How to gain full control in Vista

  • Thread starter Thread starter Fietsenmaker
  • Start date Start date
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Fietsenmaker

I bought a new Acer computer with Vista.
After trying a week it still tells me that I do not have acces to
everything.
I need to access the application data folder in my personal folder.
I have been trying it for a long time but everytime Vista tells me that
it cannot.
I am the only user with administrators rights, no password anyehere.
This is my last chance otherwise I think to go back to XP.
I hope someone out there can help me.
Have a nice weekend
 
Fietsenmaker said:
I bought a new Acer computer with Vista.
After trying a week it still tells me that I do not have acces to
everything.
I need to access the application data folder in my personal folder.
I have been trying it for a long time but everytime Vista tells me that
it cannot.
I am the only user with administrators rights, no password anyehere.
This is my last chance otherwise I think to go back to XP.
I hope someone out there can help me.
Have a nice weekend
Click to expand...

You cannot access Application Data because it is a junction point and
not a directory. Junction Points are for backward-compatibility

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/Aa819663.aspx

http://www.svrops.com/svrops/articles/jpoints.htm

hth
 
I bought a new Acer computer with Vista.
After trying a week it still tells me that I do not have acces to
everything.
I need to access the application data folder in my personal folder.
I have been trying it for a long time but everytime Vista tells me that it
cannot.
I am the only user with administrators rights, no password anyehere.
This is my last chance otherwise I think to go back to XP.
I hope someone out there can help me.
Have a nice weekend
Click to expand...

You only saw those folders because you elected to show hidden files/folders
and display protected Operating system files and folders. They are hidden
for a reason. You don't need access to them. They hold no data. All they
contain is a pointer to the actual folder where the data is kept. They are
actually a junction point.
Certain folders used in XP, such as these, were brought into Vista for
compatibility for legacy apps. They are not used to store data. They appear
dimmed with the shortcut arrow and give access denied. If you want to see
what folder it points to, open a elevated command prompt, navigate to the
folder that contains the folder in question and give the command:
dir /al

Junction points are designated by <Junction> and the folder to which it
points is at the end of the line in square brackets. Do not change the
permissions on these junction points. It can cause problems for the same
legacy apps they are they for in the first place.

From a post by Jimmy Brush here is a list of the these XP folders and their
corresponding locations in Vista:
Windows XP Location Windows Vista Location
\Documents and Settings \Users
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\My Documents \Users\$USER$\Documents
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\My Documents\My Music \Users\$USER$\Music
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\My Documents\My Pictures
\Users\$USER$\Pictures
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\My Documents\My Videos \Users\$USER$\Videos
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\Application Data
\Users\$USER$\AppData\Roaming
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\Cookies
\Users\$USER$\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\Local Settings
\Users\$USER$\AppData\Local
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\NetHood
\Users\$USER$\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Network Shortcuts
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\PrintHood
\Users\$USER$\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Printer Shortcuts
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\Recent
\Users\$USER$\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\SendTo
\Users\$USER$\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\Start Menu
\Users\$USER$\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\Templates
\Users\$USER$\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Templates
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\Local Settings\Application Data
\Users\$USER$\AppData\Local
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\Local Settings\History
\Users\$USER$\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\History
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files
\Users\$USER$\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files
\Documents and Settings\All Users \ProgramData
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data \ProgramData
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop \Users\Public\Desktop
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents \Users\Public\Documents
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Favorites \Users\Public\Favorites
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu
\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Templates
\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Templates
\Documents and Settings\Default User \Users\Default "
 
Fietsenmaker said:
I bought a new Acer computer with Vista.
After trying a week it still tells me that I do not have acces to
everything.
I need to access the application data folder in my personal folder.
I have been trying it for a long time but everytime Vista tells me that
it cannot.
Click to expand...

You see that folder because you selected show hidden folders in Folder
Options.
I am the only user with administrators rights, no password anyehere.
This is my last chance otherwise I think to go back to XP.
I hope someone out there can help me.
Have a nice weekend
Click to expand...

That folder and other folders are pointers to legacy applications from
an upgraded from XP to Vista.

The legacy folders on Vista are protected, as you have no need to be in
them.
 
Rock said:
You don't want to change permissions on these legacy folders nor is
there any need to.
Click to expand...

If he recursively changed permissions/ownership on every file on his
hard drive I think that is the least of his problems...
 
chinga69 said:
If he recursively changed permissions/ownership on every file on his
hard drive I think that is the least of his problems...

what do you mean?
what problems will that cause
Click to expand...

Changing permissions on system drives/folders/files is pretty risky, due
to the complex nature of permissions and the way the system, programs,
and possibly other computers in a networked environment interact with
these security settings.

You should only change permissions on files/folders that you created,
unless you really know what the consequences of your actions will be.

And if you do decide to change a security setting on a system
drive/folder/file, you should minimize the change you make, as in only
apply it to a specific file or folder.

Some programs may take dependencies on the security settings that are
applied to system folders/files, and changing these settings can cause
unpredictable results.

For example, if you were to take ownership of your system drive and
everything it contains, and then add a permission granting "everyone"
full control to your system drive and everything it contains, you have
effectively crippled most (if not all) of the security that Windows can
provide.

Granted, that may have been what you were wanting to do, but it is a
poor way of doing it - you should turn off the actual security
feature(s) you don't like instead of hacking away at the file security
settings, because it can lead to unpredictable results (read: unstable
system).
 
Jimmy Brush said:
If he recursively changed permissions/ownership on every file on his hard
drive I think that is the least of his problems...
Click to expand...

Good point, I was replying without thinking too much on it, from the point
of the original poster, not what chinga said he actually did.
 
Hallo, my name is Can. I am from germany. I haven´t got a answer, but I have
a question. I bought a Fujitsu Siemens Computer and it works with Vista. But
when ever I want to download anything from the Internet, the Computer
otomaticly starts the Computer again.

Please help me, I don´t know, what I do or did wrong.
 
I thought if you own the computer you chould be able to run it the way YOU
want it to run not Vista controling it
 
Sure, and if you own a car, you can turn it into a bicycle by removing the
engine and two wheels - but it won't handle corners very well, and the top
speed won't be as advertised.

If you go through from the root of the drive, and change permissions and
ownership on all the files all the way down the tree, you have a good chance
of making the system inaccessible to itself.

Alun.
~~~~
 
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