Access Denied, too many folder levels and other pet peeves

1. There is redundancy, but most of us don't store data in the "my folders" anyway. That's what we use data drives for. I don't need to access or have any reason to be mucking with files on C. Which leads too....
2. Windows 7 is designed to protect the computer from the user (and malware) by keeping the system volume locked down. If you are seeing access denied messages, it usually means you are trying to go into an area you shouldn't.
3. This one always gets me. Aside from Homegroups, networking has been unchanged for several versions of Windows. If end users would just learn how to proprly use networking features using accounts and UNC paths, there is no confusion or issues when using multiple versions o Windows. Forget Simple Network File Sharing...forget all the other Fisher Price Wizards. Network the proper way, and you won't run into issues. Since it is a non-domain setup, use the same username and password combos on all machines.

Britton30 said:

If you open an Explorer window and click Libraries, in the menu will be a link for New Library and you can create your own and customize it as above. A folder may be included in more than one Library if desired.

Attachment 180792

Thanks Britton, but when I do that my New Library doesn't show up in the Start Menu on the right in the Black section where Docs, Pics, Computer, et al are listed. That's where I would like the Folder to be. (One caveat, I have not yet rebooted since following your directions above.)

DeaconFrost said:

1. There is redundancy, but most of us don't store data in the "my folders" anyway. That's what we use data drives for. I don't need to access or have any reason to be mucking with files on C. Which leads too....
2. Windows 7 is designed to protect the computer from the user (and malware) by keeping the system volume locked down. If you are seeing access denied messages, it usually means you are trying to go into an area you shouldn't.
3. This one always gets me. Aside from Homegroups, networking has been unchanged for several versions of Windows. If end users would just learn how to proprly use networking features using accounts and UNC paths, there is no confusion or issues when using multiple versions o Windows. Forget Simple Network File Sharing...forget all the other Fisher Price Wizards. Network the proper way, and you won't run into issues. Since it is a non-domain setup, use the same username and password combos on all machines.

Thanks Deacon for your reply,

1. You threw me on this. What do you mean "but most of us don't store data in the "my folders" anyway." Years ago, all docs were stored in C:/name your folders. C: was just the File Cabinet. Then MS added Docs & Settings - sort of putting another File Cabinet into the C: Cabinet. Now they have added Junction Points (if I understand this correctly) which are like secretaries who keep tabs on all your docs for you regardless of how messy you are at filing - and ostensibly to add a level of security (the security is an armed Marine veteran?)
" That's what we use data drives for." How does a Data Drive differ from a Hard Drive?

2. I shouldn't? It is my computer, and I want to go anywhere I please. MS in its infinite paternalism tells me that there are things in the trunk and glove compartment that I shouldn't go into. How many levels of the computer do they have to keep me from? In any case, given your acceptance of their thinking process, logicearth showed me that one can hide those files.

3. Unfortunately, that, in my experience, is not always how it works. Having multiple computers with each having different settings (and users) poses problems when setting things up. I can understand your peeve, but it doesn't help me with what I'm having to deal with. Also, there is a bit of patronizing in your remarks. Why waste your time typing out a flame to me, or do I represent the whole world of end users who irritate you?

Anyway thanks for getting that off your shoulders.

1. A data drive is a separate drive (preferably) or partition from the system volume to keep user created data away from the OS and apps. Not only does this help with organization, but it removes all the usual "need to take ownership" threads that people create later, and also makes reinstalling a snap, as your data is already separate from the OS that may need to be repaired or reinstalled. If I deleted the C partition on any one of my computers right now, I'd lose nothing in terms of important information.

2. You have to remember who the primary user base of a computer is...and that's not a member of the enthusiast crowd. Besides, unhiding files has nothing to do with Access Denied messages, so I feel as though we are discussing two separate points here.

