Can't open the "System Volume Information" folder.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Don J
  • Start date Start date
D

Don J

Someone in these postings proposed a solution to a particular problem to
the effect that: "One should enter the 'System Volumn Information' folder
on each drive and delete any contents."

I have always noticed these folders and have been bothered that clicking
on them always gives an error:
"C:\System Volume Information is not accessible. Access is denied.". I' ve
never been able to get into the folders so have no idea what they contain.
It has always been a mystery to me. The individual who wrote the message
has oviously been able to get into them. Why? How is my system different
than his?

I have done a complete install of my XP Home version from two different
CD's at least 6 times. It has alway done the same thing after each install.

Don J

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Don said:
Someone in these postings proposed a solution to a particular problem to
the effect that: "One should enter the 'System Volumn Information' folder
on each drive and delete any contents."

I have always noticed these folders and have been bothered that clicking
on them always gives an error:
"C:\System Volume Information is not accessible. Access is denied.". I' ve
never been able to get into the folders so have no idea what they contain.
It has always been a mystery to me. The individual who wrote the message
has oviously been able to get into them. Why? How is my system different
than his?

I have done a complete install of my XP Home version from two different
CD's at least 6 times. It has alway done the same thing after each install.
Click to expand...

System Volume Information is where System Restore keeps its restore
points. Most people never need to directly access the data in those
folders, so by default there are no user permissions granted on the folders.

This article describes the steps necessary to gain access to the folders:

How to Gain Access to the System Volume Information Folder
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=309531
--
Tom Porterfield
MS-MVP Windows
http://support.telop.org

Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup only.
 
Hi

You don't what to delete, move, rename etc. anything in that folder as it
may render System Restore inoperative. That's why it's hidden. There is no
reason to access that folder.
 
You can delete the contents by turning off System Restore on the drive in
question. Turning off System Restore for all drives obviously disables
System Restore on your system. There is no need for System Restore on
drives that contain only data since data is not affected by restore points,
and you can gain some performance gain and additional storage in doing so.
 
But why is it that the author of one posting on this newsgroup apparently
was able to enter the directory? Unfortuanately I don't know who it was.
But your answer is very interesting because it explains why I've never been
able to get into the directory. It also means that my inference from the
posting I saw is outright wrong.

Don J

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Colin Barnhorst said:
You can delete the contents by turning off System Restore on the drive in
question. Turning off System Restore for all drives obviously disables
System Restore on your system. There is no need for System Restore on
drives that contain only data since data is not affected by restore
points, and you can gain some performance gain and additional storage in
doing so.
Click to expand...
 
Don said:
Someone in these postings proposed a solution to a particular
problem to the effect that: "One should enter the 'System Volumn
Information' folder on each drive and delete any contents."

I have always noticed these folders and have been bothered that
clicking on them always gives an error:
"C:\System Volume Information is not accessible. Access is
denied.".
I' ve never been able to get into the folders so have no idea what
they contain. It has always been a mystery to me. The individual
who
wrote the message has oviously been able to get into them. Why?
How
is my system different than his?

I have done a complete install of my XP Home version from two
different CD's at least 6 times. It has alway done the same thing
after each install.
Don J

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Click to expand...


The System Volume Information is the hidden, protected operating
system folder in which WinXP's System Restore feature stores
information used to recover from errors. It's really not a good idea
for you, or any utilities or antivirus applications, to directly
access the contents of that folder, unless you expect to have no
future use for the restore points, in which case it would be simpler
just to turn off the System Restore feature.

However, if you're confident that you know exactly what you're doing:

How to Gain Access to the System Volume Information Folder
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;309531

--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having
both at once. - RAH
 
You can enter the directories if you choose to "show hidden files and
folders." However, it is a kludge to do so when all you have to do is
adjust System Restore.

Don J said:
But why is it that the author of one posting on this newsgroup apparently
was able to enter the directory? Unfortuanately I don't know who it was.
But your answer is very interesting because it explains why I've never
been able to get into the directory. It also means that my inference from
the posting I saw is outright wrong.

Don J

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Click to expand...
 
I have "show hidden files and folders" selected. Bruce Chambers in another
posting to this thread references an interesting knowedge base article on
the subject.

Don J

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