New Windows 10 Pro install missing admin rights

[pcswig13]

I just built a new rig and installed Windows 10 Pro from a new licensed DVD. The install went well, and then proceeded to download tons of updates. I installed a copy of MS Office 2013 with no issues - those programs run fine so far. However, when i went to the file explorer to create new folders for my data files, I cannot access the "This PC" folder where I can see my boot drive (C or my other drives. When I click on "This PC" the file explorer just shuts down and I am back to the desktop.
I have tried running CMD as Administrator to run sfc /scannow, but I don't have admin privileges, even though my account is "Local Administrator" (just like my other rigs).
I downloaded a copy of Q-Dir and it works fine - accessing all drives without crashing.
Any ideas on what is wrong with my admin rights and the Windows File Explorer?

Thanks for your help.

 

[RLGL]

UAC settings?

 

[pcswig13]

My user account is "Local Account Administrator". Are there other UAC settings you are asking about?
This all worked before I applied all the updates for Windows.
Before connecting the new build to the interwebs, I let it run for 24 hours - just idling - and occasionally would open the file explorer to just check things out.
The OS is Windows 10 Pro version 1709 build number 16299.248.
System is a Ryzen 7 1800X, ASUS Prime B350-Plus AM4, Mushkin DDR4-2400 RAM (2x8gb), Radeon RX560 video card, WD m2.2280 500gb boot drive.

Thanks

 

[JackMDS]

Maybe this can Help.

https://winaero.com/blog/how-to-turn-off-and-disable-uac-in-windows-10/

 

[pcswig13]

That will allow me to stop the UAC warnings, but I can't even get either CMD to Run as Administrator, nor get access to any drive installed on this computer - other than using the freeware Q-Dir program which can access those drives. My real question is what happened to my account and which of these Windows OS updates took away my privileges?
Looking at other possible contributors to this problem - it did happen after I completed the install of MS Office 2013, MS Project 2013 and Visio 2013. Could an Office install change my account?
BTW - thanks for the responses thus far!

 

[mxnerd]

Check event viewer and see if you see any warning/errors.

Or maybe

https://www.drivereasy.com/knowledge/solved-windows-10-file-explorer-crash-easy-way/

 

[pcswig13]

I just saw some warnings about Norton Antivirus having issues. This is the "free" trial version that came with the mobo drivers. I attempted to uninstall that and it crashes on the Control Panel/Uninstall process! I am rebooting to see if I can uninstall it after a reboot. Then I will check the Symantec site for how to uninstall a crashing product. AAARRGGHH!

 

[pcswig13]

Solved! The Norton Security that I installed was causing all the problems! I looked into the event viewer (thanks mxnerd for the suggestion), saw several "ERROR" entries referring to NS having issues. I then tried to uninstall via Windows Control Panel and Norton would crash. I then went to the Symantec website and downloaded the Norton Security removal tool (I ran it from the download bar since I was afraid I could not get to the Downloads folder via Explorer), removed NS, rebooted and BOOM! I can access all my drives. Too weird!
Thanks for the suggestions guys.

 

[JackMDS]

I must say that I am amazed about the Issue.

Almost all the research about Firewall and Security indicated that Win 10 native Firewall and Defender are as Good as any of the 3rd party Security suits.

Yet just because something is Given for free trial people are uncap able to get rid of the "Crapware" and resort to the Integrated solution that also get update once a week with security Updates.

 

[mxnerd]

I never use any free antivirus program since Windows 7 and hardly have any problem.

 

[RLGL]

I never use any free antivirus program since Windows 7 and hardly have any problem.

Win 10 is notorious for issues with aftermarket security software, yes it is getting better but....Defender works great and is FREE

 

[mikeymikec]

I just built a new rig and installed Windows 10 Pro from a new licensed DVD. The install went well, and then proceeded to download tons of updates. I installed a copy of MS Office 2013 with no issues - those programs run fine so far. However, when i went to the file explorer to create new folders for my data files, I cannot access the "This PC" folder where I can see my boot drive (C or my other drives. When I click on "This PC" the file explorer just shuts down and I am back to the desktop.
I have tried running CMD as Administrator to run sfc /scannow, but I don't have admin privileges, even though my account is "Local Administrator" (just like my other rigs).
I downloaded a copy of Q-Dir and it works fine - accessing all drives without crashing.
Any ideas on what is wrong with my admin rights and the Windows File Explorer?

