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Normally, accessing the temp folder as administrator is easy but sometimes, you may keep losing access and get folder access denied. You’ve probably come across the temp folder when you needed to quickly do a PC cleanup and optimize performance.
If you previously had access to your Temp folder but can’t access it anymore, it could be due to corrupt system files or a change in user profile settings. A folder’s access denied error can occur on any folder that is restricted and requires administrator-level permissions.
How do I give permission to the Temp folder in Windows 11?
1. Gain complete control
- Locate the Temp folder by going to the following path:
C:\Users\AppData\Local\Temp - On the Properties window, go to the Security tab.
- Select Everyone and click Edit.
- Now select Everyone and under Permissions for Everyone: for Full control, choose Allow and Modify.
- On the next window, click OK.
- Click Continue on all the following windows.
- Now click Apply and OK to confirm the changes.
- Restart your computer.
2. Enable folder inheritance
- Hit the Windows + E keys to open File Explorer.
- Locate the Temp folder by going to the following path:
C:\Users\AppData\Local\Temp, right-click on it, and select Properties. - Navigate to the Security tab and click on Advanced.
- Check the Replace all child object permissions with inheritable permissions from this object box then click Apply and OK.
- Restart your PC and check if the problem persists.
3. Enable built-in administrator account
- Press Windows + R to open Run, type cmd, and hit Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
- Type the following command and hit Enter:
net user administrator /active:yes
- The built-in administrator will be available to sign into
- Restart your computer.
If you’re trying to access folders with restricted permissions, you must be using an administrator account. In case your user profile is corrupt, the built-in administrator account bypasses these errors and may allow you access.
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4. Reset folder permissions
- Press the Search button on the Taskbar, type cmd, and select Run as administrator.
- Open the Temp folder and take ownership by entering the following text and hit Enter:
takeown /R /F *
- Input this command and press Return:
icacls * /t /q /c /reset
- Alternatively, you can reset a folder tree’s permissions to default by including its directory path in the command. Execute this command with a real folder location included within the brackets:
icacls [full folder path] /reset /t /c /l
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5. Run DISM and SFC scans
- Hit the Start Menu icon, type cmd in the search bar, and click Run as administrator.
- Type the following commands and press Enter after each one:
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /Restorehealthsfc /scannow
Corrupt system files can restrict access to the folder or even prevent files in the temp folder from deleting.
6. Use a dedicated tool
- Open the IObit Unlocker page, and select Free Download there.
- Browse to the folder the IObit Unlocker installer downloaded to within File Explorer.
- Double-click the unlocker-setup.exe file for IObit Unlocker.
- Install IObit Uninstaller with its setup wizard.
- Open the IObit Uninstaller window with the desktop shortcut for that software.
- Click the Add button.
- Select the locked file you need to unlock and click the OK option in the Browse window.
- Press the Unlock button if the file’s status is indeed locked. The box at the bottom of the IObit Unlocker window shows the processes causing the lock.
- Or you can click the small arrow button to select options for unlocking and modifying (renaming, moving, deleting, or copying) the file.
Alternatives to accessing the Temp folder
The Temp folder is primarily used to unload the PC from bulk files and optimize performance, If none of these methods work, other alternatives to achieve the same results include:
- Disk Cleanup – The Disk Cleanup is a built-in Windows utility that helps clear up some hard drive space to speed up your PC’s performance.
- Storage Sense – Storage Sense is a more advanced version of Disk Cleanup as apart from freeing up junk files, it also uninstalls unused apps and temporary internet files.
- Third-party tools – If the built-in Windows tools don’t do enough, you can turn to other Disk Cleanup alternatives that do a thorough job of cleaning up your system.
Still, on the same folder, you may get the Your temp folder is invalid error message so don’t hesitate to check out our guide on how to fix it. In future, when you want to delete files from the Temp folder, ensure you do so safely to prevent any issues.
Have you managed to regain access to your Temp folder? WHich solution would you recommend to other readers? Let us know in the comment section below.
Claire Moraa
Windows Software Expert
Claire has a knack for solving problems and improving the quality of life for those around her. She’s driven by rationality, curiosity, and simplicity, and always eager to learn more about Microsoft’s products.
With a background in teaching and reviewing, she breaks down complex topics into easily understandable articles, focusing mostly on Windows 11, errors, and software.
Temporary files are a common tool for Windows to store information necessary to run different programs.
Once you close the program that uses the temporary files, Windows deletes them because they’re no longer needed.
If Windows can’t remove those files for some reason, they pile up until there’s no more room in your Drive C, which significantly slows down your computer.
To delete the contents in your temp folder, you need access to the folder, which sometimes isn’t possible.
