How to Fix “This Access Control Entry is Corrupted” Error

When attempting to access certain folders related to Universal Windows or Microsoft Store Apps, you may encounter an error message indicating that the access control entry is corrupted. This error prevents you from making changes to the folder permissions by default, even when checking the security settings.

Before diving into the solutions to change folder permissions, let’s understand the meaning behind the “Access Control Entry is Corrupt” error message.

What Does “Access Control Entry is Corrupt” Mean?

The error message suggests that the ACL(Access Control List) permissions for the folder are not stably configured and appear to be corrupt. However, this might not be the case.

By default, the WindowsApps folder grants only Read & Execute permissions to the “Users” user group, which includes all user accounts on your computer. Consequently, modifying the contents of files and folders within this folder becomes impossible.

Under normal circumstances, Read permissions would allow you to open the folder. However, a special permission condition, “Exists: WIN://SYSAPPID”, is applied. This condition restricts access to the contents of the folder exclusively to processes that possess the WIN://SYSAPPID attribute.

Developers can add such conditions using security description codes during programming. Unfortunately, current command-line interfaces and graphical methods do not fully support manipulating these conditions.

Consequently, the Permission Entry window for the User group associated with this folder displays the error message “This access control entry is corrupt. Delete it and create a new one”, even if the entry itself does not have any issues.

How to Change Permissions When You Encounter This Error?

The NTFS file system in Windows incorporates two levels of security for files and folders: the current owner and user access permissions.

To change the permission settings, only the owner has the necessary authority. Therefore, you need to assign ownership of the folder to the Users account, which includes your current account.

However, keep in mind that changing the default ownership and permissions compromises the security of your system. It is crucial to revert any permission and ownership changes as soon as possible. Nevertheless, if the folder displaying this error is a user-level folder(non-system) that does not contain critical data, the impact is less significant.

In the following steps, we will focus on the WindowsApps folder, which has TrustedInstaller as the default owner. If you encounter this issue with any other folder, make appropriate adjustments to the folder name and current owner.

Note: Modifying the permissions of a system folder is a risky task and any mistakes during the process can lead to severe system issues. It is strongly recommended to create a restore point before proceeding, allowing you to revert your system in case of any problems.

1. Log in with an admin account.
2. Close all Microsoft Store apps using the Task Manager.
   • Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.
   • Locate any store applications under Apps or Background Processes.
   • Select them and click End Task.
3. Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Program Files.
4. Right-click on the WindowsApps folder and select Properties.
5. Go to the Security tab and click Advanced.
6. Click Continue.
7. Next to Owner: TrustedInstaller, click Change.
8. Type Users and click Check Names, then OK.
9. Check Replace owner on subcontainers and objects.
10. Click Apply and then OK.
11. Close the Properties window and reopen it.
12. Go to the Security tab and click Advanced.
13. Click Add and then Select a principal.
14. Go to Advanced and click Find Now.
15. Look for your user account(not the Users group) and select it.
16. Click OK, then OK.
17. Check Full control and click OK, OK, OK.

Now you can make the desired changes within the WindowsApps folder. Once you have confirmed that these changes have resolved the initial issue, it is essential to revert the modifications made to the permissions and ownership.

1. Open the Properties of the WindowsApps folder and go to the Security tab.
2. Click Advanced.
3. Select the user account you previously added and click Remove, then Apply.
4. Next to Owner, click Change.
5. Type NT Service\TrustedInstaller and click Check Names. “NT Service\TrustedInstaller” should change to an underlined “TrustedInstaller”.
6. Click OK.
7. Check Replace owner on subcontainers and objects and click Apply.
8. Click OK to close the Properties window, applying the changes.

Remember to exercise caution when modifying system folders and ensure you follow the steps accurately.

Experiencing difficulties with your Device, check out our “How To” page on how to resolve some of these issues.