Windows 7 - Access Denied!!!

[hclarkjr]

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.

it eliminates right click to run as admin too, how many times do you run into that? bet it is more than one hand then

 

[Nothinman]

it eliminates right click to run as admin too, how many times do you run into that? bet it is more than one hand then

Actually no, the only thing I can think of right now is cmd and that's rare compared to the rest of my day to day activities. And just thinking about that tells me that either I really don't need to manually escalate often enough to notice or that I just do it instinctively and don't see it as a burden. And to me that says something because every time I touch a Win2K8 or Vista machine I'm instantly angered by the number of UAC popups.

 

[imagoon]

Not sure why everyone wants to run as admin. I prefer the right click run as thing. Actually I find 7's more useful as I have to elevate the MMC's everytime at work anyway. And your heard that right... I am the 'head IT guy' at my office, and I run myself in a non-admin account and elevate if I need to do domain work etc.

 

[joshua2]

Windows 7 puts a Deny for the Everyone group on the Local Settings folder (no idea why). This makes it hard for admins to manage Outlook/Notes files. You need to remove the "Deny" setting for the "Everyone" group at "C:\Users\%username%\local settings" and you'll be all set.

 

[Nothinman]

Because Local Settings isn't a directory anymore, it's a junction to C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local and you should be using that path now.

 

[dawks]

Because Local Settings isn't a directory anymore, it's a junction to C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local and you should be using that path now.

I don't like the word junction.. is that the Microsoft term? Isn't it like an alias, pointer, or shortcut? Whats the UNIX/Linux term?

The Documents and Settings alias on Vista/7 isn't there for fun, it serves a purpose. Right now its main job is a redirect for older programs that have yet to be updated for the new layout. Imagine a program like Firefox, which stores a cache and profile folder in the users folder. You install it on Win7 and it attempts to create the cache and profile folder, but can't find Documents and Settings. Crash? (I'm sure the Mozilla guys have updated Firefox so its not an issue for them, just an example). Its protected by default so the uneducated dont go in and delete it, causing programs to crash, and lead to a ton of pissed off morons when they find everything stops working because they deleted something they shouldn't have.

Also the 'Run-As Administrator' is there for a reason. Its a little extra step, but it keeps the computer more secure. If you want to turn it off, you can, but I'd just leave it. The default on Win7 works fine for me, and I'm an advanced user.

 

[Nothinman]

I don't like the word junction.. is that the Microsoft term? Isn't it like an alias, pointer, or shortcut? Whats the UNIX/Linux term?

Yea, AFAIK junctions are something MS came up with for directories. In UNIX there's generally just hard and soft links (or symlinks for the latter). I believe junctions are sort of like hard links for directories, only less obvious that they're not the same as the target and can point to directories on other, local filesystems. Hard links on UNIX can't point to directories (in order to save userland from infinite recursion) and are only valid on the same, local filesystem because they're really just another name pointing to the same inode which wouldn't work across filesystems.

NTFS supports symlinks as well although I'm not sure as to the specifics about how they're different from UNIX symlinks, if there are any differences.

The Documents and Settings alias on Vista/7 isn't there for fun, it serves a purpose. Right now its main job is a redirect for older programs that have yet to be updated for the new layout. Imagine a program like Firefox, which stores a cache and profile folder in the users folder. You install it on Win7 and it attempts to create the cache and profile folder, but can't find Documents and Settings. Crash? (I'm sure the Mozilla guys have updated Firefox so its not an issue for them, just an example). Its protected by default so the uneducated dont go in and delete it, causing programs to crash, and lead to a ton of pissed off morons when they find everything stops working because they deleted something they shouldn't have.

Also the 'Run-As Administrator' is there for a reason. Its a little extra step, but it keeps the computer more secure. If you want to turn it off, you can, but I'd just leave it. The default on Win7 works fine for me, and I'm an advanced user.

Yea, I haven't found a need to mess with UAC settings or the permissions on the compatibility links. The way MS handled it is mildly annoying since I can't browse them in Explorer, but they've never stopped anything from working for me.

 

[dianna]

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.

I sure hope you know what you're doing because I just followed your directions and all seemed to work fine until I got to what appeared to be registry files where it said it couldn't change the owner. I cancelled, which gave me a message that only some of my files had been reconfigured which would produce an unstable situation! What a mess, and on a new computer too.......help........

If it wouldn't mean a big learning curve and software complications, I'd consider switching to a Linux platform. :'( Do I dare to turn off my computer?

 

[Nothinman]

I sure hope you know what you're doing because I just followed your directions and all seemed to work fine until I got to what appeared to be registry files where it said it couldn't change the owner. I cancelled, which gave me a message that only some of my files had been reconfigured which would produce an unstable situation! What a mess, and on a new computer too.......help........

If it wouldn't mean a big learning curve and software complications, I'd consider switching to a Linux platform. :'( Do I dare to turn off my computer?

Yea, the files containing the registry hive of the logged in user can't be accessed directly. I don't know if you're half f'd permissions will cause you issues, but you really shouldn't be doing that or resurrecting such an old thread. It's much better to just learn how the system works instead of trying to force it to work how you want, Windows just isn't that flexible.

