You can establish user accounts to access Windows’ security feature for files and folders. You may have occasionally encountered the error message “Failed to enumerate objects in the container” when trying to change a folder’s access options.
What are the potential causes of this error? Failed to Enumerate Objects in the Container Windows 10 problem has two basic causes. It could occur because of a conflict between file or folder permissions or improperly configured folder options.
In this article, we’ll explain how to get away from the relevant error notice so you can adjust the permissions to your needs.
What Causes The “Failed to enumerate objects in the container” Error In Windows 10/11?
When you attempt to modify a file’s or folder’s permissions, the notice “Failed to enumerate objects in the container” appears. It seems that if you have transferred or duplicated a file or folder that is from removable media, this could happen. Aside from that, this problem can also arise when several local users share a file or folder.
The error “failed to enumerate items in the container” may appear when you attempt to alter the access of any file or folder for various reasons. You can encounter the issue if the folder or file you are attempting to alter permissions for is located outside of your system.
You may have the “Failed to enumerate objects in the container” issue for several reasons.
- No Admin Access
The authorization error appears if the ownership of the file or folder is incorrect or if you attempt to modify the file or folder even though you are not the admin. A disagreement between the permissions of files and folders might cause it.
- Folder Settings Configured Incorrectly
When another user, either mistakenly or on purpose, changes any settings for the file or folder, it causes incorrect folder settings setups.
- Obsolete Account As The Owner
If the file or folder proprietor is set to an account that has since been retired, keeping behind the expired permission marks. You cannot make any modifications because you lack administrative permissions for the file or folder.
- Conflict Due To Another Program
There’s a good possibility that the directory you would like to view and another software have a conflict. The default access statements are ultimately deleted as a result. The basic permissions for documents and folders on your computer may unintentionally be removed by third-party software that you have installed.
How To Fix The “Failed to enumerate objects in the container” Error In Windows 10/11?
The failure to enumerate objects in the container error frequently manifests for the system administrator as well. It is problematic that the administrator cannot now alter the access rights for himself and other users/user groups to files or documents. The failure to enumerate objects in the container problem has four potential fixes that you can try.
Before attempting these options, you must make a restore point or a backup of your contents. The system may malfunction or crash if you try to correct this problem and change the setup of your system files and folders.
Take Ownership Of The File Or Folder
Even Windows and Microsoft specialists have suggested it as the most frequent repair. If you receive this problem for a file or folder, you can manually alter its ownership rights. The majority of users have benefited from this modification.
Make absolutely sure you sign in as the admin before using this technique.
To manually alter a file’s ownership, take the following steps:
- Find the system file in which the error occurs. Then, as indicated, right-click on the chosen file and choose Properties.
- From the top, select the Security tab.
- As seen below, tap on the Advanced icon at the bottom of the screen.
- Hit on Change appearing in front of the Owner choice under Advanced Security Settings.
- The Select User or Group window will appear on your monitor once you press modify. Enter the user profile name in the box marked “User Account” To choose an object, type its name.
- Select Check Names as it is shown.
- Your user account will be immediately found and highlighted by your system. (If Windows does not highlight your user name, meanwhile, you can manually choose user accounts from the provided list by clicking on Advanced in the bottom left corner of the window, as seen below)
- Select Find Now from the Advanced menu that pops up. Choose your user account from the list above, then click OK to confirm.
- Click OK to continue after being taken back to the previous window.
- To alter the administration of sub-folders and files inside the folder, allow Replace owner on sub containers and objects.
- Next, turn on Inheritable permission settings from this item for all child object permission settings.
- To commit these modifications and dismiss the window, select Apply.
- Repeat steps 1-3 to reopen the Properties box and go to Security > Advanced.
- From the bottom left of the screen, select the Add button.
- As seen, select the option that says “Select a principle.”
- To type and locate the account username, repeat steps 5–6. (Note: You can put Everyone and select “Check names” instead.)
- Select OK.
- Select the option next to Replace all child object authorization entries with inheritable permission entries from this item in the newly opened window.
- Click Apply at the bottom of the window to apply the latest additions.
- Finally, shut all of the windows.
Verify that the failed to enumerate objects in the container problem has been fixed.
Disable User Account Control (UAC)
If the first approach doesn’t work, you might disable user account control. If the first technique doesn’t allow you to modify the file or folder’s ownership information, just use this one.
Users may occasionally be prevented from making changes to any system files by the User Account Control (UAC) setting, particularly when those changes could impact how commands and programs are executed.
Below, we explain how to turn off Windows’ User Account Control:
- Type Modify User Account Control settings by using the Start bar search.