3. It is patronizing, but directed at you solely. It's directed at all the people who constantly expect Windows to hold their hand through basic networking, instead of just taking a few minutes to learn how to do it properly. On the [H]ardForums, we always referred to it as Fisher Price Networking, suggesting that simple file sharing should be disabled right after a fresh install. To me, using the UNC methods means you can network anything together, from Windows 98/ME up to Windows 7. The basic traditional networking methods haven't changed, so there hasn't been anything new to learn with each new release. For home networks, it is actually quite simple if you follow those principles. Put the same user accounts on all systems, and the problems all go away. People tend to make home networking much more difficult for themselves, ironically, by trying to use all the wizards that pretend to simplify the process.

1. OK, data drive is something we agree on. While I generally have a second HD that I use for that purpose, I have not gotten it into this new computer with Win 7. It is still in a WinXP computer that I am having troubles with and thus was trying to set up a dual boot on this computer.

2. I take your point on average vs enthusiast user.
"so I feel as though we are discussing two separate points here." As for the Access Denied, logicearth is correct, Checking "Hide protected OS files" did solve the problem of having folders with shortcut arrows being seen. There is another check box for hiding files and folders but that is not the one to get rid of the warnings.

3. "It's directed at all the people who constantly expect Windows to hold their hand through basic networking" & "You have to remember who the primary user base of a computer is..." Aren't you a little ambivalent here?

Deacon, I too am ambivalent, but it is mostly because computers now take up so much time. On the one hand, I used to do everything manually, and I used to do all the work on my car too. However, everything is far more complicated today, and I'm getting older and not as sharp as I used to be. I could spend days at a time staring at the computer to write a program, or rebuild an engine. I once wrote a long involved macro for Lotus 123 and gave it to my neighbor who said that I was ahead of my time, and a month later, the next version of Lotus came out with that as a built-in feature! I decided then that unless I was going to go to work for a software company, I would confine myself to being a user. The same with cars that had computers.

Now I want to use the computer for other purposes, and I want to drive my car. The specialized knowledge needed to keep up with computers and even cars has made it difficult and time consuming for the average user. However much to the chagrin of computer people, computers are still not "Plug and Play". Would that it were so easy. There is always a glitch, or "we have stopped supporting that". (Of course, there would then be no need for forums like this or customer support.)

How about the need to constantly be upgrading programs because MS has changed the OS yet again. I have a CAD program that has the drawings of my house, but it is an old version and I don't want to spend $1600 to upgrade to the latest version that is compatible with Win7. But I still want to see my drawings and sometimes even do some new drawings. Unfortunately, I can't use that program on Win7. And I have any number of programs like that. And my wife is a librarian and says that is a major problem for the archivists and historians who have to deal with original works done on old OSs or programs. No one in the computer business has given that much thought. Software is just another aspect of the "throwaway society".

Anyway, thanks for your help.

I agree on most points, but the thing about the networking is that getting right into the traditional way is actually quicker, in my opinion...and saves time in the long run because it doesn't involve different steps for each OS.

Wile I also agree about the upgrade tangles, why not just virtualize your old copy of XP for backwards compatibility? Your system, at least what's listed, is more than capable. XP Mode was created for this exact purpose, but there are other alternatives as well, some free. Virtualization sounds scary to some, but it's actually quite simple to get running.

Deacon, I've got programs that ran in DOS & Win95. Manufacturers out of business on some, expense of upgrading to an x86 or x64 if they exist are just way beyond my budget, and after extracting the data, might not be needed. Using Program Compatibility doesn't work. I have Win7 Home Edition, thus my understanding is that Virtual XP doesn't work on it.

I am thinking that rather than trying to go about it using this new computer, I should dig out an old computer and have it repaired and run Win95 on it.

I did set up a dual boot for this machine, and installed XP which did run the programs, however, I can't get them to run on this boot.

Thankfully computers are time-saving devices, cuz at my age, I need something like that.

Again, thanks for taking the time to reply

If you have a license for XP, you can use VirtualBox, which is completely free. I've considered dual-booting a dead technology for a couple of years now, just because virtualization works so well, especially with modern hardware.

Can I use Win95 on VirtualBox? I still have a copy of it, however without all the upgrades. It ran much of what I wanted to use.