access to files

Hello Group

I see some related posts, but I will ask my own particular question at the risk of being told to look it up! Nothing I've seen quite fits.

(windows 7 growing pains category. I'm sure it's my fault.)

I have a new laptop with Win 7 Pro. I am the only user, obviously administrator. No admin password created.
I networked with my XP Pro desktop and copied files onto the Win 7 laptop.
Now win 7 won't let me access or open or delete some of them.

I'm not sure why I get told that deleting or opening the transferred file requires "administrative privileges" when I am in fact the administrator.

I'm sure it's some sort of permissions issue. Maybe the permissions didn't transfer with the files. But I would like to eliminate this problem forever. Is there some sort of permanent fix, or must I deal with individual files and folders forever?
I'm comfortable editing the registry, if there is any solution there.

Many thanks

Jack

logicearth said:

Where are these files? Where did you put them?

Hello Logicearth,
Well, where I put them may be part of the problem. I'm not quite used to the Win7 layout in Windows Explorer. It seems everything is under "computer". But here's where I put them in a folder I created under what I assume is the root folder c:\. It looks like this in the Explorer tree:
Desktop\Computer\computername (C:)\desktop files

The files are of varied types, and I haven't tested all of them. I copied a lot of files I thought I might use, word documents, program installation files (.exe). But now that I'm trying to access them, I'm not having the same problem. So I'm now really confused. I need to get used to the new tree. I'm not accustomed to seeing the root folder as a subfolder, etc.
So I'll watch for the next instance of refused access and make a note of the exact file and location, then report back. I can't make it happen now!
I appreciate your reply.

Jack

Britton30 said:

Hi and welcome. you will find this is a helpful forum, not like most where one is treated like an idiot for posting a question. that's what forums are for.
Anyway, in Win 7 the folder you need is C:\Users/your user name/desired folder. Hope this helps.
Win7 also has "Libraries" which is a symbolic link to many folders like Documents, Pictures, etc. You can add you own folder to a Library as well. Libraries do not hold anything but rather point to a folder which does.

Britton30,
the folder you need is C:\Users/your user name/desired folder
OK. I can locate that, but I'm still a bit confused, because there is also a "myusername" folder under "desktop" which seems to take the place of the root folder in the win7 hierarchy. It seems identical to the "myusername" folder which I find in "desktop\computer\computername\users\myusername".
I will try to find some link which explains how Windows Explorer organizes folders and files and the differences between win 7 and XP.
Thanks for the reply.
Jack

What you are getting hung up on isn't a folder structure. It's just a pointer for convenience' sake. Click on Computer, and then the C drive and you'll see that the actual folder structure on the hard drive has hardly changed at all. Libraries and the folders you see in "Desktop" are just pointers to spots on the hard drive.

MacGyvr said:

What you are getting hung up on isn't a folder structure. It's just a pointer for convenience' sake. Click on Computer, and then the C drive and you'll see that the actual folder structure on the hard drive has hardly changed at all. Libraries and the folders you see in "Desktop" are just pointers to spots on the hard drive.

OK, that makes some sense. I never used the "pointers" in XP, either, always working from the Root folder.
By the way, I notice that "Users" seems to have replaced "documents and settings" in Win 7. And in c:\users\"username"\ there will be pretty much all of the subfolders formerly found in the XP verson.
At a command prompt, I typed cd %userprofile% and got c:\users\my username .... so I guess that proves what I just said.
Apologies for being a bit dense. Now I'm going back to my original issue, which was why I didn't have permission to access or delete certain files which I copied to the Win 7 machine from my win XP desktop. When I have more information about that I'll issue another cry for help.
Many thanks!
Jack

Britton30 said:

That is correct as Mac says, you want the one found under the C:\ root directory.
What we all have had to learn "Windows 7 is not XP". At one time I suspect we've all expected 7 to behave/look like XP....I sure have.

Yes, I guess it's human nature to resist change, especially when we get to know something as complex as a computer operating system. But adapt or die, it seems.
Thanks again.
Jack