Windows XP "access is denied" error for folder shortcuts - $10 to theperson who solves it

[J Y]

Hi,

I'm a pretty technical user, and have been living with this issue for
3 years now. It's not worth reinstalling Windows over, but it's
annoying all the same. I'm willing to Paypal $10 to the person who
can solve this for me. I don't have any way to prove that I'll pay
you, but what have you got to lose?

The problem:
I receive a standard Windows error message box "Access denied" when I
double click a shortcut to a folder, or when I go to Start | Run and
type in a folder other than the drive root. These problems happen for
ANY folder on ANY drive.

For example:
C:\windows (doesn't work)
C:\ (does work)

If I navigate to the given folder in Windows Explorer by navigating
through the tree, I can get there, browse, and do anything else I
normally would be able to with no problems.

I'm running Windows XP Pro as a user with complete Administrator
privileges.

I have google'd this problem a dozen times and ended up on the
solution for regaining ownership of a folder after reinstalling
Windows. That is not my problem, and I've tried them anyway, with no
success.

Any help is much appreciated.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I'm a pretty technical user, and have been living with this issue
for 3 years now. It's not worth reinstalling Windows over, but it's
annoying all the same. I'm willing to Paypal $10 to the person who
can solve this for me. I don't have any way to prove that I'll pay
you, but what have you got to lose?

The problem:
I receive a standard Windows error message box "Access denied" when
I double click a shortcut to a folder, or when I go to Start | Run
and type in a folder other than the drive root. These problems
happen for ANY folder on ANY drive.

For example:
C:\windows (doesn't work)
C:\ (does work)

If I navigate to the given folder in Windows Explorer by navigating
through the tree, I can get there, browse, and do anything else I
normally would be able to with no problems.

I'm running Windows XP Pro as a user with complete Administrator
privileges.

I have google'd this problem a dozen times and ended up on the
solution for regaining ownership of a folder after reinstalling
Windows. That is not my problem, and I've tried them anyway, with
no success.

Any help is much appreciated.

Replace the drive.

(At least run the hard disk drive diagnostics from the hard disk drive
maufacturer... I wouldn't even see a problem imaging the drive, low-level
formatting it and then applying the image back to it for good measure.)

Second - create a new administrative user... Same issue?

Third - try the new administrative user in Safe Mode... Same issue?

 

[nass]

Hi,

I'm a pretty technical user, and have been living with this issue for
3 years now. It's not worth reinstalling Windows over, but it's
annoying all the same. I'm willing to Paypal $10 to the person who
can solve this for me. I don't have any way to prove that I'll pay
you, but what have you got to lose?

The problem:
I receive a standard Windows error message box "Access denied" when I
double click a shortcut to a folder, or when I go to Start | Run and
type in a folder other than the drive root. These problems happen for
ANY folder on ANY drive.

For example:
C:\windows (doesn't work)
C:\ (does work)

If I navigate to the given folder in Windows Explorer by navigating
through the tree, I can get there, browse, and do anything else I
normally would be able to with no problems.

I'm running Windows XP Pro as a user with complete Administrator
privileges.

I have google'd this problem a dozen times and ended up on the
solution for regaining ownership of a folder after reinstalling
Windows. That is not my problem, and I've tried them anyway, with no
success.

Any help is much appreciated.

First of all no one will help you with the way you offering people or luring
people to money, it isn't allowed or acceptable behaviour here.
This a free peer-to-peer free help newsgroup if you want you can alleviate
your issue higher to a technical support ticket that will charge you for
service not here.

Now come to your issue (without the $$$), do you have other accounts on this
machine?.
Do you have an anti-virus and anti-spyware up2date and current?.
you said three years and just wakeup now to solve it..hmmmm & <sigh>.

Go through these Cleaning steps:
1... Click start >> Control Panel >> Double Click Network and Internet
Connections >> Double click Internet Options, on the IE Properties window
you will see these Options:
General | Security | Privacy | Content | Connections | Programs
| Advanced .