- It will open a User Account Settings window. A left-side slider bar with a spectrum between Always notifying and Never notifying. Click the OK button after advancing the slider to the Never Notify option.
- A User Access Control window may appear to verify the UAC adjustments made in step 2. Pick the Yes radio button.
- Then restart your computer. Then, to alter a file or folder’s ownership, adhere to the instructions specified in the procedure as mentioned above.
Update Your Drivers And BIOS/UEFI Firmware
On the manufacturer’s website, update drivers:
- Go to the website of the PC maker by launching your browser.
- Find the most recent driver releases by visiting their driver download website.
- As an illustration, consider a chipset, a display adapter such as Nvidia drivers, audio, USB3, Bluetooth, a network adapter, etc.
- Download the driver now, then install it on your computer.
Check to see if the Windows 11 issue Failed to enumerate items in the container access is denied and fixed by restarting your computer.
Drivers should be updated automatically:
To correct Failed to enumerate items in the container problem, we advise using an automation process if performing a driver repair personally appears time-consuming.
Missing drivers are recognized to result in problems frequently, and manually seeking a driver requires a considerable understanding of the drivers you are searching for.
A driver repair and setup tool can help you avoid PC damage from installing the wrong driver version by automatically upgrading drivers.
The software will check the connections and hardware on your PC for possible driver updates with only a few clicks. Spare yourself some effort by using one.
Update the BIOS/UEFI firmware:
- When the PC starts up, and the Sign-in screen appears, click Restart while holding down the Shift key.
- The Choose an option window will now appear. To troubleshoot, click.
- Then select Advanced settings.
Check to see whether you now have access to the folder after restarting your computer.
Run A Chkdsk Scan
Even in Safe mode, the failure to resolve the “Failed to Enumerate Objects in the Container” problem after using both the takeown.exe and icacls.exe commands suggests that the file system is faulty. Consequently, it is advised to execute the Chkdsk program on the compromised partition.
Run the CHKDSK /R C: command from the admin Command Prompt to run Chkdsk on the C: drive. At the following boot, Chkdsk will run. Verify if the mistake is now corrected.
- Use The Command Prompt To Provide Permissions
The first approach should be flawless, but consider using an elevated command prompt if you get an error when granting permissions. This is how:
- Type Command Prompt into the Windows search box to start.
- To run as an administrator, right-click the first result and choose that option.
- Within the UAC popup, select Yes.
- Serially copy and paste the following commands.
- takeown /F X:\Full_Path_to_Folder
- takeown /F X:\Full_Path_to_Folder /r /d y
- icacls X:\Full_Path_to_Folder /grant Administrators:F
- icacls X:\Full_Path_to_Folder /grant Administrators:F /t
- If you want to update the permissions of a file or folder, think about clicking Enter after each command and substituting X: Full Path to Folder with the location of the file or folder. The whole path is C: Users’ Deeper Documents. Lightshot
- If the problem still exists after you properly manage the scripts, try altering the permissions.
Start Windows In Safe Mode
The quickest and simplest way to resolve the issue is to restart your computer in Safe Mode, then perform the first technique of altering the file or folder’s ownership. When you start your system in safe mode, only the minimal driver and software packages are loaded.
You won’t encounter the problem of getting the file/folder lock issue in Safe mode because the third-party applications and apps don’t execute in this mode. Once you start your computer in safe mode, you can quickly determine if any other programs or apps are the source of the error. You can attempt the same approach in Safe Mode with Networking if Safe Mode does not respond.
- To do this, choose the Power icon while holding down SHIFT. To restart from it, click.
- On your desktop, the “Choose an option” prompt will appear. Choose Troubleshoot, Advanced Options, Startup Settings, and Restart from the menu.
- Your system will restart in Safe Mode, and you can change the folder’s permission after that.
- Perform Repair Upgrade
- Go to Microsoft’s official website for instructions on creating a Windows 11 media creation tool.
- Install the bootable ISO image file on your computer now.
- When you arrive at the installation managers, continue the installation by following the directions displayed on the screen.
This will enable you to reinstall Windows 11 without deleting crucial data, settings, or programs.
Furthermore, you can use a checklist to confirm that your Windows OS is effectively implemented, whether any repairs are necessary, and whether it is optimized for peak quality.
Conclusion
Making changes to the ownership and rights of files and folders exposes your PC to risk and reduces its security, so always pay close attention to the step-by-step instructions to prevent unauthorized changes to files. To maintain the system safe and functioning effectively, don’t change or modify files that don’t need to be changed or modified.
While we hope the mistake won’t appear on your PC again, follow the same steps if it does. Conversely, give your friends and relatives experiencing this issue access to this post and the remedy they require.
