As an IT Admin, one of the most common tasks you’re likely to encounter is renaming folders. In most cases, this is a relatively straightforward process, but in some cases, the folder you’re trying to rename may contain locked files, which can complicate things. So, does Windows allow you to rename a folder containing locked files?
The answer is yes, Windows does allow you to rename a folder containing locked files. However, this process involves a few extra steps compared to renaming a folder that doesn’t have any locked files. For starters, you’ll need to unlock the files before you can actually rename the folder.
To do this, you’ll need to take ownership of the folder first. To do this, right-click on the folder and select “Properties”. Under the “Security” tab, click the “Advanced” button. This will bring up the Advanced Security Settings window. Here, click the “Change” button next to the “Owner” field.
This will bring up a list of users and groups. Select the user or group you want to be the new owner and click “OK”. Then, check the box next to “Replace owner on subcontainers and objects” and click “Apply”. This will give you ownership of the folder and all of its contents, including any locked files.
Once you have ownership of the folder, you can then unlock the files. To do this, right-click on the file and select “Properties”. Under the “General” tab, check the box next to “Read-only” and then click “Apply”. This will unlock the file and allow you to rename the folder.
Once all of the files have been unlocked, you can then rename the folder. To do this, right-click on the folder and select “Rename”. Enter the new name for the folder and click “OK”. This will rename the folder and all of its contents, including any locked files.
In conclusion, yes, Windows does allow you to rename a folder containing locked files, but it requires a few extra steps. You’ll need to take ownership of the folder, unlock the files, and then rename the folder. Once you’ve done this, you can then rename the folder as you normally would.