Another situation where you may need to access the temp folder is when installing programs that need to write temporary files to that folder.
You can’t access your temp folder because your Windows account doesn’t have administrator permissions.
Therefore, User Account Control (UAC) prevents you from opening the file.
That’s a common issue in Windows 7 and later because administrator accounts created by users still don’t have full privileges.
You have a few options to resolve the problem:
- Bring UAC down to the lowest level.
- Activate the built-in administrator account, which has full privileges.
- Modify the folder’s permissions so any user can gain access.
- Replace the current temp folder with a new one.
Although it’s more convenient, the first solution has a higher security risk because you’re essentially disabling access protection.
As a result, any executable file, including malware and viruses, can run on your computer without getting blocked.
If you choose this method, make sure to return the UAC settings to their normal levels.
On the other hand, the second solution adds an extra account to your Windows, meaning you’ll have to choose which account to log in to every time your Windows boots up.
That’s especially annoying if your computer’s slow and you leave it for a few minutes to load while getting ready to start working.
The good news is that you can turn the administrator account back off once you’ve emptied your temp folder.
The other solutions require some technical expertise, so we don’t advise them if you’re not a tech-savvy user.
In the sections below, we’ll talk in detail about each method.
Solution 1: Turn Off User Account Control
User Account Control (UAC) is a feature in Windows that prevents malware and harmful files from running on your computer and causing damage.
When UAC is on, all the apps run without administrator permissions unless you right-click on the .exe file and click “Run as administrator.”
However, that approach doesn’t work with folders.
To open a folder that requires admin privileges, you need to turn off UAC.
Here’s how you can do that:
- Open the Start Menu and type in Control Panel.
- Locate User Accounts and click on it.
- Navigate to User Accounts > Change User Account Control settings.
- Bring the slider down to Never Notify.
- Click OK.
Then try to open your temp folder by typing in %temp% in the Run menu.
Note: Don’t forget to return the UAC settings to the default level, “Notify me when apps try to make changes to my computer,” once you’ve purged your temp folder.
Otherwise, you’re effectively giving malware and malicious software a free pass to run on your computer without your knowledge.
Solution 2: Activate The Built-In Admin Account In Windows
Many people don’t know that Windows 7 and later come with a hidden account with full admin privileges, including software installation, modifying files and folders, and making changes to other Windows accounts.
Even if you’ve assigned yourself as the administrator during Windows installation, your account probably doesn’t have the same level of access as this hidden admin account.
If the first solution doesn’t work for you, this one most likely will.
Here are the steps to turning on the hidden admin account:
- Go to your Desktop, find This PC, and right-click on it.
- Click Manage.
- From the left-hand sidebar, click on Local Users and Groups.
- Double click on Users.
- Locate “Administrator” on the list. The description should say, “Built-in account for administering the computer/domain.”
- Double click on the account.
- On the dialog, uncheck “Account is disabled.”
- Click OK.
- Restart your computer.
If you prefer typing in commands, here’s how you can enable the built-in admin account:
- Press the Start Key + R.
- Type in cmd and press Alt + Enter (to open the command line utility as an administrator).
- Once the window opens, enter the following command:
net user administrator /active:yes
- Wait a few seconds to receive the confirmation message.
- Restart your computer.
Once your computer turns on, you should see the new admin account.
Log in to that account, and try to access your temp folder.
Note: Once you’ve emptied the temp folder, you can turn off the admin account by navigating to the same path.
This way, you’ll only have your account, and Windows will log in as soon as you turn on the computer.
When you have more than one account, Windows will wait for your command before it can load the startup apps.
This situation becomes frustrating if you don’t want to wait for the apps to load when you get back to your desk after starting your computer.
Solution 3: Adjust The Access Permissions On The Temp Folder
Instead of using an account with high-level permissions, you can bring down the required access level for the temp folder.
To do that, you need to access the folder’s parent folder.
Navigate to C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local (where UserName is the name assigned to your user account).
Then follow these steps:
- Right-click on Temp and select Properties.
- Click on Security.
- Under Groups or user names, select Everyone.
- In the permissions section, check Full Permissions under the Allow column.
- Click OK.
If you can’t see the Everyone group, you can add it by following these instructions:
- In the Security tab, click Edit.
- Click Add.
- Under object names, type in “everyone.”
- Click Check Names.
- Click OK.
Now double click the Temp folder to see if it opens without trouble.
Unlike the previous solutions, you don’t have to reverse your changes.
Solution 4: Creating A New Temp Folder
If you enjoy going deep under your operating system’s hood, this solution will give you the satisfaction of doing so.
