Permission & Access Issues

Fix Administrator Cannot Access Other Users' OneDrive Files on Drive D

Tauseeq Magsi Oct 10, 2026 869 views

Question details

An administrator account is unable to access or open files located in other users' OneDrive folders stored on a secondary drive, such as the D: drive.

How to Fix Administrator Cannot Access Other Users' OneDrive Files on Drive D

Product: Microsoft OneDrive
Device & OS: Windows 11
Scenario: Attempting to manage or access another user's synced OneDrive files from an administrator account on the same local computer.
Observed behavior: The administrator can open other files on the D: drive, but is denied access when trying to open files within the other users' specific OneDrive directories.

Before you start

Make sure to back up any accessible important files on your drive and ensure you have the login credentials for the user account that originally owns the inaccessible OneDrive folders.

Solution 1Recommended

Grant Folder Permissions to the Administrators Group

Modify the folder security settings to explicitly grant access rights to the Administrators group, which is required for protected user directories.

By default, Windows protects individual user directories. Even if you are logged in as an administrator, you may need to manually take ownership or grant your group explicit permissions to read and execute files in another user's synced folder.

Sign in as the Folder Owner

Log into Windows using the user account that originally set up and owns the OneDrive folder on the D: drive to ensure you have the rights to modify its settings.

Access Folder Security Properties

Navigate to the D: drive, right-click the inaccessible OneDrive folder, select Properties, and click on the Security tab.

Edit Permissions

Click Edit, select the Administrators group from the list, and check the Allow box next to Full control. Click Apply, then OK.

Wait for Changes to Propagate

Restart your computer. Note that applying security settings to a large number of synced files can take up to an hour to fully take effect. Please be patient and test access later.

Grant Folder Permissions to the Administrators Group

Sync Delays: Because OneDrive actively monitors these folders, changing security attributes on many files simultaneously may temporarily slow down system performance or take extra time to apply.

Solution 2

Verify File Integrity via OneDrive Web

Use the online version of OneDrive to check if the files are intact and bypass local Windows permission issues.

Solution 3

Run the OneDrive Troubleshooter and Reset

If permissions are correct but files remain locked, the OneDrive application itself may be stuck and require a reset.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do permission changes on local OneDrive folders take so long to apply?

Because OneDrive continuously syncs file states with the cloud, modifying permissions on a large directory requires Windows to update the security descriptors for every single file. This process can be delayed by active background syncing, sometimes taking up to an hour.

Can I access another user's OneDrive files without changing security permissions?

By default, Windows restricts access to user-specific folders to protect privacy. Even as an administrator, you cannot natively bypass this without explicitly granting your account or the Administrators group access through the folder's security settings or having the owner share the files with you.

Will resetting the OneDrive application delete my locally stored files on the D: drive?

No, resetting the OneDrive application only clears its sync settings and application cache to resolve software glitches. Your locally stored files on the D: drive and your cloud data remain perfectly intact and will not be deleted.

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