access denied

[LarryW]

When I try to look at, for instance, All Users/Desktop from the explorer I
get an 'access denied'. My account is an Administrator account but I do have
UAC enabled. How do I elevate my privileges so that I can 'administer' the
files that are on my computer?

 

[Guest]

LarryW,

I had the same problem after upgrading from XP to Vista. I found out that
the old XP directory structure had been reconfigured and the Vista Structure
was vastly different. To accommodate legacy software, Vista has a shortcut
type thing (I think they call it a junction) that allows access to the new
file structure. If you'll notice, your "My Documents" area is now just
"Documents." If you dig around, you will probably find your document
elsewhere.

Benny

 

[LarryW]

From: Benny <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: access denied
Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2007 10:03:45 -0800
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windows.vista.security

LarryW,

I had the same problem after upgrading from XP to Vista. I found out that
the old XP directory structure had been reconfigured and the Vista Structure
was vastly different. To accommodate legacy software, Vista has a shortcut
type thing (I think they call it a junction) that allows access to the new
file structure. If you'll notice, your "My Documents" area is now just
"Documents." If you dig around, you will probably find your document
elsewhere.

Benny

It's not that I'm looking for a document but that I want to see what's in that
folder. If it's a 'junction' then shouldn't that take me to the 'real' folder? I
see a little arrow next to them that I assume is the 'junction' indicator. I can
click over some of them and the properties shows where the 'real' location is but
others don't. Searching the help and support for 'junction' doesn't find
anything. I can't find any description of this in the 'using files and folders'.
Where do I find information on this? Thanks!

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Larry;
What version?
Pay, free as well as build number.
Are you using the latest version of AVG, Version 7.5?
I assume you are using the RTM version of Vista and not one of the pre
release versions.

Try uninstalling and then reinstalling AVG.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Sorry Larry.
Wrong thread.

 

[Guest]

It's not that I'm looking for a document but that I want to see what's in
that

folder. If it's a 'junction' then shouldn't that take me to the 'real' folder?

Junctions take you to the real folder if you try to open a file through
them. However, if you try to navigate through them you are actually trying to
list files and that is specifically blocked on them.

I
see a little arrow next to them that I assume is the 'junction' indicator. I can
click over some of them and the properties shows where the 'real' location is but
others don't.

Which ones do not have the arrows? If you go to a command line you can
generally see the junction, like this:
C:\>dir /a "Documents and Settings\all Users"
Volume in drive C has no label.
Volume Serial Number is B614-7D1C

Directory of C:\Documents and Settings\all Users

02/19/2007 08:15 AM <DIR> .
02/19/2007 08:15 AM <DIR> ..
12/06/2006 03:55 PM <DIR> Adobe
11/02/2006 05:01 AM <JUNCTION> Application Data [C:\ProgramData]
11/02/2006 05:01 AM <JUNCTION> Desktop [C:\Users\Public\Desktop]
11/02/2006 05:01 AM <JUNCTION> Documents [C:\Users\Public\Documents]
11/02/2006 05:01 AM <JUNCTION> Favorites [C:\Users\Public\Favorites]
02/07/2007 11:19 PM <DIR> InstallShield
02/13/2007 10:14 AM <DIR> McAfee
01/30/2007 03:28 PM <DIR> Microsoft
02/19/2007 09:32 AM <DIR> Microsoft Help
02/19/2007 08:15 AM 13,276 ntuser.pol
11/02/2006 05:01 AM <JUNCTION> Start Menu
[C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Wind
ows\Start Menu]
11/02/2006 05:01 AM <JUNCTION> Templates
[C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windo
ws\Templates]
1 File(s) 13,276 bytes
13 Dir(s) 31,463,129,088 bytes free

Searching the help and support for 'junction' doesn't find
anything. I can't find any description of this in the 'using files and folders'.
Where do I find information on this? Thanks!

Silly you. Thinking that Microsoft would document something like this in the
help file.

If anything, this would be a KB topic. Here is one:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/930128/en-us

I went into some depth on this in the Vista Security Book
(http://www.amazon.com/Windows-Vista-Security-Securing-Malicious-Magazine/dp/0470101555/) as well, but that won't be out until June or so.

 

[LarryW]

Which ones do not have the arrows?

All of the ones I'm talking about have the arrows. What I was trying to say is that
in some of them (such as C:\Users\All Users) the properties shows the target as
C:\ProgramData. In others (such as C:\Documents and Settings) there's nothing in the
target field.

 

[LarryW]

Silly you. Thinking that Microsoft would document something like this in the
help file.

If anything, this would be a KB topic. Here is one:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/930128/en-us

Thanks for the link!

 

[Guest]

All of the ones I'm talking about have the arrows. What I was trying to
say is that

in some of them (such as C:\Users\All Users) the properties shows the target as
C:\ProgramData. In others (such as C:\Documents and Settings) there's nothing in the
target field.

Aah. OK, I see what you are saying. Technically, the reason some have a
location and others don't is because some (like C:\Users\All Users) are
actually symbolic links, whereas others (like C:\Documents and Settings) are
junctions. There is a slight difference between the two. Windows has never
supported symbolic links until now and it appears the Shell was updated to
show the target for them, but not for Junctions. In addition, symbolic links
cannot traverse drives, whereas junctions can.

As for why some are symbolic links and some are junctions, I honestly have
no idea.

 

[Jimmy Brush]

Wow! Nice find!

I am curious myself as to why that one is a symbolic link as opposed to a
junction.


--
- JB
Microsoft MVP - Windows Shell/User

Windows Vista Support Faq
http://www.jimmah.com/vista/