Click on General Tab (1st Tab on the left) and you will see a Button called
[ Clear History ..] click on it to clear your History caches, then click on
[Delete Files..] to delete Internet Files created over the time, click on [
Delete Cookies...] to delete your cookies left by visiting websites.

Then click on Advanced tab and scroll down to under the Browsing Option:
[&] Browsing
[ ] Enable Third-Party browser extensions (Req Rest) uncheck this box.
= Then try to Disable the Add-Ons on your Browser somehow installed on your
browser, On how to disable the Add-ons follow this:
Click on Programs Tab and then click the Manage Add-Ons Button there Disable
the Non/Not Verified Plug-ins/Add-ons ( you need to Renable them one-by-one
later and see which is the culprit .
How to manage Add-Ons:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/883256
Scan for malware from here:
SuperAntispyware - Free
http://www.superantispyware.com/superantispywarefreevspro.html
RootkitRevealer v1.71
By Bryce Cogswell and Mark Russinovich
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/Security/RootkitRevealer.mspx

Run a scan from here on-line:
http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/default.asp?langid=ie&venid=sym
http://www3.ca.com/securityadvisor/virusinfo/scan.aspx
Download Avast Cleaner (off-line scanner) from here:
http://www.avast.com/eng/avast-virus-cleaner.html

Lots of tools to download and disinfect your machine (off-line scanner):
http://www.bitdefender.co.uk/site/Downloads/browseFreeRemovalTool/

You may have a bad RAM try to test your RAM by running Memory test by
downloading this tool and unzip it and make a floppy or CD/DVD and run it on
Reboot.
http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp.

Download the Hijackthis and send the report to one of
many
forums for analysis and troubleshooting:
When all else fails, HijackThis v2.0.2
(http://www.trendsecure.com/portal/en-US/threat_analytics/hijackthis.php) is
the preferred tool to use.
It will help you to both identify and remove any hijackware/spyware. Post
your log to:
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html
http://aumha.net/viewforum.php?f=30,
http://castlecops.com/forum67.html,
http://forums.subratam.org/index.php?showforum=7
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial42.html
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/
Or other appropriate
forums for expert analysis, not here.


Open a Notepad, customize or minimize to the taskbar as you will need it
later for this step to copy the error message to it.
Open a run command and type in:
eventvwr.msc click [OK] you will get the Event viewer control Panel.
click on each of these:
Application
System
Security
Look in the right Pane/window for error message with red (X) or Yellow
exclamation mark /!\ , double click each one to get more info about the
causer.
On the Event error properties message you will see:
Up Arrow
Down arrow
Two pages
Click on the two pages to copy the error message then bring up the Notepad
you opened earlier and right click on the first line and select Paste from
the list, this will paste the error message on a Notepad.
Please don't duplicate the error message one of each kind will be sufficient.
HOW TO: View and Manage Event Logs in Event Viewer in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308427/en-us

Please we need just the error messages with Red (X) and don't repeat the
error, just one of each kind and post them back in your next post.

How to perform a clean boot in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=310353

You may experiencing a profile corruption, try to create a new profile (as
Admin) and copy the data from one of these profile to the new and test to see
if it will work.
If it did work then you know it is a profile corruption, after making sure
you copied all the Data from the Old Profile to the new one, you can safely
delete the old corrupted one, the same with other account.
How to Identify a Damaged User Profile and Create a New Profile
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/811151


Let us know your progress.
nass

 

[CurtB]

It sounds like NTFS traverse folder denial.

http://technet2.microsoft.com/windo...5547-4df8-90f0-4d885dc302e71033.mspx?mfr=true

 

[J Y]

It sounds exactly like this. I can run files using Start | Run, but I
can't get Explorer to open the folders. The only problem with this
theory, though, is that I checked my group policy, and it is already
set to bypass transverse checking for Administrators and Everyone.

I've also tried creating a new admin user, and logging in as the admin
user in either normal and safe mode. No dice.