You can create a new folder, name it “Temp,” and ask Windows to recognize it as the new temp folder.
The solution sounds simple, but you have to be careful not to make mistakes.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Create a new folder in your Windows drive (usually Drive C) and name it Temp.
- Go to your desktop, right-click on This PC, and select Properties.
- From the left-hand sidebar, select Advanced system settings.
- Navigate to Advanced.
- Select Environment variables.
- Under User variables for UserName, select Temp.
- Click Edit.
- Replace the current value with the address of the folder you created (e.g., C:\Temp).
- Click OK twice and close the window.
- Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
Note: Environment variables store locations that Windows and other programs need to agree on to work together effectively.
They store the address of the temp folder, the directory to install files, the Windows folder, and more.
There are about forty of these variables, and they’re slightly different from one version of Windows to another.
Note 2: Tweaking your environment variables can have unintended consequences. Create a full backup of your critical data and set a restore point before applying the changes.
If you don’t know how to create a system restore point in Windows, watch the following video:
What Does The Temp Folder Do?
The temp folder stores data that different programs create when they’re running.
This data doesn’t need to be stored permanently because it’s not valuable to the user—it’s usually the result of calculations and operations that don’t directly generate the final output.
For example, a video editing app may create temporary files to store the user’s modifications before rendering the final video.
On a word processing app, the temporary files store your text and styles before you press Ctrl + S.
The folder is also very helpful when you want to install a new program.
The program’s executable and setting files are temporarily transferred to the temp folder until it gets registered with your Windows, and the main files are copied to the Program Files folder.
Windows also uses this folder to store temp files that make the Windows services run.
These temporary files have multiple advantages:
- They allow the user to undo changes they make.
- They reduce the operational load by temporarily storing calculation results.
- In some cases, they can be used to restore your work if a program crashes.
- If a program or installation process crashes, critical system files remain unaffected because all temporary files are kept in a separate folder.
When you close a program, or an installation is complete, the program deletes the temporary files because they’ve fulfilled their purpose.
However, sometimes there’s a glitch or crash, and the temp files stay on your drive.
What’s more, some poorly-coded programs don’t even bother to remove their temp files.
Although these files are usually tiny (around 1 KB), they can add up quickly.
Sometimes, especially after a program crashes, there can be huge temp files—even up to a few gigabytes.
Depending on your drive size, your drive C will fill up sooner or later, and you’ll have to delete these temp files.
One way to do that is to type in %temp% in your Run command, open the temp folder, and delete all the files.
Of course, Windows will always use a few files, and you can’t delete those.
The other files are easy to delete, and you’ll get a large amount of disk space back.
Another way to empty your Temp folder is through the Disk Cleaner utility in Windows.
Here are the steps to follow:
- Right-click on your Drive C and select Properties.
- Under the General tab, click Disk Cleanup.
- Check Temporary Files.
- Click OK.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Temp Folder
1. Is It Okay To Delete The Temp Folder?
It’s harmless to delete the files in your temp folder as they’re not critical system files.
Windows always has a few temporary files in use, so you won’t be able to delete all the files in that folder.
However, to delete the Temp folder itself, you need administrator privileges.
Even if you manage to delete the folder, Windows will quickly create a new one because the temp folder is necessary for keeping Windows operational.
2. How Many Temp Folders Does Windows Have?
Each user account has a dedicated temp folder.
Therefore, the number of temp folders will equal the number of user accounts in your Windows.
Moreover, each program can maintain a dedicated temp folder in its subdirectory under Program Files.
Finally, there’s also a Temp folder in C:\Windows\Temp, which is exclusively used for Windows operations.
Programs don’t have access to this folder.
Instead, they keep their temporary files in C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Temp.
3. How Does %temp% Work?
The percentage signs are regular expression (regex) operators.
When you type in %temp% in your Run command, Windows will search through the environment variables and return the values of the first variable whose name contains the word “temp.”
You may also use %tmp% to open the same subdirectory under AppData.
However, there’s no environment variable for the C:\Windows\Temp directory as its use is exclusive to Windows.
NEXT: Why Is My Disk Usage At 99? (Causes, Fixes)
При отсутствии доступа к локальному объекту вы не можете управлять его разрешениями, отсутствие такой возможности может быть компенсировано сменой владельца объекта, после чего вы сможете управлять его разрешениями. Сделать это можно несколькими способами, рассмотрим их по порядку.
Один из способов… Использование графического интерфейса (GUI)
* Откройте проводник (редактор реестра) и перейдите к папке/файлу/разделу реестра, к которому необходимо получить доступ.
* Для файла или папки.