Thanks for your help.

When you attempt to run the command prompt with admin privileges, what exactly does it respond with?

From what you've said so far, this doesn't sound like an admin rights/UAC issue. Explorer seems to be crashing for some reason (and to investigate that I'd have a poke through the event viewer > custom logs > administrative events; considering it's a fresh install from an apparently legit source, it sounds to me like you have hardware problems).

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Win 10 is notorious for issues with aftermarket security software, yes it is getting better but....Defender works great and is FREE

Hear! Hear!

And I keep telling people, Norton and McAfee ARE malware Malwarebytes $29.99 for 3 PCs 1yr and Defender, are a great, lightweight, combo, compared to the bloated carcasses of those others.

 

[pcswig13]

It was a copy of Norton that was not compatible with Windows 10, so obviously an OLD version, but was included with the ASUS mobo driver CD. I have used Norton for 20 years, and these days I use Norton on some machines and Windows Defender on others, depending on my needs at the time. I also use Malwarebytes on all my machines. So, lesson learned here, future builds will not use freebies of Norton although this is the first time I have experienced Norton causing such a problem. I put this on ASUS for including an incompatible version on the mobo CD - and me for not checking it further before installing.
Thanks again for all the help and comments.

 

[pcswig13]

When you attempt to run the command prompt with admin privileges, what exactly does it respond with?

From what you've said so far, this doesn't sound like an admin rights/UAC issue. Explorer seems to be crashing for some reason (and to investigate that I'd have a poke through the event viewer > custom logs > administrative events; considering it's a fresh install from an apparently legit source, it sounds to me like you have hardware problems).

RE the admin rights issue, I would enter CMD in the search bar, right click on the top result for "Run as Administrator", the screen would blink and come right back to the desktop without doing anything at all. On the issue of accessing the drives from File Explorer, the File Explorer would load, and I could see/access my user account folders (Downloads, Documents, etc.) but when I tried to access the C:, D: or other drives, File Explorer would shutdown and return me to the desktop.
As you can see from the thread, a version of Norton Security I had installed was not compatible with Windows 10 and when I downloaded Nortons NRnR tool and removed that install, everything worked as it should. I can now run CMD as admin, and can see/read/update all my drives and folders.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Solved! The Norton Security that I installed was causing all the problems! I looked into the event viewer (thanks mxnerd for the suggestion), saw several "ERROR" entries referring to NS having issues. I then tried to uninstall via Windows Control Panel and Norton would crash. I then went to the Symantec website and downloaded the Norton Security removal tool (I ran it from the download bar since I was afraid I could not get to the Downloads folder via Explorer), removed NS, rebooted and BOOM! I can access all my drives. Too weird!
Thanks for the suggestions guys.

I was just scanning through this thread, and I could say something that prompts a correction: "Didn't you read [this/that] post.

But I'm dumfounded about Norton as you describe it today, comparing to the experience I had with it more than ten years ago.

The reason I eventually migrated to Kaspersky was simple. Not only did KIS get excellent ratings from an Israeli computer security analysis outfit, but it was widely known that KIS didn't leave parts of itself in the system after you uninstalled it. And that was the problem with Norton.

So you're telling me today that current versions of Norton leave one with the same difficulties.

And that isn't even the issue you brought here. Glad you fixed it.

 

[Tiluka]

I just built a new rig and installed Windows 10 Pro from a new licensed DVD. The install went well, and then proceeded to download tons of updates. I installed a copy of MS Office 2013 with no issues - those programs run fine so far. However, when i went to the file explorer to create new folders for my data files, I cannot access the "This PC" folder where I can see my boot drive (C or my other drives. When I click on "This PC" the file explorer just shuts down and I am back to the desktop.
I have tried running CMD as Administrator to run sfc /scannow, but I don't have admin privileges, even though my account is "Local Administrator" (just like my other rigs).
I downloaded a copy of Q-Dir and it works fine - accessing all drivers without crashing.
Any ideas on what is wrong with my admin rights and the Windows File Explorer?

