Access is Denied

OK, so I am going to not get irate and do something stoooopid (again).

I am new to Windows 7 and never did the Vista thing.

I am the only user on this installation and I set myself up as an administrator.

In Windows Explorer there are the folders which have the pretty little lock icons on them.

Some of them give me the "Access is Denied" error - "Location is not available" error window, "<Folder path> is not accessible. Access is denied." message.

Right now I am extremely frustrated at this behavior, but there might be some perfectly good explanation as to why there would be a folder and to deny access to it to an administrator; however, as it is the "Start Menu" folder under "ProgramData" and I would like to make an addition to it, I am fuming, and foaming at the mouth right now. I can't understand what the heck the reason would be to deny an administrator access to such a folder.

Could y'all tell me how to access it, and take a stab at 'splaining why the heck MS implemented this "feature" please?

Thank-you!

brucemc777 said:

OK, so I am going to not get irate and do something stoooopid (again).

I am new to Windows 7 and never did the Vista thing.

I am the only user on this installation and I set myself up as an administrator.

In Windows Explorer there are the folders which have the pretty little lock icons on them.

Some of them give me the "Access is Denied" error - "Location is not available" error window, "<Folder path> is not accessible. Access is denied." message.

Right now I am extremely frustrated at this behavior, but there might be some perfectly good explanation as to why there would be a folder and to deny access to it to an administrator; however, as it is the "Start Menu" folder under "ProgramData" and I would like to make an addition to it, I am fuming, and foaming at the mouth right now. I can't understand what the heck the reason would be to deny an administrator access to such a folder.

Could y'all tell me how to access it, and take a stab at 'splaining why the heck MS implemented this "feature" please?

Thank-you!

Hi Bruce and welcome

We all went thru the same angst when we first started using win 7. Win 7 stores things in different folders and the folders that are locked have nothing in them but links to where the data actually is. (usually app data on 32bit) They locked them because you know what would happen if they didnt.

The folder that kills most ppl is the documents and settings.

There are apps to change the "locked folders" but if there isnt anything to change why bother.

Ken J+

Ahhhhhh. Makes more sense now. About the only thing that doesn't make much sense to me is why those links show up as folders at all, but I can live with that. And thanks; found the right place!

The world makes a little more sense now!

Thank-you.

Want to take a crack at No option to elevate privledges? ?

So there are no actual documents or settings in the documents and settings folder? Where do they live nowadays?

So, the folder "C:\ProgramData\Documents" remains inaccessible?

jp2code said:

So, the folder "C:\ProgramData\Documents" remains inaccessible?

This is a junction too. It points to "C:\Users\Public\Documents\"