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Vista says I don't have rights to save a file

Muse

Muse

Lifer
It's my new notebook, an Acer 6530 and I'm engaged in the process of configuring, setting up to my standards, etc. I open a .txt file in the operating system's partition (C: ), in the root directory, do a Save As and go to save it and get a message that I don't have permission to save there, do I want to save in My Documents or some such. I don't like to use My Documents, etc. personally because it doesn't help me in my backup scenario. I have my data elsewhere, under \DATA.

Why am I getting this message? I never had these problems in previous OS's. This notebook is running Vista Home Premium presently (to be upgraded to W7 when it releases).
 
Now I go into Windows Explorer and click on my own Documents and Settings folder to open it and I get Access is denied. WTF. I am the administrator, the only administrator. 😕

I cannot even access my own My Documents folder! :Q
 
Originally posted by: Muse
Now I go into Windows Explorer and click on my own Documents and Settings folder to open it and I get Access is denied.
Click to expand...
What folder, EXACTLY, are you trying to open? In Vista, there is no accessible folder named "Documents and Settings". Trying to access the "folder" with that name will result in an "Access is denied" message. Same thing with the folder c:\Users\%UserName%\My Documents.

Those two folders are fake and both are links to the actual location that Vista uses to store your documents. They are there for the benefit of older applications that try to write to the old folder names.
 
Originally posted by: RebateMonger
Originally posted by: Muse
Now I go into Windows Explorer and click on my own Documents and Settings folder to open it and I get Access is denied.
Click to expand...
What folder, EXACTLY, are you trying to open? In Vista, there is no accessible folder named "Documents and Settings". Trying to access the "folder" with that name will result in an "Access is denied" message. Same thing with the folder c:\Users\%UserName%\My Documents.

Those two folders are fake and both are links to the actual location that Vista uses to store your documents. They are there for the benefit of older applications that try to write to the old folder names.
Click to expand...

I do not comprehend this. What is MS trying to do here? How the hell am I supposed to get to My Documents, etc. if they won't let me? A different access method, I suppose, whatever that might be. That's maddening and stupefying.

If the info is somewhere else, then where? How am I supposed to get to it? I've had the feeling that Microsoft has been playing a shell game with users for quite a while now, and I don't sense that they are demystifying things.

I couldn't even save a .txt file to my C:\ directory. Are you telling me that this too is now an illusion? 😕
 
The real "My Documents" is in a new location (unless you've redirected it). By default it's at: c:\Users\%UserName%\Documents. Same thing with "My Music", "My Pictures", etc. They are there in folders called Music and Pictures.

In Windows 7, the locations are the same as in Vista, but those special folders have regained the "My" prefix (i.e. My document, My Music, My Pictures).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Documents
 
Originally posted by: Muse
I do not comprehend this. What is MS trying to do here? How the hell am I supposed to get to My Documents, etc. if they won't let me? A different access method, I suppose, whatever that might be. That's maddening and stupefying.
Click to expand...
Heh! I *feel* your pain! 😀

I never have understood this... but at the same time, didn't care enough to take the time n' trouble to figure it out. And, I've been running Vista for 2 years.

Example: I run Secunia PSI in the background on all of my Windows machines. Last week, PSI warned me that my Adobe Flash installs were unsafe - the offending file was Flash10b.ocx, if I remember correctly.

W2K Pro: Deleted the file - end of problem. The latest Flash update had taken care of registry but evidently left the old version intact.

XP: Dittos. No problem deleting it or with the registry pointer getting cleared.

Vista: Major problems! Vista had locked it down tight and I couldn't touch it. Also, Vista wouldn't let me remove the entry from the registry. (Yes, I booted into Safe Mode, et cetera)

What I did was boot into Mint 7 and use Nautilus to remove the Flash file from the Windows directory, but there's nothing I can do about the registry AFAIK. So, when I run Crap Cleaner I get a warning that I have a bogus pointer in my registry, which Vista won't let me (or Crap Cleaner) remove. (Yes, I'm running Crap Cleaner with Admin creds)

So, while I don't no WHY Vista does things like this, I've learned to live with it. No pain, not gain... 😉
 
Originally posted by: RebateMonger
The real "My Documents" is in a new location (unless you've redirected it). By default it's at: c:\Users\%UserName%\Documents. Same thing with "My Music", "My Pictures", etc. They are there in folders called Music and Pictures.

In Windows 7, the locations are the same as in Vista, but those special folders have regained the "My" prefix (i.e. My document, My Music, My Pictures).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Documents
Click to expand...

Oh Jeez. Well, one reason I'm into computers is for the challenge. The challenges seem infinite. A new OS, big deal, eh? It just gets easier, right Microsoft? Satisfaction is a click away.... Well, right now I feel as though I'm a rookie ballplayer who has been handed a bat and Sandy Koufax is on the mound with his best stuff. I'm almost sure to strike out! I know, I'll get the hang of it eventually. Oh man, and Windows 7 is just around the corner. Really, I kind of like XP. 😀 Windows 2000 didn't really bother me. 🙂

I'll be diving into that wikipedia article for sure... Thanks!
 
Right click and "Take Ownership" is a lifesaver. Been using it with Vista and now Win 7 for quite a while. Very safe unless you try to bite off too big a chucnk. It is also necessary to use in some new program installations - they also can get flummoxed by UAC and other Security controls.
 
I think what you have to do is go to the Start Menu and in the search box type notepad. On notepad right-click and click run as administrator. This will allow you to save anywhere. You need to run notepad as an admin.
 
when you are "adminstrator" in Vista, you aren't really adminstrator. Vista have clever scheme of asking you twice before you can do anything.

this make vista really secure because hackers not smart enough to think to ask twice.
:light:
 
To Disable User Access Controls:

(1) Go to the Control Panel

(2) Click on the User Account icon

(3) Select "Turn User Account Control On or Off"

(4) Check or Un~Check the box, as appropriate, and restart.



To activate the REAL administrator account:

(1) Open an elevated command prompt

(2) Type: net user administrator /active:yes

(3) Log Off

(4) Click on the new account icon named Administrator and set it's properties just like you would any new account. Be smart - At least put a password on it, willya?


Be Advised This new account is the "real" administrator account, and akin to the Root account on a *nix box. Everything you do, and any programs installed or running under this account will have full and completely unrestricted access to everything on the computer. I recommend only using this particular account when you need to.
 
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