▷ Fix “An error occurred while applying attributes to the file” in Windows

The error occurred $ 0027 when applying attributes to the file $ 0027 for certain Windows users when they try to open certain files hosted locally or on a shared domain. Regardless of the action they choose in this notice, the error message will come back the next time they try to open the file again.

Failed to apply attributes: an error occurred while applying attributes to the file.

What is causing the error $ 0027 when applying attributes to the problem file $ 0027?

• The file or folder is not owned by the active user: In most cases, this error message will appear because the currently active user does not have permission to manage the file. This usually happens after an upgrade to Windows 10, where user chooses to keep old files. In this case, you can solve the problem by assuming ownership of the file.

• Insufficient permissions: It turns out that the problem can also occur in situations where the user needs to modify certain attributes, but the currently configured permissions are not sufficient. If this scenario is applicable, you can easily solve the problem by opening the Properties screen and adjusting the permissions.

• The file is encrypted: if you got the file via email attachment or downloading it from the internet, you may see the error message because the file in question is encrypted. In this case, you can fix the problem by asking the owner of the file to share the encryption certificate to open it.

• System file corruption: File corruption is another possible culprit that could cause this error to appear. In this case, you can solve the problem by restarting all the operating system components. To do this, you can do a clean install or you can keep your personal data through a repair facility (update in place).

Method 1: take ownership of the file

In the vast majority of cases, this issue will occur due to a property issue. Turns out, you are most likely seeing the problem $ 0027 when applying attributes to the file $ 0027 because your operating system does not have the proper permissions to open the file.

This is usually found on computers that have recently gone through a Windows upgrade process. 10 from an older version of Windows. In general, during this update process, some of the account information is changed and access ownership is denied to certain files that survived the migration process.

If this scenario is applicable, you can easily solve the problem by assuming ownership of the file or folder that $ 0027 triggered the error $ 0027 that occurred when applying attributes to the file $ 0027.

Here is a quick guide on how to do this:

Note: The following instructions should work on all recent versions of Windows (Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10).

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the folder or file exhibiting this behavior. Once there, right-click and choose Properties from the context menu that just appeared.

2. Once you are inside the Properties screen, use the horizontal tab at the top of the screen to access the Security tab.

3. With the security tab selected, click the Advanced button (in Permissions for).

4. Once you can enter the Advanced Security Settings menu of the file showing the error, find the Owner section at the top of the screen and click the Change Associated button.

5. Later, in the Select user or group section, go to Enter object name to select menu and type All in text box. Next, click the Check Names button to validate the All category.

6. Once i get to this point, file or folder ownership has already been changed. Just click Apply to save the new changes. Change ownership to all

After doing this, try to reopen the file you just modified permissions on and see if the same problem persists.

Method 2: adjust permissions

It turns out that this particular problem can also occur due to a fairly common error in Windows 10 which generally occurs when the system needs to apply certain attributes. When this happens, some files or folders may not have full control, even in situations where the admin group configures the file to open it.

If this scenario is applicable, you should be able to solve the problem by modifying the permissions of the administrators. Several affected users have confirmed that this operation was successful by allowing them to open the file or folder without encountering the problem $ 0027, an error occurred while applying attributes to the file $ 0027.

Here is a quick guide on how to adjust the permissions of the file or folder that fails with this particular error:

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the location of the file that is failing with this particular error.

2. Once you get to the right location, right click on the file that is causing you problems, right-click on it and choose Properties from the context menu.

3. Once you are inside the Properties screen, select the Security tab from the horizontal menu at the top.

4. Next, select the Administrators Group in the box under Group or user names and then click the Edit button to modify the permissions currently in effect. Edit file or folder permissions

5. As soon as i do, you will be directed to the permission window. Once i get there, set the box associated with Full Control to allow and click Apply to save the changes. Change permissions

6. If you are prompted to click on UAC (User account control), click Yes to grant the necessary administrative privileges to make the modifications.

Method 3: check if the file is encrypted

According to several different user reports, This problem can also occur because the file or folder that is causing the “error applying attributes to file” is really encrypted.

Several companies encrypt all files by default and some even configure their email clients to automatically encrypt files when they are sent. If you received the file by email or downloaded it from the Internet, it may have been encrypted to protect it from unwanted access.

Although you will have to obtain the proper security certificate if you want to open an encrypted file, you can check quite easily whether the file is encrypted or not.

Here is a quick guide to check if the file is encrypted or not:

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the file displaying the error message. Once you get to the right location, right click on it and choose Properties from the context menu that just appeared.

2. When you get to the Properties screen, go to the General tab of the horizontal menu at the top and click on the Advanced button associated with the Attributes section. Accessing the Attributes configuration

3. Once you are in the Advanced Attributes section, go to the Compress encryption attributes section and check if the box associated with Encrypt content to protect data is checked. Example of an encrypted file

4. If your investigation reveals that the file is encrypted, the only workable solution that will allow you to open it normally is to go to the owner of the file and ask him to share the encryption certificate so you can install it on your machine and open the file.

In case this arrangement is not applicable to your current situation, see final potential fix below.

Method 4: perform an installation / clean repair

It turns out that the error of $ 0027 that occurred when applying attributes to the $ 0027 it can also appear in a case where the affected machine is faced with an underlying cause of file system corruption which ends up affecting the file management function.

If you've gotten this far without a viable solution, you may need to restart all Windows components (including BCD data) to make sure the problem is resolved.

When it comes to doing this, has two ways of moving forward:

• Perform a clean install: this operation is fast, efficient and will restart all Windows components without the need for a supported installation media. But the biggest drawback is that, unless you backup your data in advance, all personal information will be lost (including games, Applications, personal media).

• Perform a repair installation (update in place): this is a more tedious operation that requires inserting a viable installation media. But the biggest advantage is that it will only touch Windows components. Therefore, personal media, the games, applications and even some user preferences will remain intact after the operation is completed.

Feel free to choose the route that is most convenient for your particular situation..