Thanks for your help.

Does your computer has another OS?

If answer is yes, the problem should be caused by the ownership of those files/folders belongs to the user account on the other OS. Please try to take ownership of files/folders to test the issue.

1. Please navigate to the target file/folder.
2. Right-click on the file/folder and choose Properties.
3. Click the "Security" tab and see if your current user is listed in the "Group or user names" list. If not, please click Edit-> Add button, type the name of your current user in the "Enter the object names to select " box, then click "OK" to add this group.
4. Select the user from the list and then check the "Allow" checkbox next to "Full Control".
5. Click the Advanced button and click the "Owner" tab. Then, press "Edit" button.
6. Select current user from the list and check the "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects" checkbox.
7. Click "OK" to save changes and wait for Windows 7 to transfer the ownership of all the objects on the partition.
8. Click OK again to save changes and exit the Properties window.
9. Test the issue again.

Hope it helps.

 

[pcswig13]

@ Tiluka - No other OS on this computer.

With regards to reading other posts, I did search the OS forum for issues with Windows 10 and admin rights issues, using various combos of the wording of the search and found nothing that helped. Several threads that offered tips involving Control Panel settings, folder settings, etc.
The best advice I got was from mxnerd who suggested checking the event logs. That is what triggered my deeper dive into the Norton installation and subsequent removal.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

@ Tiluka - No other OS on this computer.

With regards to reading other posts, I did search the OS forum for issues with Windows 10 and admin rights issues, using various combos of the wording of the search and found nothing that helped. Several threads that offered tips involving Control Panel settings, folder settings, etc.
The best advice I got was from mxnerd who suggested checking the event logs. That is what triggered my deeper dive into the Norton installation and subsequent removal.

'Tis not for me to dispute you. And it is obviously the culprit was the Norton software.

But these mis-assigned security permissions are not an uncommon problem with windows installations. I spent several hours methodically studying a procedure for changing security permissions in "Component Services." It almost always seems to me that OS installations lately show red-bangs in the System Event Log -- typically DCOM errors. I was almost thrown in my pursuit when I luckily discovered that NT Authority/LOCAL SERVICE as shown in Win 7 is now only identifiable in the Windows 10 list of users and groups as LOCAL SERVICE. But I digress . . .

By the number of forum posts I've seen over the years, it seems to be common wisdom that keen users try to clear up errors in the Event Logs. For other people, it's over their heads.

Heck. My cell-phone is "over my head" . . . .

 

[pcswig13]

No worries. I am an experienced system builder, but a total noob at interpreting the event logs. I have seen "Warnings" and "red-bangs" in the logs and used that info before, but totally whiffed on this one. The Anandtech forums are excellent and I appreciate the feedback from folks who have way more deep dive experience than I. Thanks!

 

[pcswig13]

I was just scanning through this thread, and I could say something that prompts a correction: "Didn't you read [this/that] post.

But I'm dumfounded about Norton as you describe it today, comparing to the experience I had with it more than ten years ago.

The reason I eventually migrated to Kaspersky was simple. Not only did KIS get excellent ratings from an Israeli computer security analysis outfit, but it was widely known that KIS didn't leave parts of itself in the system after you uninstalled it. And that was the problem with Norton.

So you're telling me today that current versions of Norton leave one with the same difficulties.

And that isn't even the issue you brought here. Glad you fixed it.

Yes, the version that I had installed from the included mobo CD (drivers, etc.) was not compatible with Windows 10. I put that error on ASUS (this is a Prime B350-PLUS) for allowing that version to be part of their distro package. After I had successfully uninstalled that specific install, the NRnR tool linked to a Symantec page where I could get the most recent version of NIS and download for free. Aggravating, but its all good now. I have never used KIS. Been tempted to try it, but never have.