Complete Control ? (Windows 7 Pro on a used Computer)

I have a used Business Hp Desktop I bought from a Recycle techs" shop.
I came with Windows 7 Professional installed on it with stickers and all....

Often, this machine says I do not have permission to do something ! Ha !

I know how to get to any folder's permissions....properties | Security | Advanced etc etc.

BUT - I still run into this stone wall now and again.

Is there some place and/or setting where I (home use - no outsiders) can set the ENTIRE
Windows 7 to allow me to change ANYTHING - ANYWHERE on the machine - w/o anymore
questions or walls ?

DoctorBill

Welcome to the forum. You can't really do that and it would be unwise to try. In most cases it's there to protect you to stop you taking actions that may cripple the system. Files are set so the system has control if this is changed the system may not work. That is general advice if you have specific questions we can advise specifically

Yes - of course - now.......how do I gain total control ?

I am smart enough (PhD retired Biochemist - UC Davis 1973) to know not to change
basic Windows control stuff (especially in the Registry), but this business of Settings
and Files of PROGRAMS like SeaMonkey Internet Browser and E-Mail (Mozilla) and programs
that I have loaded up myself.

It is annoying and tiresome.

Hi,
If you can give us some more detailed items "actual settings" you're attempting to change it might help.

Much (not all) of what you want can be done by disabling UAC. But doing that is seriously not recommended. Few members here would recommend doing this.

This has serious security implications. Without UAC programs will by default have the same privileges as the account they are run under. That is convenient. But if you are using an admin level account any malware you accidentally run (and this is very difficult to avoid) will also have near complete access to the computer. You can be sure it will take full advantage. This takes Windows 7 back to near XP levels of security.

There was a time when I ran without UAC, thinking my situation was somehow special. But I came to the conclusion that the risks were just too high. I also discovered that UAC wasn't really that inconvenient.

Security always has it's price. And not just with computers.

within start > regedit > HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System, do

EnableLUA > set to 0
ConsentPromptBehaviorAdmin > set to 0
PromptOnSecureDesktop > set to 0

to disable "do you really want to open this file?"
Open File Security Warning - Enable or Disable - Windows 7 Help Forums

From post #1

I came with Windows 7 Professional installed on it with stickers and all....

Click to expand...

I like to keep things simple.
Because you have the Microsoft COA sticker with the needed key I would suggest just doing a Clean Install and start fresh.
One never knows what all is on someones old computer.

Here is a tutorial by Brink that can guide you.

Clean Install Windows 7 - Windows 7 Help Forums

Jack