I AM the Administrator,UAC is OFF,Yet I need Administrator Permission

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  1. Posts : 5
    Windows 7 Ultimate 64
       #1

    I AM the Administrator,UAC is OFF,Yet I need Administrator Permission


    Because LIFE is short and precious, it's reasonable to not have to waste time, clicks and energy FIGHTING the most simple of OS tasks: deleting a file or folder.

    Because it was SO DRAINING to add thousands of extra hoops to my daily work, I now log in as the Administrator and have turned off UAC. Please SPARE ME THE LECTURE about security.

    With no time to waste, busy life, I want to delete a folder but I got: "You don't have permission for this action." Very well. I'll graciously accept that, EVEN THOUGH I'M THE ADMINISTRATOR, I must take ownership of the files. Done - I set Administrators as owner FOR ALL FILES in that directory.

    Now, hours later, after searching google, I still CANNOT do this simple task. Thanks Windows 7.

    The error, in a set of errors, I NOW get is: You need permission from the Administrators. Windows really likes you to feel as if you DON'T OWN YOUR OWN **#%%^ COMPUTER. Good job.

    I don't work for a company. I've never had a virus or problem. Linux, XP - they let you GET THE JOB DONE. Windows 7, regardless of what they claim, is engineered to WASTE YOUR TIME and give you Carpel Tunnel Syndrome as you type, post and search for answers TO THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL tasks: write, delete, move files.

    It's degrading, but I find myself in the embarrassing position of asking: HOW CAN I, AS THE OWNER, ADMINSTRATOR, logged in as Administrator, which means I am, of course, in the Administrator's group - GET PERMISSION FROM THE ADMINISTRATORS as the error suggests?

    And does anyone know of an OS that let's Admins work unhindered on basic tasks?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 71,977
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
       #2

    Hello, and welcome to Seven Forums.

    If you like, you could enable the built-in "elevated" Administrator account, and log on to it to have full unrestricted access.

    Built-in Administrator Account - Enable or Disable

    Hope this helps, :)
    Shawn
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 5
    Windows 7 Ultimate 64
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Brink said:
    Hello, and welcome to Seven Forums.

    If you like, you could enable the built-in "elevated" Administrator account, and log on to it to have full unrestricted access.

    Built-in Administrator Account - Enable or Disable

    Hope this helps, :)
    Shawn
    Hello Brink - Congratulations on your MVP award. I used to work in Redmond and know how rigorously they screen employees and how competitive it is there - but fun

    I thought I had the elevated Administrator Account - but let me double check your article and see where I missed a trick? So merely logging in as the enabled Administrator account is still not the highest order of Administrator huh? Okay...checking right now - and thank you!

    Oh...I noticed my avatar was removed and my signature: TheAngel.org - Nothing to do with human rights allowed here? In other words, if my entire life is about saving women from being stoned, and you allow people to include all manner of personal information, why can't I include the tiniest blurb about what I care? OS bits are important, no doubt, but some might argue human life, even more so...
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 1,872
    Windows 10 Pro x64, Windows 8.1 Pro x64, Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1,
       #4

    What files or folders are you unable to delete?
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 71,977
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
       #5

    In addition to what Paul posted above....

    Administrator accounts are "unelevated" by default like a standard user. Unlike a standard user, if you perform an action that requires elevated rights, you will then get prompted by UAC to approve it. If you try to open or modify some system files, then you may need to take ownership of and "Allow" your account "Full control" first before Window will let you access it since system files are protected.

    The built-in Administrator is an "elevated" account with full access. The security risk of using this account is that anything that runs while logged on to it will also run as administrator (elevated) with full access without asking for your approval first. Imaging malware having this type of unrestricted access without UAC acting as a heads up to you.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 5
    Windows 7 Ultimate 64
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Brink said:
    Hello, and welcome to Seven Forums.

    If you like, you could enable the built-in "elevated" Administrator account, and log on to it to have full unrestricted access.

    Built-in Administrator Account - Enable or Disable

    Hope this helps,
    Shawn
    Hello Brink,

    I did read the article. I thought you were referring to something unexplored, but I am using the Built In Administrator account and UAC is turned off.

    To answer
    pbcopter said:
    What files or folders are you unable to delete?
    I am deleting the most vanilla files imaginable: pictures of cats in a directory called pics. Nothing special about it: this folder was copied from another computer that used XP. Please tell me that copied files don't need special massages to work under Windows 7. It's not as if they were Linux NFS or some bizarro file system. Vanilla XP, no compression, plain old files with all default permissions.

