Cannot access C:\Windows

  • Thread starter Thread starter Armstrong Wong
  • Start date Start date
A

Armstrong Wong

When I changed settings in Windows Properties|Security, suddenly C:\Windows becomes in accessible. After rebooting, it always displays the error: "...Skipping Autocheck".

Can someone help me access the C:\Windows folder? Now I'm in the recovery mode. I did chkdsk and everything is okay. The only problem is how to access the C:\Windows folder during the normal Windows startup. Please help. Thanks.

Armstrong
Hong Kong
 
You probably gave deny access to a general group such as users or everyone or removed all users from the access control list. To fix that you will have to do it from outside the operating system. You could do a parallel install of the operating system or place your hard drive into another computer as a secondary/slave hard drive to then check and change permissions on the locked out operating system. If you have network access then from another network computer you might be able to use the free utility psexec from SysInternals to access the command prompt and use the command line tool cacls to see and change the permissions on the folder you messed up. If all that fails do an upgrade/repair install which will require that you have the install disk and product key. After that you will have to first install your service pack [if not included as part of the install] and then all the needed critical security updates at Windows Updates. A repair/upgrade install should preserve your data and applications. --- Steve

http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/PsExec.html --- Psexec
http://www.ss64.com/nt/cacls.html --- Cacls syntax
http://helpdesk.its.uiowa.edu/windows/instructions/repairinstall.htm --- XP repair install
When I changed settings in Windows Properties|Security, suddenly C:\Windows becomes in accessible. After rebooting, it always displays the error: "...Skipping Autocheck".

Can someone help me access the C:\Windows folder? Now I'm in the recovery mode. I did chkdsk and everything is okay. The only problem is how to access the C:\Windows folder during the normal Windows startup. Please help. Thanks.

Armstrong
Hong Kong
 
Steve,

Thanks for your very thorough assistance. Hours after I posted my last message, I re-installed Windows XP. In fact, all your diagnostics is correct. Thanks again for your help.

Armstrong
Hong Kong
You probably gave deny access to a general group such as users or everyone or removed all users from the access control list. To fix that you will have to do it from outside the operating system. You could do a parallel install of the operating system or place your hard drive into another computer as a secondary/slave hard drive to then check and change permissions on the locked out operating system. If you have network access then from another network computer you might be able to use the free utility psexec from SysInternals to access the command prompt and use the command line tool cacls to see and change the permissions on the folder you messed up. If all that fails do an upgrade/repair install which will require that you have the install disk and product key. After that you will have to first install your service pack [if not included as part of the install] and then all the needed critical security updates at Windows Updates. A repair/upgrade install should preserve your data and applications. --- Steve

http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/PsExec.html --- Psexec
http://www.ss64.com/nt/cacls.html --- Cacls syntax
http://helpdesk.its.uiowa.edu/windows/instructions/repairinstall.htm --- XP repair install
When I changed settings in Windows Properties|Security, suddenly C:\Windows becomes in accessible. After rebooting, it always displays the error: "...Skipping Autocheck".

Can someone help me access the C:\Windows folder? Now I'm in the recovery mode. I did chkdsk and everything is okay. The only problem is how to access the C:\Windows folder during the normal Windows startup. Please help. Thanks.

Armstrong
Hong Kong
 
Back
Top