I clean my computer regularly, but am trying some of the programs
listed above. I'm not optimistic, as this problem cropped up soon
after I installed my OS, likely before any viruses would have made it
onto my machine.

Sorry for offering money. I'm not inclined to use one of the fee for
service sites, as it's just not worth the trouble to me, and probably
not to the experts on here either. I know Usenet has far better
knowledge than your typical troubleshooting site. If I have offended
with my crass offer, then excuse me.

 

[ju.c]

You try this?

"Access is Denied" error message when you try to open a folder
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/810881


ju.c

 

[J Y]

Yes... Every time I search on Google, I end up with a dozen sites
mentioning this solution. My problem is not in opening a folder via
Explorer, but in navigating to it either through a shortcut or Start |
Run.

 

[C.Joseph S. Drayton]

Yes... Every time I search on Google, I end up with a dozen sites
mentioning this solution. My problem is not in opening a folder via
Explorer, but in navigating to it either through a shortcut or Start |
Run.

The problem then is that you somehow lost the 'association for
folders'. try doing a Google on;

explorer folder association and see if that gives you the registry
script you need. I will check and see if I save a copy and if I did
will post it later today.

--

Sincerely,
C.Joseph Drayton, Ph.D. AS&T

CSD Computer Services

Please excuse the TEMPORARY web site

Web site: http://csdcs.itgo.com/
E-mail: (e-mail address removed)

 

[J Y]

The problem then is that you somehow lost the 'association for
folders'. try doing a Google on;

     explorer folder association and see if that gives you the registry
script you need. I will check and see if I save a copy and if I did
will post it later today.

--

Sincerely,
C.Joseph Drayton, Ph.D. AS&T

CSD Computer Services

Please excuse the TEMPORARY web site

Web site:http://csdcs.itgo.com/
E-mail: (e-mail address removed)

Amazing! I lost this thread after giving up on anyone having a
solution to this over a month ago... But this simple google search led
me to this URL:
http://ask.metafilter.com/30704/How-to-set-up-program-association-for-opening-folders

The solution involving invoking regsvr32 is what did it for me. Thank
you so much for ending years of anguished inconvenience! I am going to
Paypal you my 10 bucks - money well spent! Apologies to whomever finds
this exchange of knowledge for money on usenet crass.

 

[C.Joseph S. Drayton]

Amazing! I lost this thread after giving up on anyone having a
solution to this over a month ago... But this simple google search led
me to this url:
http://ask.metafilter.com/30704/How-to-set-up-program-association-for-opening-folders

The solution involving invoking regsvr32 is what did it for me. Thank
you so much for ending years of anguished inconvenience! I am going to
Paypal you my 10 bucks - money well spent! Apologies to whomever finds
this exchange of knowledge for money on usenet crass.

Hi J Y,

Quite often people will say 'do a Google search' or 'Google is your
friend'. After doing a google search and getting 10,000 hits, their
response becomes annoying. Google is your friend IF you know the search
phrase to use. When people suggest Google, when possible it would be
nice if they gave a 'suggested' search phrase.

Because of the way most search engine bots file web pages, it is very
easy to get hits that the 'average' user may find extraneous (<LOL>).
Its like a friend said to me telling someone to use a dictionary to
find the spelling of a word can be frustrating when your word starts
with the sound of a letter 'f' put the spelling begins with a 'ph'.

--

Sincerely,
C.Joseph Drayton, Ph.D. AS&T

CSD Computer Services

Web site: http://csdcs.itgo.com/
E-mail: (e-mail address removed)

 

[PD43]

Hi J Y,

Quite often people will say 'do a Google search' or 'Google is your
friend'. After doing a google search and getting 10,000 hits, their
response becomes annoying. Google is your friend IF you know the search
phrase to use. When people suggest Google, when possible it would be
nice if they gave a 'suggested' search phrase.

It would also be nice if that person went to the OP's house and typed
it in too.

And clicked the OP's mouse too.