GAM transfer drive 403 error with deleting permission?
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Eric Feldman
Mar 27, 2026, 12:17:50 PM (11 days ago) Mar 27
to GAM for Google Workspace
Running a standard Drive Transfer via gam7 (I upgraded to v7.39 this morning after the first time I saw the error, same results now).
Command was
gam user sourceuser@domain transfer drive targetuser@domain
Right after it finishes the first pass processing and moves to do the rights, I get an error like this right at the beginning of that step:
"ERROR: 403: cannotDeletePermission - The authenticated user cannot delete the permission. If the permission is inherited, limited access must be leveraged (https://developers.google.com/workspace/drive/api/guides/limited-expansive-access)."
Sanitized command output for reference:
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive File: Q4 Noah Haq Data Collection, Processed (1544/1549)
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive File: AK 4 Q data sheet, Processed (1545/1549)
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive File: B. B 4th Q Data Collection Sheet, Processed (1546/1549)
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive File: 4Q MP RHHS Data Collection Sheet, Processed (1547/1549)
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive File: 4th Q KK RHHS Data Collection Sheet, Processed (1548/1549)
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive File: 4th q C Cook Academic RHHS Data Collection Sheet- Master, Processed (1549/1549)
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive File Shortcut: Copy of 2022-2023 BOY Edtech Checklist, Role: none, Not Retained: Not Appropriate (1/8)
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive File Shortcut: Jonathan Fournier, Role: none, Not Retained: Not Appropriate (2/8)
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive File Shortcut: RHHS Advisory 2022-2023 - Student Ed, Role: none, Not Retained: Not Appropriate (3/8)
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive File Shortcut: PSAT Test Info / Prep, Role: none, Not Retained: Not Appropriate (4/8)
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive File Shortcut: Copy of Academic RHHS Data Collection Sheet- Master, Role: none, Not Retained: Not Appropriate (5/8)
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive File Shortcut: Copy of Academic RHHS Data Collection Sheet- Master, Role: none, Not Retained: Not Appropriate (6/8)
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive File Shortcut: Farris RHHS Data Collection Sheet- Master, Role: none, Not Retained: Not Appropriate (7/8)
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive File Shortcut: Copy of FOUNDATION WITH ENDORSEMENT CREDIT CHECK, Role: none, Not Retained: Not Appropriate (8/8)
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive Folder: Toney, Emekia, Role: none, Retained (1/1549)
User: targetuser@domain, Drive Folder: Toney, Emekia, Role: writer, Retained (1/1549)
ERROR: 403: cannotDeletePermission - The authenticated user cannot delete the permission. If the permission is inherited, limited access must be leveraged (https://developers.google.com/workspace/drive/api/guides/limited-expansive-access).
Not sure why this is happening. Original user was an account that is a few years old and non-technical, I wouldn't expect any odd permission handling.
Any ideas? Thanks!
Command was
gam user sourceuser@domain transfer drive targetuser@domain
Right after it finishes the first pass processing and moves to do the rights, I get an error like this right at the beginning of that step:
"ERROR: 403: cannotDeletePermission - The authenticated user cannot delete the permission. If the permission is inherited, limited access must be leveraged (https://developers.google.com/workspace/drive/api/guides/limited-expansive-access)."
Sanitized command output for reference:
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive File: Q4 Noah Haq Data Collection, Processed (1544/1549)
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive File: AK 4 Q data sheet, Processed (1545/1549)
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive File: B. B 4th Q Data Collection Sheet, Processed (1546/1549)
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive File: 4Q MP RHHS Data Collection Sheet, Processed (1547/1549)
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive File: 4th Q KK RHHS Data Collection Sheet, Processed (1548/1549)
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive File: 4th q C Cook Academic RHHS Data Collection Sheet- Master, Processed (1549/1549)
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive File Shortcut: Copy of 2022-2023 BOY Edtech Checklist, Role: none, Not Retained: Not Appropriate (1/8)
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive File Shortcut: Jonathan Fournier, Role: none, Not Retained: Not Appropriate (2/8)
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive File Shortcut: RHHS Advisory 2022-2023 - Student Ed, Role: none, Not Retained: Not Appropriate (3/8)
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive File Shortcut: PSAT Test Info / Prep, Role: none, Not Retained: Not Appropriate (4/8)
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive File Shortcut: Copy of Academic RHHS Data Collection Sheet- Master, Role: none, Not Retained: Not Appropriate (5/8)
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive File Shortcut: Copy of Academic RHHS Data Collection Sheet- Master, Role: none, Not Retained: Not Appropriate (6/8)
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive File Shortcut: Farris RHHS Data Collection Sheet- Master, Role: none, Not Retained: Not Appropriate (7/8)
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive File Shortcut: Copy of FOUNDATION WITH ENDORSEMENT CREDIT CHECK, Role: none, Not Retained: Not Appropriate (8/8)
User: sourceuser@domain, Drive Folder: Toney, Emekia, Role: none, Retained (1/1549)
User: targetuser@domain, Drive Folder: Toney, Emekia, Role: writer, Retained (1/1549)
ERROR: 403: cannotDeletePermission - The authenticated user cannot delete the permission. If the permission is inherited, limited access must be leveraged (https://developers.google.com/workspace/drive/api/guides/limited-expansive-access).
Not sure why this is happening. Original user was an account that is a few years old and non-technical, I wouldn't expect any odd permission handling.
Any ideas? Thanks!
Ross Scroggs
Mar 27, 2026, 12:22:34 PM (11 days ago) Mar 27
to google-ap...@googlegroups.com
Expansive access in now enforced on My Drives which complicates transfers; send me a private Meet/Zoom invitation.
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Eric Feldman
Mar 27, 2026, 1:24:37 PM (11 days ago) Mar 27
to GAM for Google Workspace
Huge thanks to Ross for jumping on a Meet and helping me find a way to handle this case via a workaround.
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Ross Scroggs
Mar 27, 2026, 7:23:57 PM (11 days ago) Mar 27
to google-ap...@googlegroups.com
GAM 7.39.01 is now available, it properly handles the error.
Ross
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