8 Fixes: You Don’t Have Permission to Save in This Location

Encountering errors driven by permission settings is common for Windows users. It is a matter of administrative privileges. To overcome these issues, you only have to detect the settings causing them and alter them. 

So, if you keep on getting you don’t have permission to save in this location message, ahead are some fixes for that. 

Solutions For You Don’t Have Permission To Save In This Location

1. Toggle User Account Control
2. Disable OneDrive Application
3. Check Interference From An Antivirus Software
4. Try Using The Safe Mode
5. Use Administrator Windows Solution On The Given Directory 
6. Save Your File In A Different Location and Move It
7. Change The Ownership Of The Directory
8.  Include Your Account In The Administrator Groups

Fix Windows 10. You Don’t Have Permission To Save In This Location

1. Toggle User Account Control

Windows has a feature called User Account Control. It prevents other applications from making changes. So, if you make any change as an administrator, then User Account Control will seek approval. And if you won’t allow or approve it, the changes will not apply. 

Usually, this feature should remain enabled. But, as it restricts you from making some changes, it can be the main cause of the said error. Thus, toggling it off can prevent the “you don’t have permission to save in this location” error. Here are the steps to disable it:

• Hold down the Windows logo key with the S key on your keyboard.
• Search for User Accounts in the search box.
• Select the Change User Account Control settings.
• A slider will display. Slide it towards the option of “Never notify.”
• Select the OK button to apply the changes you have made.

Resume the changes you were making or the file that you were saving. This time it should get saved where you want it to be.

2. Disable the OneDrive Application

OneDrive is an inbuilt feature of Windows 10. It enables you to access the files backed up in the cloud storage from your system. But, some Windows users have reported this feature to be the cause of the said error.

Although, the reason behind it is still unknown. But, it is assumed that the syncing of files may influence some settings that call for such an error. To disable OneDrive, follow these instructions:

• Press the Windows logo key along with the R key on your keyboard.
• In the Run program, type gpedit.msc and press the enter key.
• Navigate to Computer Configuration from Group Policy Editor.
• Select Administrative Templates and open Windows Components.
• On the left side of the Windows Component, you will find the option of OneDrive; click on it.
• Now double tap on “Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage.”
• Tap on “Enabled.”
• Now click on the OK and The Apply button to save and apply the changes you have made.

Try re-saving the file that was having an error. This time it should save without any hassle.

On some Windows versions, you will need to disable it from the Registry Editor. The steps to do so are below:

• Open the Run window by pressing the Windows and R keys together.
• Type Regedit in the empty field and tap on the enter key or select the OK button.

 Before proceeding with the main steps, you should backup your registry. Doing so will keep the original registry intact if anything goes wrong. The steps to do that are as follows:

• Go to the File option and select Export from it.
• Set the Export range as All.
• Now, select the location where you want to back up the registry. Hit the Save button.  

If anything goes wrong, you can use the exported files and resume the registry to its original state.

• Now go to this key in the left panel:

Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCLSID{018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6}

• In the right panel, double-tap on the option “System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree.”
• In the empty field of Value data, type 0 and select the OK button.

The last two steps are for those using Windows with the 32-bit version. For 64-bit version users:

• Navigate to this key:

Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTWow6432NodeCLSTD{018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6}

After applying the above steps, you can close the Registry Editor. Reboot your PC and try saving the file again.

3. Check Interference From An Antivirus Software

Antivirus software protects your device from malicious activities. And it can see saving a file or renaming a file as an intrusion. If you have antivirus software installed on your system, it might be causing the error. 

It is so because they tend to restrict certain activities that can pose any harm to your files. As a result, you can’t even access some files. Thus, to overcome it, you need to change the settings of your antivirus tool. 

Try turning off the options that restrict your activities. But, if you can’t find the specific setting causing the error, you can try turning off the antivirus app. If that doesn’t work, then uninstall it and reboot your system.

4. Try Using The Safe Mode

If there is an actual glitch in the system causing this error, then entering the safe mode should fix it.

