Can't Delete Folder

  • Thread starter Thread starter JamesJ
  • Start date Start date
J

JamesJ

Just installed Vista Home Presidium, upgraded from XP. I'm trying to move
and/or
remove a folder that was created by Vista in the Programs menu but Vista
tells me I need permission to perform this action. I checked the folder
security
and found the Full control is checked for all but are disabled.
Also since I upgraded from XP Vista retained the Documents and Settings
folder.
Any way to remove this hidden folder??

Thanks, James
 
First, the Documents and Settings is not a real folder, and you don't want to
remove it. It is a link to the real folder, which is now c:\users that is
there so that software that expects there to be a folder called Documents and
Settings does not break.

Second, the reason it is telling you that you do not have permissions to
remove the folder under the Programs menu is that it is a folder visible to
all users on the computer. To remove that you need to be an administrator,
and under Windows Vista, by default, even if you are in the administrators
group you do not have permissions to things as an administrator. To delete
this folder you need to click the Continue button with the little shield on
it, and then accept the following prompt. This is a feature called User
Account Control (UAC) which is designed to enable users to not run as
administrators all the time, which eventually will greatly improve security.
In Windows Vista, it usually is most visible when you get the access denied
error trying to delete files and folders that have delete permissions only
for administrators.
 
I disabled UAC first thing after install. I might have had something to do
with the fact that the folder I was trying to move had the same name
as one I had created in XP before the install. When I renamed the old
menu/folder to MyGames I was able to move it.
Anyway, I cleared out the programs menu.

Thanks,
James
 
Back
Top