how do I access Documents and Setting folder?

  • Thread starter Thread starter FK
  • Start date Start date
F

FK

Hello,

I can`t access any item in my Documents and Settings folder that is a short
cut (vs an actual folder).
I just get this message thats says:

C:\Documents and Settings is not accessible.
Access is denied.

Likewise in my C:\Users\My-Name folder I cannot access anything that is
portrayed as a short cut.

Any help appreciated.

Frank
 
You're in Vista when you do this? If so, Vista may be the C: drive and XP
(with the Documents and Settings folder) may be some other drive. Just a
guess, but it's worth taking a peek.
 
There is no folder named Documents and Settings in Vista. It's been renamed
to Users. So where did the shortcuts that point to C:Documents and Settings
come from?
 
In
FK said:
Hello,

I can`t access any item in my Documents and Settings folder
that is a
short cut (vs an actual folder).
I just get this message thats says:

C:\Documents and Settings is not accessible.
Access is denied.

Likewise in my C:\Users\My-Name folder I cannot access
anything that
is portrayed as a short cut.

Any help appreciated.

Frank
Click to expand...

They're not shortcuts, they're junction points. Here's an
article that does a pretty good job of explaining exactly what
you're seeing.

Windows Vista Junction Points
http://windowsconnected.com/blogs/joshs_blog/archive/2006/09/28/Windows-Vista-Junction-Points.aspx

Here's the explanation from the book "Windows Vista Inside and
Out".

**************************************************************************************
How Windows Vista Maintains Compatibility with Windows XP

Most applications that write to profile locations get those
locations from the operating system as needed, rather than
writing to absolute addresses. (Among other things, this
allows applications to handle relocated folders.) A Windows XP
program that’s well behaved will have no trouble accommodating
the changed names and locations of profile folders in Windows
Vista. On the other hand, a program that looks for Documents
and Settings (the root of profile folders in Windows XP) as an
absolute address could have a problem—were it not for the
junctions (reparse points) that Windows Vista uses to redirect
Windows XP folder names to the appropriate Windows Vista names.

You can see how these junctions are set up by running a Command
Prompt session and typing dir %userprofile%\ /ad.

The reparse points in this directory list are identified by the
label <JUNCTION>. The third column in the display lists the
Windows XP folder name (SendTo, for example) followed, in
brackets, by the redirect address
(F:\Users\Craig\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\
Windows\SendTo). If you display the same folder (%UserProfile%)
in Windows Explorer, with hidden and system files visible, the
junctions will look like shortcuts and won’t include any
information about their targets. If you try to open one of
these items, you’ll be rebuffed. That’s because in all of these
junctions, the Everyone group has a Deny access control entry
preventing users from listing folder contents. This Deny ACE
may seem drastic, but it’s Windows Vista’s way of telling you
to keep your hands off the compatibility infrastructure.

***************************************************************************************
Translated, leave them alone.

Note: To open a command prompt window, Start -> All Programs ->
Accessories -> Command Prompt. Or enter command in the Search
box. Command Prompt should show up in the results. Then enter
dir %userprofile%\ /ad at the prompt to see a graphical display
of what both the web site and the book are explaining.

Good luck

Nepatsfan
 
Thats because it isn't a folder. It is a shortcut (junction) only for
program compatibility. Turn back on "Hide protected operating system files"
and you won't see these anymore.

Don't worry about this, that shortcut isn't for you. Just go to c:\users
instead of c:\documents and settings, and documents instead of "my
documents".

--
/* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Robert Firth *
* Windows Vista x86 RTM *
* http://www.WinVistaInfo.org *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * */
 
Sorry if I gave you a bum steer there. I can't seem to get any shortcut that
shows C:\Documents and Settings. So I assumed yourse were XP shortcuts.
 
Nepatsfan said:
In

They're not shortcuts, they're junction points. Here's an
article that does a pretty good job of explaining exactly what
you're seeing.

Windows Vista Junction Points
http://windowsconnected.com/blogs/joshs_blog/archive/2006/09/28/Windows-Vista-Junction-Points.aspx

Here's the explanation from the book "Windows Vista Inside and
Out".

**************************************************************************************
How Windows Vista Maintains Compatibility with Windows XP

Most applications that write to profile locations get those locations from
the operating system as needed, rather than writing to absolute addresses.
(Among other things, this
allows applications to handle relocated folders.) A Windows XP program
that's well behaved will have no trouble accommodating the changed names
and locations of profile folders in Windows Vista. On the other hand, a
program that looks for Documents
and Settings (the root of profile folders in Windows XP) as an absolute
address could have a problem-were it not for the junctions (reparse
points) that Windows Vista uses to redirect Windows XP folder names to the
appropriate Windows Vista names.

You can see how these junctions are set up by running a Command Prompt
session and typing dir %userprofile%\ /ad.

The reparse points in this directory list are identified by the label
<JUNCTION>. The third column in the display lists the Windows XP folder
name (SendTo, for example) followed, in brackets, by the redirect address
(F:\Users\Craig\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\
Windows\SendTo). If you display the same folder (%UserProfile%) in Windows
Explorer, with hidden and system files visible, the junctions will look
like shortcuts and won't include any information about their targets. If
you try to open one of these items, you'll be rebuffed. That's because in
all of these junctions, the Everyone group has a Deny access control entry
preventing users from listing folder contents. This Deny ACE may seem
drastic, but it's Windows Vista's way of telling you to keep your hands
off the compatibility infrastructure.

***************************************************************************************
Translated, leave them alone.

Note: To open a command prompt window, Start -> All Programs ->
Accessories -> Command Prompt. Or enter command in the Search box. Command
Prompt should show up in the results. Then enter dir %userprofile%\ /ad at
the prompt to see a graphical display of what both the web site and the
book are explaining.

Good luck

Nepatsfan
Click to expand...

Thank, that explains things.
All I was trying to do was add a program to the Startup folder and now I am
able.


F
 
It is there, it is just hidden. If you tell explorer to not hide protected
operating system files, you will see those files. They are hidden for a
reason.

--
/* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Robert Firth *
* Windows Vista x86 RTM *
* http://www.WinVistaInfo.org *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * */
 
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