The safe mode of your system ends all the harmful activities right away. So, if this error results from any such activity, then using the Safe mode would stop it. Execute these steps to enable the Safe mode on your system:

• Hold down the Windows logo key with the I key on your keyboard.
• Select the option that refers to Update And Security.
• Now, choose “Recovery.”
• Navigate to Advanced Startup and select the Restart Now option from it.
• Your system will restart in the Windows recovery environment. Tap on Advanced Options to open more available options.
• Select the Startup Settings and then tap on the Restart option.
• Press down the F4 key on your keyboard to select the Enable Safe Mode option.

Performing the above steps will help your system enter into the Safe mode. Now you can try to save the file again and check if the issue continues.

5. Use Administrator Windows Solution On The Given Directory

You can perform an administrator windows solution on the problematic directory. This option of the solution is available for such cases only. But, you need to execute these steps carefully:

• Please navigate to the directory causing the issue and right-click on it. Select the Properties option from the context menu that appears.
• Now, open the Security tab on the Test Properties Window. Click on the Edit button.
• From the Group or user names column, choose Administrators.
• In the other column of Permissions for Administrator, check the “Full Control” box.
• After altering these settings, click on the OK button to save them.
• Do the same with the Users Group.

Keep in mind not to alter the permissions settings too much. Modifying them can cause other problems.

Many users have reported that they fixed the issue by providing full control to the user profile. It is a quick and effective fix.

This solution is not recommended for those who share their Computer with other users. But, if you are a sole user, you can try this solution and execute these steps:

• Open the Security tab and select Edit.
• Tap on the Add button.
• In the column “Enter the object name to select the field,” type your username. Tap on the Check Names option.
• Choose Full Control and save the changes you have made.

Now try re-saving the file and check if the error still exists. 

6. Save Your File In A Different Location and Move It

This solution won’t end the error right away but can solve your current crisis. It’s more like a workaround for situations when you can’t save a file in a particular location.

You can change the saving location and then relocate the file where you wanted it to be in the beginning. Follow these steps to save a file in a different location:

• When you save the file, select another directory.
• Once you have saved the file on your system in a different directory, you can move it. Please find the file where you saved it and move it to the directory where you wanted it to be.

7. Change The Ownership Of The Directory

Sometimes you can get restricted access to a specific folder because you are not the owner. This can worsen when you encounter the “you don’t have permission to save in this location” error. So, to change this situation, change the ownership of the file:

• Open the Command Prompt by pressing the Windows and X keys.
• Enter these commands in the Command Prompt field:

icacls

"C:path_to_problematic_directory"/setowner "Administrators" /T/C

• Another command that you can use instead of the above one is:

takeown/r/f

C: path_to_problematic_directory

Once the above command is in effect, you will gain control and can save any file wherever you want.

8. Include Your Account In The Administrator Groups

If your account is not added to the Administrator groups, it’s the issue of gaining access. Follow these steps to add your account to the Administrator group to gain privileges:

• Launch the Run program by pressing the Windows key and the R key.
• Type netplwiz in it and hit the enter key.
• Tick the box “User must enter a user name and password to use this computer.”
• Now choose your profile and tap on the Properties button at the bottom.
• Navigate to Group Membership and choose “Administrator.”
• Select Apply and OK buttons to save the changed settings.

Reboot your PC and save the file again to check if the error persists.

Conclusion – You Don’t Have Permission To Save The File In This Location Error

The best and the quickest fix for this error is to save the file in another location and later relocate it. But, doing so won’t make the error go away. So, if you want to stop the error, try the solutions mentioned in this article.

You can also try to switch the user profile and save the file in another user’s account. On the downside, if these fixes do not work, there are high chances that a virus has attacked your system.

To detect it, you can run the antivirus software. If nothing works, then call a professional who can help you out in your situation.

Do not hesitate to take your PC to a service center as it could be a severe problem.

FAQs – Windows 10 Not Saving Files, Account Permissions, And Other Issues