    So...I'm ADMINISTRATOR, using the "elevated" built-in Administrator Account which is, of course, a member of Administrators, and yet Windows 7 says, "You need permission from the Administrators" to delete this file. For advanced users who never had a problem with ZERO security and just want to be able to use a computer for the most basic functions: read, write, delete - Windows 7 is a labyrinth of hoops - a real incipherable maze of carpel tunnel syndrome.

    But I will say - THANK YOU MICROSOFT FOR WINDOWS. Overall - IT'S AMAZING. And I do like Windows 7 when it's not prompting me. But back to the rant: how can I beg the "Administrators" for permission to delete my own files?
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 5,642
    Windows 10 Pro (x64)
       #7

    It is because the files are from another OS installation, you need to reset the permissions on those files. You would have to do this if you reinstalled Windows XP as well.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 5
    Windows 7 Ultimate 64
    Thread Starter
       #8

    logicearth said:
    It is because the files are from another OS installation, you need to reset the permissions on those files. You would have to do this if you reinstalled Windows XP as well.
    Hello LogicEarth: Did you miss the bit in my OP that says: Done - I set Administrators as owner FOR ALL FILES in that directory. I reset the permissions of the folder and all its contents. 3 years at Microsoft + 20 more Years in IT and counting So the files were stripped of the numeric SID of the XP and now Administrators owns the files. Silly hoop, but I have already jumped through that one....
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 71,977
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
       #9

    BanStoningWomen said:
    Brink said:
    Hello, and welcome to Seven Forums.

    If you like, you could enable the built-in "elevated" Administrator account, and log on to it to have full unrestricted access.

    Built-in Administrator Account - Enable or Disable

    Hope this helps,
    Shawn
    Hello Brink,

    I did read the article. I thought you were referring to something unexplored, but I am using the Built In Administrator account and UAC is turned off.

    To answer
    pbcopter said:
    What files or folders are you unable to delete?
    I am deleting the most vanilla files imaginable: pictures of cats in a directory called pics. Nothing special about it: this folder was copied from another computer that used XP. Please tell me that copied files don't need special massages to work under Windows 7. It's not as if they were Linux NFS or some bizarro file system. Vanilla XP, no compression, plain old files with all default permissions.

    So...I'm ADMINISTRATOR, using the "elevated" built-in Administrator Account which is, of course, a member of Administrators, and yet Windows 7 says, "You need permission from the Administrators" to delete this file. For advanced users who never had a problem with ZERO security and just want to be able to use a computer for the most basic functions: read, write, delete - Windows 7 is a labyrinth of hoops - a real incipherable maze of carpel tunnel syndrome.

    But I will say - THANK YOU MICROSOFT FOR WINDOWS. Overall - IT'S AMAZING. And I do like Windows 7 when it's not prompting me. But back to the rant: how can I beg the "Administrators" for permission to delete my own files?
    If the folder was copied over to a drive formatted as NTFS, then the permissions from the XP computer will carry over with the folder and it's contents. That would be why you don't have permission since they did not originate from your PC that you are administrator of.

    If the folder had been copied over to a drive formatted as FAT32 instead, then the permissions would not have been carried over and you would have had full access to them.

    Normally, as logicearth posted above, you would need to take ownership of the folder and it's contents, then set permissions to "Allow" your account "Full control" of them as well before having access rights.

    Personally, I find using the added "Take Ownership" context menu item from below makes it much easier to automatically do the above. You might double check to make sure that you are the owner and have "Full control" permission of the files you are trying to delete.
    Last edited by Brink; 26 Jul 2013 at 15:42. Reason: typo
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 5
    Windows 7 Ultimate 64
    Thread Starter
       #10

    Thank you Brink and LogicEarth - It's working now and to summarize: I initially did exactly as Brink suggested: took Ownership - but it simply didn't work. When taking ownership I did notice it offered Administrator or Administrators the group. I chose the group. It didn't work immediately. I've since rebooted and now it does work. Its parent folder was HUGE, many files. But I would think propagation is done when the Take Ownership prompt indicates. Perhaps a reboot did something? (No, it wasn't a file in use type file lock, it was definitely a permissions/ownership error.) Lastly - I have many files copied from the same machine. This happens unpredictably and sporadically. Ah well. I truly am thankful for Bill Gates and his incredible contribution to tech but more importantly, thank Bill for his work in Africa.
    Last edited by Brink; 26 Jul 2013 at 15:41. Reason: removed promotional content
      My Computer


 
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