No Accounts have permissions to C:\Windows\ ??

I have been given a project to test Windows 7 Pro in my work environment and our Desktop administration team has simply given me a stripped down version of Win 7 Pro, with little modifications.

I got an error message when trying to install our e-mail client, and noticed it is not allowing me to write to the c:\windows folder. I checked the permissions for it, and literally, NO ACCOUNT has full control or even write permissions to this folder- not even the local administrator account. I have been unable to add permissions to the folder, because there is no account that has them...

I'm not sure what to do about this, and i'm quite surprised that the permissions are not there.

The local administrators have full control of C:\ and I attempted to force child objects of c:\ to inherit permissions from C:\, but it did not work.

Anybody have any ideas on what I should do?

Your email client needs to write files to the Windows directory?!
That is just absurd! Honestly.

Talk to the company that supplies the email client and get them to update it. There is no reason that should require write access to the Windows directory. It is a security vulnerability and should be eliminated.

logicearth said:

Your email client needs to write files to the Windows directory?!
That is just absurd! Honestly.

Yes it does, and yes you're right, however that is not the issue here..

Even the OWNER of C:\windows does not have permissions to write to it...

The Windows directory is under Windows Resource Protection (TrustedInstaller)
Supported Resource Replacement Mechanisms (Windows)

DeaconFrost said:

You shouldn't have any issues installing a mail client normally under Windows 7, unless it's horribly incompatible. What's the mail client name and version? The fact that you shouldn't be writing to the Windows directory is normal, and shouldn't even be noticed, or a consideration.

GroupWise 7.3....