1. Нажмите правую клавишу мыши и выберите в контекстном меню Свойства
2. Перейдите на вкладку Безопасность
3. Нажмите кнопку Дополнительно
4. Перейдите на вкладку Владелец
5. Нажмите кнопку Изменить
6. Установите курсор на группу Администраторы или на имя своей учетной записи и нажмите ОК. В случае с папкой также, вероятно, вам понадобится отметка параметра «Заменить владельца подконтейнеров и объектов».
* Для раздела реестра.
1. Нажмите правую клавишу мыши на подразделе реестра (в левой части редактора реестра) и выберите пункт Разрешения
2. Нажмите кнопку Дополнительно
3. Остальные шаги идентичны шагам 2.4-2.6
* Теперь, вы можете выставить разрешения своей учетной записи.
1. На вкладке Безопасность нажмите кнопку Изменить под списком пользователей и групп
2. Нажмите кнопку Добавить
3. Введите имя своей учетной записи и нажмите ОК
4. Выставьте разрешения на объект добавленной учетной записи
On this page, you will find four fixes to fix unable to execute file in the temporary directory issue:
| Workable Solutions | Step-by-step Troubleshooting |
|---|---|
| Fix 1. Run File as Administrator | Right-click on installer file > Select «Run as Administrator»…Full steps |
| Fix 2. Check Security Right | Navigate to C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local > Right-click Temp folder and select «Properties»…Full steps |
| Fix 3. Create New Temp Folder | Navigate to C: and create a new folder named Temp > Right-click PC and select «Properties»…Full steps |
| Fix 4. Disable Firewall | Disable your anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall applications…Full steps |
Unable to Execute File in the Temporary Directory
You may receive the error message shown in the image above when you run a setup file to install a program. But don’t get mad at the software or doubt its origin, the software is innocent. It is caused by system issues or software-protection utilities. The error «Unable to execute the file in the temporary directory. Setup aborted. Error 5: Access is denied» indicates that you are trying to make modifications to the folder which you don’t have access to, as you can see in the notification — «Access is denied».
Generally, you can’t continue the installation just by closing the Window. Instead, you need to resolve the issue first and then proceed with the software installation.
4 Fixes to Unable to Execute File in the Temporary Directory
To fix the unable to execute file error, you have four tips to try. After you try any of the tips below, install the software again and see whether the error 5 still exists.
Solution 1. Run the File as Administrator
Like the error «You’ll need to provide administrator permission to copy this file/folder» when you don’t use the computer as the administrator, you may be limited while using it. Most of the people who have been struggling with the software installation due to this bug claim that they have managed to bypass it simply running the file as administrator.
Step 1. Right-click on the installer file.
Step 2. Choose «Run as Administrator». Then the software may be installed successfully.
Solution 2. Check the Security Right
The problem may be caused due to security right issues if the first solution fails. Try the following steps:
Step 1. Navigate to C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local.
Step 2. Right-click on the Temp folder and select «Properties».
Step 3. Select «Security» and click «Advanced».
Step 4. On the «Permissions», you should see three options:
- «SYSTEM» with Full control which applies to ‘This folder, subfolders and files’
- «Administrators» with Full control which applies to ‘This folder, subfolders and files’
- «Your Username» with Full control which applies to ‘This folder, subfolders and files’
All these permissions inherited from the C:\Users\[Username]\ folder. If you don’t have the ‘Include inheritable permissions from this object’s parent’ option ticked, click on «Change Permissions».
Step 5. Mark «Include inheritable permissions from this object’s parent» with a tick, click «Apply» and then «OK». Click «Continue» if there are any problems, then remove the permissions that aren’t inherited.
After all the steps above, you can try to upgrade your software or reinstall your software again.
Solution 3. Create a New Temp Folder
Step 1. Navigate to the C: drive and create a new folder named Temp.
Step 2. After that, right-click on This PC (or My Computer) and select «Properties».
Step 3. Find the «Advanced System Settings» link on the left pane and click on it.
Step 4. Click the «Advanced» tab and select «Environment Variables».
Step 5. Double click on the «TMP».
Step 6. Change the value %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Temp to C:\Temp.
Step 7. Close the window and try to install the software that you’ve preferred.
Solution 4. Disable the Firewall
It may be HIPS (Host-based Intrusion Prevention System HIPS) causing this false positive. Try fully disabling your anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall applications.
Extra Tip: How to Keep Data Safe
As data loss occurs on a daily basis, it’s always necessary to get a data recovery software tool to rescue your data in the first time. If you want to recover deleted, formatted, inaccessible files, free data recovery software — EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard can help! EaseUS data recovery software can restore lost files with simple clicks.
