Access denied

  • Thread starter Thread starter Don Sealer
  • Start date Start date
D

Don Sealer

I'm sure this is so simple it will make me look stupid but every time I try
to access "My Documents" I get an Access Denied message. I believe I also
got the same message for some other files I tried to access. How do I get
around this?
Thanks,
Don.........
 
Don Sealer said:
I'm sure this is so simple it will make me look stupid but every time I
try to access "My Documents" I get an Access Denied message. I believe I
also got the same message for some other files I tried to access. How do
I get around this?
Click to expand...


You don't. Your documents aren't IN "My Documents" in Vista. They are in
"Documents"
"My Documents" is a junction point to allow pre-Vista applications to
function.

See here:
http://www.svrops.com/svrops/articles/jpoints.htm
 
(canned response)

In Vista, "Documents and Settings" is not a folder.
Vista uses a different file structure than XP does/did. Those familiar
folder names you may be used to, like "My Documents", "Documents &
Settings", etc.
are not folders in Vista. They are junction points, and are used for legacy
programs which were written to utilize the XP file structure. They will
redirect the programs to use the equivalent Vista folders.
If you keep the protected operating system files hidden, you won't see them.

In Vista......
Documents & Settings -> \Users
My Documents -> \Users\youraccount\Documents
My Music -> \Users\youraccount\Music
Application Data -> \Users\youraccount\AppData
etc.
 
Don Sealer said:
I'm sure this is so simple it will make me look stupid but every time I
try to access "My Documents" I get an Access Denied message. I believe I
also got the same message for some other files I tried to access. How do
I get around this?
Thanks,
Don.........
Click to expand...

Where are you trying to access these from? It's very possible that you
are not actually trying to open the documents folder, which is in a
different place from XP.

In Explorer, if you turn on the view of "show hidden/system files and
folders", you'll see the names of the XP folders. These are actually not
folders, they are "Junctions", essentially for compatibility reasons.
Attempting to access them produces exactly the error message you describe.

You get around this by ignoring those, and using the folders that Vista
actually creates.

HTH
-pk
 
Are you trying to access a folder on your desktop?
Or are you trying to access it some other way?
Vista has rearranged the furniture (they call it improved security; I call
it change for the sake of change, not increased productivity), and many stub
their toe trying to navigate in the dark.
You may be clicking on what Vista calls a junction point, put there to
redirect older programs to the new location.
It almost looks like a folder in the file tree, but if you notice it is a
slightly different color/texture...like a mirage.
I don't believe it is my documents anymore, more like Username Documents or
simply Documents on the file tree.
If you look in C:\users\username\documents you may have better luck
 
Don said:
I'm sure this is so simple it will make me look stupid but every time I
try
to access "My Documents" I get an Access Denied message. I believe I also
got the same message for some other files I tried to access. How do I get
around this?
Click to expand...

Don't worry about "looking stupid". Just because you don't know this stuff
doesn't make you stupid. We all have our areas of expertise.

You can't access "My Documents" or "Documents and Settings" in Vista because
they aren't real locations. They are virtual directories, there only for
backwards compatibility with older software. The actual hierarchy is:

C(or system drive):\Users\your-user-name\Documents [Music, Downloads,
Pictures, etc.]


Malke
 
I have a question to a part of this.

If I open Computer or explorer in any way (except one specific way) then my
C:\users\your_id\ is totally empty. I cannot remember if anything shows up
turning hidden files on.

If I rightclick on the start icon anf click explorer, the C:\users\your_id\
is suddently full of files and folders.

Why this?
I don't want to rightclick on any start button or Vista logo or anything to
see that foolder.
 
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