Windows 7: Accidently changed security permissions for a file.

When editing permissions in the "Security" tab inside properties I messed up and edited my own to not be able to change the file anymore. Can someone tell me how to fix this.(this is a re-post because I posted in the wrong section before.)

Hi,

Can you login as adminsitrator, and change the permissions then?

Regards,
Golden

Can you go to a higher level and cascade the permissions down (apply to child objects)?

The account I'm using is already administrator. I tryed "net user administrator /active:yes" in command prompt. Even that administrator account but is unable to change the security setting on the file. If I could go to a higher level of access I would but administrator is the highest state unless there is a higher one I am unaware of.

I explained that poorly.
I meant higher directory level.

Oh-oh.
The etc directory is owned by "Trusted Installer", as a result I don't think that you'll be able to modify the permissions (i.e. add yourself back in again).

Do not remove "Trusted Installer".
If you remove "Trusted Installer", you won't be able to add it back in and that will cause trouble.
You might be able to restore your rights using icacls (Command Prompt) but I've never had any success using it.

I deleted "Trusted Installer" (when I was messing around with the Windows 7 betas) and I was forced to restore Windows from my backup image.

It looks like you'll have to hope one of the experts can suggest a solution.
Sorry.

Hi,

Can we just check something quickly? Can you run the following commands in a cmd window, and then take a screencapture of the result and post it here?

net user

and also

net localgroup

Regards,
Golden

Here you go Golden, and if I have messed something up terribly bad, restoring my PC won't be so bad just need to back up some of my important files.

Should not have been modifying permissions to begin with...Without knowing exactly what it is you changed, would be hard to give you step by step instructions. Did you set any DENY permissions? Or just removed your accounts?

IMO, that's a bit harsh.
The OP may have just "twitched" at the wrong moment and clicked on the wrong button.
It's happened to me.

It is a bit like Linux forum denizens saying RTFM (which is generally useless anyway).
Most modern software help assumes that you already know, how to do, what you are asking for help about!
If I don't know how to do something, I invariably I have to do an Internet search (especially for Linux help).

The only way to find out what things do, is to try them out.

Knowing the theory, is only half the battle.
When I worked as a technician, I used to be sent projects by engineers (that I had to construct) and a lot of them were never going to work.
Engineers should be well versed in theory (they got paid a lot more than I did, for that very reason).

IMO, the real lesson is:

Mmm. I'm at a loss. Does anyone else have a suggestion...........

One other thing you might try that I have just thought of:

In an elevated command prompt, type this:

sfc /scannow

and hit enter. Copy and paste the window contents here when it has finished, and then reboot the PC. Is there still a problem? If so, re-run the sfc command another two times, rebooting after each run.

If that doesn't work, then perhaps a restore might be in order.

Regards,
Golden