- Recover lost or deleted files, documents, photos, audio, music, emails effectively
- Recover files from formatted hard drive, emptied recycle bin, memory card, flash drive, digital camera, and camcorders
- Support data recovery for sudden deletion, formatting, hard drive corruption, virus attack, system crash under different situations
Step 1. Select a drive and start scanning
Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard and hover over the partition where you lost data. This could be an internal hard disk, external disk, USB, or SD card. Then, click «Search for Lost Data».
Step 2. Check and preview scanned files
Use the file format filter on the left or upper right corner to narrow the scan results until you find the files you need. Then, you can click the «Preview» button or double-click a file to preview its content, if you’d like.
Step 3. Recover lost data to a secure location
Click the checkbox next to the file and click «Recover» to restore the lost data to your local storage or Cloud drive. We recommend that you do not store the recovered data on the disk where you lost it earlier.
Users have reported experiencing this error when trying to run a setup file which means the main cause of this problem is the user’s permission. What I mean to say is that at some point your system might have got corrupted and because of which your user doesn’t get the permission to run the setup file.
Unable To Execute Files In The Temporary Directory. Setup Aborted. Error 5: Access Is Denied
While the causes of this error are not limited to user’s permission as in some cases, the main problem was with the Temp folder of Windows, which was found corrupted. The Error “Unable To Execute Files In The Temporary Directory” won’t let you install the executable file even if you close the Pop-up box, which means a serious issue for a user. Now there are few solutions which help fix this error, so without wasting any more time let’s see them.
Note: Make sure to create a system restore point in case you accidentally mess up something in Windows.
Table of Contents
Before trying the below-listed methods, make sure you first try to run the Program (Which you are trying to install) as Administrator and if you still see this error then continue. So without wasting any time let’s see How to Fix Unable To Execute Files In The Temporary Directory error with the help of the below-listed guide.
Method 1: Fix security permissions on your Temp folder
1. Press Windows Key + R then type %localappdata% and hit enter.
2. If you can’t reach to an above folder, then navigate to the following folder:
C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local
3. Right-click on the Temp folder and select Properties.
4. Next, switch to Security tab and click advanced.
5. On the permission window, you will see these three permission entries:
SYSTEM with Full control inherited from C:\Users\[Username]\ which applies to 'This folder, subfolders, and files.' Administrators with Full control inherited from C:\Users\[Username]\ which applies to 'This folder, subfolders, and files.' Your Username with Full control inherited from C:\Users\[Username]\ which applies to 'This folder, subfolders, and files.'
6. Next, make sure to tick mark the option ‘Replace all child object permission entries with inheritable permission entries from this object‘ and Inheritance is Enabled then click Apply followed by OK.
7. Now, you should have the permissions to write to the Temp directory, and the setup file will continue without any error.
This method is generally Fix Unable To Execute Files In The Temporary Directory error for most users, but if you’re still stuck, then continue.
Method 2: Change control over the Temp folder
1. Press the Windows Key + R then type %localappdata% and hit enter.
2. If you can’t reach to an above folder, then navigate to the following folder:
C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local
3. Right-click on the Temp folder and select Properties.
4. Next, switch to Security tab and click Edit.
5. Click Add and type Everyone then click on Check Names. Click Ok to close the window.
6. Make sure that the Full Control, Modify and Write box is checked then click OK to save the settings.
7. Finally, you may Fix Unable To Execute Files In The Temporary Directory as the above method gives full control over the Temp folder to all the users of your system.
Method 3: Creating a New Temp Folder
1. Press Windows Key + R then type “C:” (without quotes) and hit enter to open C: drive.
Note: The Windows must be installed on C: Drive
2. If you have a problem with the above step, then simply navigate to C: drive your PC.
3. Next, right-click in an empty space in the C: folder and click New > Folder.
4. Name the new folder as Temp and close the window.
5. Right-click This PC or My Computer and select Properties.
6. From the left pane window, click on Advanced system settings.
7. Switch to the Advanced tab and then click Environment Variables.
8. In the User variables for your Username, double-click the TMP variable.
Note: Make sure it’s TMP, not the TEMP variable
9. Replace the Variable value to C:\Temp and click OK to close the window.
10. Again try to install the program, which would work this time without any problem.
Method 4: Miscellaneous Fixes
1. Try to Disable your Antivirus and Firewall to see if this work or not.
2. Disable HIPS (Host-based Intrusion Prevention System HIPS).
That’s it you have successfully Fix Unable To Execute Files In The Temporary Directory, but if you still have any queries regarding this guide, please feel free to ask them in the comment’s section.