Rights to Folders

[Anne]

I am trying to set up the computer to my liking, for example I wanted to go
the start menu and create subfolder and move things around. I had already
selected to show hidden files and folder.

I found that there is only a short cut to the start menu and I am not
allowed to access it. Perhpaps I am looking in the wrong place. I am looking
under users.
This is not the only folder I do not have rights to. The general setup is
similar and yet very different from XP.
This is my computer, if I want to mess with it, I should be allowed to do it.
Can someone point me in the right direction on how to obtain rights to these
files and folders, or where else I might have to look for the real folder and
not the short cuts?

 

[Mick Murphy]

Go to start>Programs>Accessories>Right-click on Windows Explorer>Send To>put
a shortcut on the desktop.

Open windows explorer>Organise>Layout>Menu Bar>just like XP's tool Bar
Now you can use "File" for new folders, etc.

 

[Anne]

I found the start Menu under Program Data\Microsoft\Windows\StartMenu but
again it is just a shortcut and not accessible. I don't have rights?
I would like to re-arrange the start menu but it looks like the start menu
no longer consists of simple shortcuts.

 

[Kerry Brown]

Right click on the Start Orb and pick Explore.

 

[Anne]

You assume that I don't know how to get to explorer. I do. In Windows XP, I
used to go to documents and settings/user name or all users/start Menu. There
I could make my changes and move items into submenus.
Now in windows Vista, the documents and settings folder under the C drive is
a shortcut and access is denied. If I right click and go to the properties of
a menu item in the start menu it shows that the items is located in
c:\programdata\microsoft\windows\start men\programs. Like I stated before, if
I try to go there, the startmenu is a shortcut and not accessible.
So who has all the rights to my computer? Microsoft? Well, they are not
around to customize my setup.
There is only one user, who is an administrator.

 

[Kerry Brown]

I didn't assume anything. I was telling you how to get to your Start Menu
folder. Right click on the Start Orb and pick Explore. This will open
Windows Explorer in your Start Menu folder. The actual path is

C:\Users\Your_User_Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

It's much easier just to right click and pick Explore rather than opening
Windows Explorer and navigating to the folder. This also works in XP. In all
versions of windows there are usually many ways to the same goal.

Vista is different from XP. User files are stored under the Users folder
rather than Documents and Settings. The Documents and Settings you see is
not a folder but a junction pointing to the Users folder. This is for
compatibility with older programs. You shouldn't try to use or alter any
settings for these junctions or Windows may experience problems.

 

[Anne]

First of all I apologize. The actual path is very helpful, but I am still
stuck.
Under the start menu for my husband, there are only a few items. I would
assume that the rest of in the default user, I can't acess the default user's
Application Data.
Back to square one?
Should I be able to access anything I want? if so, perhaps it does have
something to do with the administrator problem I read so much in the forum? I
was not able find the administrator login.

 

[Kerry Brown]

Use the same procedure. Right click on the orb and pick Explore All Users.
This will open the portion of the Start Menu that is common to all users.
Because this affects more than the current user, UAC comes into play. As
long as UAC is enabled you will be able to edit these folders as you see
fit. If you have disabled UAC you may experience problems when using Windows
Explorer to edit system folders. It bears repeating that any changes you
make here will be reflected in the Start Menu for all user accounts
including yours.

The Default User older is something different again. It is the default
settings which are copied when a new user is created.

 

[Anne]

Thank you, this was very helpful.

Use the same procedure. Right click on the orb and pick Explore All Users.
This will open the portion of the Start Menu that is common to all users.
Because this affects more than the current user, UAC comes into play. As
long as UAC is enabled you will be able to edit these folders as you see
fit. If you have disabled UAC you may experience problems when using Windows
Explorer to edit system folders. It bears repeating that any changes you
make here will be reflected in the Start Menu for all user accounts
including yours.

The Default User older is something different again. It is the default
settings which are copied when a new user is created.

--
Kerry Brown
MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration
http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/
http://vistahelpca.blogspot.com/