Cannot Delete File – “You need administrator permission to delete this file”

When trying to delete a file from a secondary drive (e.g. E:), the system displays a message saying:
“You need permission from an administrator to make changes to this file.”
This issue occurs even if the user account appears to have administrator privileges.

Cause:
The issue is typically related to ownership or access permissions on the drive or folder. Windows may restrict actions on files inherited from another system or user account.

Solution:

Method 1: Manually Change Ownership and Permissions

1. Right-click the drive or folder and choose Properties.

2. Go to the Security tab and click Advanced.

3. In the Advanced Security Settings window, next to the Owner, click Change.

4. In the box, type Everyone, then click Check Names, and click OK.

5. Check the box Replace owner on subcontainers and objects, then click Apply.

6. Go back to the Security tab, click Edit, then Add.

7. Again, type Everyone, click Check Names, and click OK.

8. Select Everyone from the list, check Full control under Allow, then click Apply and OK.

Method 2: Use Unlocker Utility to Force Delete the File
If ownership change does not resolve the issue, use a third-party tool like Unlocker.

1. Download Unlocker from the following link:
   https://filehippo.com/download_unlocker/

2. Install the program and run it.

3. Navigate to the file or folder that cannot be deleted.

4. Right-click the file, select Unlocker from the context menu.

5. If any locking processes are shown, choose Unlock All or Delete directly from the options.

Note: Unlocker is useful for removing files locked by system processes or inaccessible due to permission errors.

Summary:
When Windows blocks file deletion due to permission issues, the best approach is to take ownership and grant full access rights. If this fails, tools like Unlocker can forcibly delete the file by terminating related locks or system handles.