Linux isn't that complicated these days, grab an Ubuntu Live CD and check it out.

 

[Lifted]

I sure hope you know what you're doing because I just followed your directions and all seemed to work fine until I got to what appeared to be registry files where it said it couldn't change the owner. I cancelled, which gave me a message that only some of my files had been reconfigured which would produce an unstable situation! What a mess, and on a new computer too.......help........

If it wouldn't mean a big learning curve and software complications, I'd consider switching to a Linux platform. :'( Do I dare to turn off my computer?

You replied to a 2 year old post. What exactly are you trying to do?

 

[her209]

You replied to a 2 year old post. What exactly are you trying to do?

Spam account maybe?

 

[dianna]

Thanks to you and Lifted who replied, it's nice to know I'm not alone out here in Windows7 land! I had become so frustrated about little things I couldn't find out how to do and all the time I wasted looking. Unfortunately, with my old computer long ago I had done some moderate messing around including editing the registry successfully. Looks like I need a serious update in computer set-up and modification.

 

[Nothinman]

Thanks to you and Lifted who replied, it's nice to know I'm not alone out here in Windows7 land! I had become so frustrated about little things I couldn't find out how to do and all the time I wasted looking. Unfortunately, with my old computer long ago I had done some moderate messing around including editing the registry successfully. Looks like I need a serious update in computer set-up and modification.

Editing the registry is exactly the same in Win7.

 

[dianna]

Ughhhh...I keep trying to reply but one of the things I've been trying to change keeps kicking me off before I'm done typing - trying to turn off my touchpad when the USB mouse is connected.

This also isn't spam. I had wasted so many hours on multiple days that when I saw something that looked reasonable and low-risk I decided to try it before I scrolled to the end of the thread.

Only reason I was trying to look in the system folders was because I was hoping for some clues about how to reconfigure some minor items. I had looked on Dell's and Windows web sites and my computer manual with no success. Wonder how many other inexperienced people mess up their computers because they can't find answers to simple questions? I was beginning to feel like I was on an old Mac again, where it takes forever just to find out that what you want to do can't be done!

 

[dianna]

Thanks to everyone, and I'll quit wasting your time since my problem isn't really an operating systems concern. I'll take a look in the other forums more related to the configuration questions I've been wrestling with.
Thanks again, you have been helpful and kind to this newbie!

 

[Lifted]

Welcome dianna. Other than " I was hoping for some clues about how to reconfigure some minor items" you haven't really given us any idea about what is wrong with your system, or what it is you are trying to change.

 

[dianna]

Thanks for the welcome!
Since you asked:

1. I want to disable my touchpad when my mouse is connected so I don't keep sending unfinished emails to my boss when reporting on our county's flooding status (for example),
2. I'd like to have my Inspiron quit trying to log-on to the internet every time I turn it on,
3. I'd like to find some configuration info about my Dell A04 BIOS,
4. and, though it's beyond anyones control, I'd like to not have all of my updates be so huge that I have trouble down-loading them on my dial-up connection. The only option here is slow dial-up or satellite.

 

[Lifted]

1) There should be an option in the control panel - mouse - touch pad (or name of touch pad device or software) that has an option to disable the trackpad when a USB pointing device is present. I haven't used an Inspiron in ages, but it may also have a button near the touch pad that you can push when you attach/remove your mouse to disable it.

2) If you are running Windows 7, make sure the dial-up connection isn't set as your default connection.

3) BIOS settings should be explained in the owners manual available here.

4) You can configure your Windows updates to only notify you, and then download them when you are on a broadband connection. Or have a friend burn them to a disc and snail mail them to you

 

[dianna]

Answers in blue below. Last entry for tonight since me thumb keeps hitting the touchpad causing me to have to retype everything!
Thanks again,
PS - thanks also Nothinman, I kept the link to look at later.

1) There should be an option in the control panel - mouse - touch pad (or name of touch pad device or software) that has an option to disable the trackpad when a USB pointing device is present. I haven't used an Inspiron in ages, but it may also have a button near the touch pad that you can push when you attach/remove your mouse to disable it. I have been through all the control panels I can find and haven't found anything that even mentions the touchpad except a list of what laptop includes. I'll disable the new mouse and try again to see some way to access the touchpad....

2) If you are running Windows 7, make sure the dial-up connection isn't set as your default connection. I'll give it a try, but it seems to me the problem is the fact that it's trying to connect at all. If I change the default won't it just try to connect to my neighbors wireless?

3) BIOS settings should be explained in the owners manual available here. I downloaded the tech manual this morning and the only BIOS information is what one is and how to update it (it said it would take 27 hours!). The link for the service manual was empty...

4) You can configure your Windows updates to only notify you, and then download them when you are on a broadband connection. Or have a friend burn them to a disc and snail mail them to you

You are quite right about setting a manual update, which is what I've been using. I've had some trouble trying to get my "free" MacAfee software to do the same.