[Solved] Contact the file owner...

[mjlongeway]

I have a new desktop computer. i have been using Apache Open Office for at least 10 years. I tried to open a file and this message appeared. "You don't have permission to open this file. Contact the file owner or an administrator to obtain permission." However, I am the file owner. And I do not know how to give myself permission. I hope I'm doing this correctly.

[Mountaineer]

... However, I am the file owner. And I do not know how to give myself permission. I hope I'm doing this correctly.

The "file owner" is the identity wich was registered on the other computer. As your computer has usually no "eyes" and is not asking for your passport, there is not much to change this.

One easy way may be to export the files from the old computer to an USB-device with old FAT filesystem, wich should not carry the identity and other properties stored in the filesystem.
.
To change the owner you have to do something specific to your OS, may it be Windows, Linux, MacOS, FreeBSD, ChromeOS etc. I don't think your mentioning of Google Chrome hints to CromeOS, but who knows...
So try google with something like

Code: Select all

Windows change file owner

[Bill]

I have a new desktop computer.

Your signature indicates two different versions of OpenOffice. Are you using one version on the new computer to open files still on the old computer?

[mjlongeway]

Thanks Bill for the reply. No....Best Buy's Geek Squad installed them both on my desktop. Further messing around with my files, some open/ some have the "obtain permission" phrase. Also, some have the "Word" (W in a square) symbol....some do not....some squares in blue, others in white. Again, some open others have the "permission phrase." Found my "owner name"....but it doesn't tell me WHAT STEPS TO TAKE to CONTACT the FILE OWNER---me!

[Hagar Delest]

There is no need to contact the owner. It is a general warning that makes sense only when you try to open a file from someone else who doesn't want others to open the file. But this is mere worst default taken by the OS seeing that the file comes from another machine.

Have you tried to search the web how to change the file owner under Windows as advised earlier?

[Bill]

Every file and folder on the computer has an access control list which defines what each user and group can do with the file. Right click the file in File Explorer and select "Properties". On the Properties dialog, select the Security tab to see the access control list for the file. If usera tries to open a file and gets the "You do not have permission to open this file..." then permission to open the file is not enabled for usera on the file's access control list. The solution is to enable that permission for usera on the access control list. If you are recognized by Windows as the file owner, then you can change the permission. Do some research online to find out how to change permissions in your operating system. You should be able to find forums for your operating system and YouTube videos that tell how to change the permissions.

Are the files in your Documents folder? You should have permission to open any file in a subfolder of Documents. If the files have been placed in a different folder, then they will inherit permissions from that folder.