?? "Access is Denied" during USB Driver Installation

[Dana Hummel]

Hi,

Running a Dell 8250 machine with Windows XP Pro.

I have been trying to install a couple of USB device
drivers for things like MP3 player and camera card reader
and all I get as an error message at the end of the
installation window that the driver was not installed and
I have a "Access is Denied" message as part of the pop up
window. All these drivers work just fine on my other
exact duplicate Dell 8250 machine running Windows XP.

Any ideas on how to get around this??

Also, gettting an error message that my COTS Microsoft Works package
will not install. Don't know if the errors are related or not.

Thanks in advance.
Dana

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

They may or may not be related. Right-click the setup file on the program
where access is being denied, choose "run as", then enter administrator and
teh admin password. See if this allows you to install it. It sounds like the
software is attempting to install to a location where your user account does
not have write permissions. Installing as admin should allow it to go
through.

You might also try cleaning up the installer.

Start/run services.msc, scroll down to "Windows Installer" and double click
it. Stop the service if it is running, set the startup type line to
disabled. Click apply/ok and reboot.

Delete the contents of the temp folders, there may be a file in there
interfering with the setup routine of the installer. Get both:

C:\Windows\temp
C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\local settings\temp

Now reverse the first set of steps and reenable the Windows Installer (You
can just set the startup type to manual). Reboot.

Turn off all other running programs, especially your antivirus software. Use
ctrl+shift+escape, if necessary, to "end task" on everything.

Now retry installing some software. If it doesn't help, here are some
further articles that may:

"Error 1719. The Windows Installer Service Could Not Be Accessed" Error
Message When You Try to Add or Remove a Program
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=315346

Windows Installer Error 1619 When You Install from NTFS-Protected
Directories
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=316309

OFF: "The Windows Installer Service Could Not Be Accessed" Error Message
When You Try to Install Office
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=324516

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Windows
Windows isn't rocket science! That's my other hobby!

Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone

 

[Dana Hummel]

Hi Rick, and thanks for reply.

I think you are really onto something with your first reco. When I
right click on the ...exe file; in the pop up window and under the
pull down menu for account types, I get 3 accounts instead of two. I
have two user accounts set up under mine and my wife's name, and both
are set as adminstrator. Both of our accounts are set up with
passwords and they work just fine. BUT, the other account under the
pull down menu is listed as "administrator" and I have NO IDEA what
the password is for that account!!! I tried using a blank password in
this account to no avail. It is password protected. I also tried using
both mine and my wife's account is this pop up window and it gets to
the next stage of starting the install process.

Somehow, I need to get the password for this "adminstrator" account.
How do I do that?? Also, how do I get rid of this account, if that is
the right thing to do??

Thanks
Dana

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

<responded privately in response to email, copied here>

Hi Dana,

1) You can't remove the administrator account, it is a system default. Nor
would you want to, it is a fallback default account (but you DO need to know
the password).

2) As along as you or your wife have administrator priviledges, you can
reset the password for it or any other user account.

3) Using you or your wife's username and password for the "run as" function
should have the same effect.

To reset the admin password you must log on to another account with the same
level of priviledge. Then, click start/run and enter "control
userpasswords2" (without the quotes) and click ok.

On the advanced tab click the advanced button. Click on the users folder,
then in the right pane right-click the administrator and choose "set
password".

On running and installing software in WindowsXP, you may also want to read
this page I wrote:
http://users.westelcom.com/rogersr/xpsware.htm

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Windows
Windows isn't rocket science! That's my other hobby!

Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone

 

[Dana Hummel]

Hi Rick,

Still not quite there. I found on your site (or Kelly's) how to reset
the "admin" password, which I did. Also, was able to get into the
Admin logon, by double clicking alt-ctl-del twice and the signon
worked with the new password I set and user name administrator. I then
tried running the card reader install again, with no luck. The install
is a 2 step process, and it fails on the second process.

1. The file from the Lexar site is an xxx.exe file. When I open this
file, it steps all the way through just fine and states at the end
that the card reader manager, etc has been fully set up. Then comes
step 2.

2. I then plug in the card reader in the USB port. In the lower left
corner the pop up comes up with "new hardware found" and then changes
to "new USB card reader found". Then in a couplpe of seconds, a larger
pop up window comes up in the upper left corner, which is the INSTALL
menu, with choices of finding via Auto or Browse for drivers. I can
use either way with the same bad results. Half way through, I get the
warning, that this is not Micrsoft certified, to which I choose
install anyway. But then at the end, inside of this install pop up
window, I get the dreaded install did not work and the "access is
denied" message.

This happens under all log on choices, mine or my wife's or "admin"
logons!!!

What next??? Again, this all works just fine on my other XP machine,
so I know the driver files should be OK.

Thanks
Dana

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi Dana,

Check permissions on the \system32 folder, they may be set to read-only for
admin accounts.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Windows
Windows isn't rocket science! That's my other hobby!

Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone

 

[Dana Hummel]

Hi Rick,

Yep, the box was checked "read only" in "properties". I unchecked;
then "applied" to reset folder; BUT when I go back and check later,
the box is still checked "read only"!!! How do I unset the read only
and keep it that way?? Step 2 of the install still does not work.

Dana

 

[Dana Hummel]

Hi Rick,

Yep, the box was checked "read only" in "properties". I unchecked;
then "applied" to reset folder; BUT when I go back and check later,
the box is still checked "read only"!!! How do I unset the read only
and keep it that way?? Step 2 of the install still does not work.

Dana

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi Dana,

Logon as administrator, then take control of the folder and reset the user
permissions. I'm more curious as to why this is happening.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Windows
Windows isn't rocket science! That's my other hobby!

Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone

 

[Dana Hummel]

Rick,

No luck as an Administrator either. The folder still reverts back to
"read only." The only way I know how to do this is by clicking on
"properties" and un-checking the read-only box. Is there another way
to change the properties??

Dana