BUILTIN\Users:(OI)(CI)(IO)(special access:)
                                           GENERIC_READ
                                           GENERIC_EXECUTE

                 CREATOR OWNER:(OI)(CI)(IO)F

```

Unless you have a really good reason you haven't mentioned, you probably don't want to change the ACL on this directory. But if you really, really do, here's how you'd give yourself full control:

```
cacls '\Program Files' /E /G userid:F

```

**Added:**

That `cacls` command modifies the ACL on just that directory, not the contents. If you'd like to edit a config file somewhere in your `Program Files` directory tree, you'll need to use the `cacls` command on that file itself. For example:

```
cacls '\Program Files\FooBarGame\ConfigDirectory\ConfigFile' /E /G userid:F

```
All you have to do is make sure you open up notepad as administrator Start Menu > Right Click "notepad" app> choose "Run as administrator" on the task bar. Then edit and save you config file. I do it all the time with FSX.