I have lost administrative right!? :S

Hey guys, I'm new to the forum and the 'wonderful' world of Windows 7

So basically, last week I put up a file on my home network to share... on the public folders. When my flatmate wanted to access my computer - it asked for the password - and thinking this will give him access to my shared files - i typed it in.

Then, he had access to EVERYTHING on my laptop - and I mean everything. To prove it - he right clicked on my desktop form his laptop and created a folder on mine! Immediately, I thought I needed to change this.

So, thinking it was a simple procedure - I right clicked on my user account (quite simply, Dilz) and changed the sharing settings so that it is shared with 'nobody' with the small padlock symbol.

The process began... and seemed as if it was taking a VERY long time. So, needing to work on my laptop - I cancelled it and assumed that would be the end of it - so I can try again at a later time.

But, however, from then on - things got strange.

On the next reboot - my desktop became a solid black screen, all of my startup apps were unable to process with notification messages flooding my screen, Catalyst Control Center, Fences, Acrobats temp files etc... nothing works! Even when I click on the start button, all of my personalized shortcuts on the menu became unusable! Google chrome cant access a temporary location to create certain files so even that doesn't work! And when I type in the start menu search field... no results come up what soever.

The main issue is however, when I click on my main file directory (Dilz), I receive the message:
"You don't currently have permission to access this folder"
Click continue to permanently get access.

I click continue and then get a UAC window stating that:
Program name: Edit Security
Publisher: unknown
File origin: Hard drive on this computer

So I click yes to allow and get:
"you have been denied permission to access this folder"
To gain access to this folder you will need to use the security tab"

The security tab is a hyperlink, so I click on that and receive:
"Desktop: the properties for this item are not available"

Please can you help as to how I can go back to how things were, I think the main problem was when I cancelled the sharing settings from changing to nobody...

On the UAC settings, I am the admin, but this seems to prove that I have no power at all!

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated

Thanks for your time

Dilz

Please....go on!

I am afraid my experience in this area is not very deep, so I don't know how helpful I will be, but I will try to get the ball rolling. I am afraid your conclusion that canceling in the middle of the process caused this problem, or at least contributed to it, is correct. Then the reboot drove in the final nail.

This problem has surfaced before on Vista systems with files created or modified with XP via sharing, or held over from an upgrade from XP.

Is your account the only admin account?

I have found this solution (Denied permission to access folders - Vista Security) in various forms scattered about, this seems to be the best written. You can give it a try, or hopefully someone who has been through this before will join in with some better advice. Otherwise, and if yours is the only admin account, I don't see much hope.

Have you tried a system restore or booting into advanced options and choosing last know good configuration?

It's clear that permissions and sharing has been messed up by cancelling the changes half way through the job (never recommended) but trying a system restore might work, if not we'll try & do it the hard way!

By default sometimes whole user accounts are shared on the network (mine was when i set mine up), the best way to share files on your network is to ditch the context menus in explorer and head straight to fsmgmt.msc.