How to fix Error 1336 on Windows 11

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Why This Error Happens

Error 1336 typically occurs when the security descriptor or Access Control List (ACL) attached to a file, folder, or registry key becomes corrupted, malformed, or contains orphaned Security Identifiers (SIDs). This often happens after a botched software uninstallation, a failed Windows Update, or third-party permission-management tools writing invalid ACL entries. In some cases, disk corruption or an interrupted file transfer can also damage the NTFS security metadata, triggering this error during installation or file access operations.

Step-by-Step Resolution Guide

Step 1: Run System File Checker and DISM

  • Open Windows Terminal (Admin) by right-clicking the Start button and selecting “Terminal (Admin)”.
  • Run sfc /scannow to repair corrupted system files that may hold invalid ACL data.
  • Follow up with DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth to repair the underlying Windows component store.

Step 2: Reset Permissions on the Affected File/Folder

  • Identify the exact file or folder path mentioned in the error log (check Event Viewer > Windows Logs > Application).
  • Take ownership using: takeown /F "C:\Path\To\File" /R /D Y
  • Reset the ACL using: icacls "C:\Path\To\File" /reset /T /C
  • Re-grant standard permissions with: icacls "C:\Path\To\File" /grant Administrators:F /T

Step 3: Rebuild Corrupted ACLs via Secedit

  • Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
  • Run secedit /configure /cfg %windir%\inf\defltbase.inf /db defltbase.sdb /verbose to restore default security templates.
  • Restart the machine to allow Windows to reapply baseline ACL structures across the system.

Step 4: Check Disk for Underlying Corruption

  • Run chkdsk C: /f /r from an elevated Command Prompt.
  • Schedule the scan on next reboot if prompted, since the C: drive is in use.
  • Allow the full disk scan to complete, as this repairs NTFS metadata that stores ACL structures.

Alternative or Verification Steps

  • After completing the steps, retry the original action (install, file access, or update) that triggered Error 1336 and confirm it completes without the ACL warning.
  • If the error persists, use a System Restore Point dated before the issue began, or run icacls "C:\Path\To\File" /grant *S-1-1-0:F /T to forcibly reset permissions using the well-known “Everyone” SID as a fallback.