Windows 7 - Access Denied!!!

[brxndxn]

I installed Windows 7 on my laptop because I am going to force myself to figure out how to get used to it. (So far, I really really hate it.)

If I go to c:\documents and settings, it says "Access Denied!"

If I go to my home folder on the desktop and click 'Local Settings', I get "Access Denied!"

How do I make it so that my administrator account is really an administrator account? I should not be blocked from doing anything.

 

[stash]

c:\documents and settings is a junction...you don't want to mess around with it and shouldn't need to, which is why the permissions are set the way they are.

 

[TAandy]

Originally posted by: stash
c:\documents and settings is a junction...you don't want to mess around with it and shouldn't need to, which is why the permissions are set the way they are.

doesn't really explain anything!
??
and i'm well aware, i may be missing a lot

 

[mechBgon]

C:\Documents and Settings doesn't really exist on Vista or 7, that's just a junction. Go to C:\Users if you want to mess around with your profile's contents.

 

[TAandy]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
C:\Documents and Settings doesn't really exist on Vista or 7, that's just a junction. Go to C:\Users if you want to mess around with your profile's contents.

cheers mech,

 

[brxndxn]

Screw that.. I want to mess around with everything.

I found that if I right-click C:, click properties, click security, click advanced, click owner, click edit, select my username, and check 'replace owner on subcontainers and objects', and click apply, I get no more annoying 'access denied' messages.. **** junctions. I should be able to access everything. It is my computer.

 

[BlueAcolyte]

Well maybe, you know, it doesn't exist?

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: BlueAcolyte
Well maybe, you know, it doesn't exist?

Exactly. This is the Windows 7 (x64) filesystem: http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/m...ndows_7_filesystem.PNG Obviously, there is no C:\Documents and Settings, so nuking one's file-system security in order to "access" a piece of thin air is not very productive. Just go to C:\Users, and there you are already.

Now, the issue from the local desktop, that could be a valid bug report. What steps are required to replicate that, brxndxn?

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: mechBgon

Now, the issue from the local desktop, that could be a valid bug report. What steps are required to replicate that, brxndxn?

BTW if it's the Local Settings in C:\Users\(your username) as shown in this pic :camera:, that's another junction. Doesn't really exist. Go to AppData as shown with the highlighter.

In the bigger picture, if you want to be a "traditional" Admin-level user like in the olden days, then the option technically exists, but from here onwards you are not going to be set up that way by default. It leaves you open to exploits, and this isn't the '90s where that was a low-risk proposition. So learn what you want to learn from Windows 7, but if you want to be a WinXP-style Admin, you have to set that up yourself.

 

[mah01]

Screw that.. I want to mess around with everything.

I found that if I right-click C:, click properties, click security, click advanced, click owner, click edit, select my username, and check 'replace owner on subcontainers and objects', and click apply, I get no more annoying 'access denied' messages.. **** junctions. I should be able to access everything. It is my computer.

Thank you!!! This problem was driving me nuts and your post just made my day Best regards, Mattias

 

[Red Squirrel]

I just learned this the hard way with Vista...

Before I touch any user's machine I always take an acronis image. So I did that. I mounted the image to my PC so I can access the files. ACCESS DENIED! So I took ownership of all files and folders thinking it was NTFS permissions. Nope.

So I decided to just do a full disk copy using an ubuntu live CD. Then I did the mistake of assuming I got all the files and started the format. While checking I noticed that documents and settings was empty!!!

So I go to restore my image, that wont work either! Vista really does weird file system level stuff, guess newer imaging software might support it, but TI11 does not.

Vista causes hair pulling even once it's off the computer! The user will be happy to see XP on here, but not very happy to learn vista ate his files.

 

[Blazer]

redSquirel, Ti11 was allways unpredictable, upgrade to a newer edition.

 

[Meghan54]

Vista causes hair pulling even once it's off the computer! The user will be happy to see XP on here, but not very happy to learn vista ate his files.

Actually, Vista did no such thing....more likely your error. I've used Acronis Image to dupe a hd to hd Vista install and have never had the sort of problems you keep saying you have with Vista.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Actually, Vista did no such thing....more likely your error. I've used Acronis Image to dupe a hd to hd Vista install and have never had the sort of problems you keep saying you have with Vista.

Actually know what it was a noob move on my part, I just checked with gparted and turned out I forget to set the restored partition as bootable, so it was trying to boot off the HP recovery partition which I decided to keep on there just in case.

 

[CycloWizard]

I'm having a similar issue, though I don't think the posted answers necessarily pertain to my specific situation. I wrote a program in LabView back in 2006 and compiled it to save to c:\documents and settings\username\blah. Now I don't have access to the LabView compiler anymore, so I can't update it to change it to c:\users\username\blah. The LabView program doesn't give me an error or anything, but it doesn't appear to be saving the file anywhere, either. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[n0cmonkey]

Screw that.. I want to mess around with everything.

I found that if I right-click C:, click properties, click security, click advanced, click owner, click edit, select my username, and check 'replace owner on subcontainers and objects', and click apply, I get no more annoying 'access denied' messages.. **** junctions. I should be able to access everything. It is my computer.

Bwahahaha! Don't install antivirus, turn off autoupdates, and use IE too! That'll show'em!

 

[daishi5]

I'm having a similar issue, though I don't think the posted answers necessarily pertain to my specific situation. I wrote a program in LabView back in 2006 and compiled it to save to c:\documents and settings\username\blah. Now I don't have access to the LabView compiler anymore, so I can't update it to change it to c:\users\username\blah. The LabView program doesn't give me an error or anything, but it doesn't appear to be saving the file anywhere, either. Anyone have any ideas?

The links in windows 7 should be redirecting it to c:\users\username\blah or something close.
The location of documents and settings does not exist, but there is a link there that pretends to be the location that redirects programs to the correct location.

I would start here for more information, lots of bad information on the internets. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/aa905066.aspx

 

[CycloWizard]

The links in windows 7 should be redirecting it to c:\users\username\blah or something close.
The location of documents and settings does not exist, but there is a link there that pretends to be the location that redirects programs to the correct location.

I would start here for more information, lots of bad information on the internets. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/aa905066.aspx

That's what I thought as well. Maybe I need to make an actual user with the correct name, since making the corresponding directory manually in the c:\users folder didn't seem to work.

edit: Creating an actual user account with the appropriate username actually solved the problem. There is surely an easier workaround than that, but that will work for my purposes anyway. It only appears to work when I'm logged in as the user with the appropriate name, so it may be that the link only exists during that user's session. It will work if that user is logged in, even if I'm running the program under another account.

 

[pcgeek11]

Like a box of chocolates!

Duh. Some of these people obviously can't read.

 

[Modelworks]

You can also add the take ownership option to explorer so you can right click to take ownership of any file or folder easily. Careful as it will let you take ownership of files that if deleted will make windows crash or not boot.

Save as a .reg file the code below then import to registry

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\runas]
@="Take Ownership"
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\runas\command]
@="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F"
"IsolatedCommand"="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\runas]
@="Take Ownership"
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\runas\command]
@="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" /r /d y && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F /t"
"IsolatedCommand"="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" /r /d y && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F /t"

 

[Modelworks]

DP

 

[daishi5]

That's what I thought as well. Maybe I need to make an actual user with the correct name, since making the corresponding directory manually in the c:\users folder didn't seem to work.

edit: Creating an actual user account with the appropriate username actually solved the problem. There is surely an easier workaround than that, but that will work for my purposes anyway. It only appears to work when I'm logged in as the user with the appropriate name, so it may be that the link only exists during that user's session. It will work if that user is logged in, even if I'm running the program under another account.

I think the reason it only works for that user is by default only that user has access to their profile folders. Admins used to have access, and they may still have access in win7, I have not checked. However, even if they do have access, the new security features appear to have admin accounts running as non-admin and only giving "admin" power when you answer the UAC prompt. So, and this is just a guess, most of the time even admins can't access folders that they are granted access to through the "administrators" group. Maybe you could try granting access to the folders to the actual username you are using instead of just the admin group, see if that helps. No promises, but I would be interested to hear if it works.

Oh, and because I am taking guesses, if this is important at all, back your system up before you take my bad advice.

 

[ThePCDoc]

There is no need to change ownership or anything else to access C:\Users\%username\Local Settings. It is already your folder.
(Vista and Windows 7 now use C:\Users instead of c:\Documents and Settings)
By default, everyone is denied read/view access. Probably for security reasons so that malware cannot screw with that folder (or the user).
You will notice that you can jump past the Local Settings folder and get to folders inside Local Settings, as you have read/view access to those folders. Just enter c:\Users\%yourusername\Local Settings\Temp to see all the temp files stored there.

If you really want to get browsing rights to the folders locked out (such as Local Settings), just remove the read/view denied privileges for that folder.
1) Select properties for the folder
(Click Local Settings folder and then right click Properties)
(This assumes you've changed the settings to show hidden files, folders and turned off hide protected operating system files. It is under Tools/Folder Options/View).
I think in Home versions, you have to set permissions to advanced sharing or you get a very basic version without any way to set privileges at a setting level. I don't use the Home versions.
2) Select the Security tab
3) Select Advanced button under Permissions
4) Click Change Permissions
5) Select the line for the Everyone Account, and click edit. Then, uncheck the box that says DENY read/view access. Then click ok.
6) Note that even if your account has full privileges, if Everyone is denied read access, you will be denied also. This would fix that problem. Permissions would now inherit from the folder higher up.

I find it preferable to change the deny view access for only these folders than to change permissions for my entire hard drive.

 

[hclarkjr]

I installed Windows 7 on my laptop because I am going to force myself to figure out how to get used to it. (So far, I really really hate it.)

If I go to c:\documents and settings, it says "Access Denied!"

If I go to my home folder on the desktop and click 'Local Settings', I get "Access Denied!"

How do I make it so that my administrator account is really an administrator account? I should not be blocked from doing anything.

have a look here http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/507-built-administrator-account-enable-disable.html?filter i just enabled it and deleted my account i created when i installed windows. works great, have access to everything now

 

[Nothinman]

have a look here http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/507-built-administrator-account-enable-disable.html?filter i just enabled it and deleted my account i created when i installed windows. works great, have access to everything now

I still can't even fathom why you would care enough to do that. I've been using Win7 at work since it went RTM and I can count the number of local "Access Denied" messages I've seen on one hand.

As long as you understand the Windows permissions scheme and the various, minor changes that were introduced in Vista and Win7 none of this is a problem.