Access denied??

[chuckles_the_scary_clown]

I'm the only user on this machine.

If I try to access c:\Users\MyUserName\Local Settings I get an Access
Denied error?

I've heard that Vista is a little power crazy but I own this machine!
What am I doing wrong?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Rick Rogers]

Hi,

By default, yes as Vista blocks a user account from accessing any designated
system folders, and that's all that subset of folders is. This is part of
the security scheme, and it blocks malware from accessing those same system
folders without the user's knowledge. You can alter permissions for your
user account, but there is no real need to, and doing so may make your user
account more susceptible to problems from the very malware that we are all
trying to avoid.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

 

[Andrew McLaren]

I'm the only user on this machine.

Well, you are NOT the only user on the machine.

You're thinking in terms of simple, single user operating systems like
Windows 3.x or Windows 95.

Vista is a multiuser, multitasking operating system in the tradition of
Windows NT, 2000, XP, and Server 2003. At any one time, there yourself
logged on; also the local system account, local service account and the
network service account. It's likely the Guest accoutn is also enabled, and
maybe the (built-in) Administrator account. It's very possible the ASPNET
and IUSR_<machine> accounts are also eabled and active. And, brooding over
it all, like a malignant presence, is The Internet; and a vast army of nasty
agents who have direct network access to your machine; unless you disconect
all cables and put the powered-off machine in a cupboard.

In previous versions, people took Microsoft to task for being weak on
security. In Vista, Microsoft is taking security seriously; to a level
roughly equivalent to what you'd find on a typical commercial Unix system.
So, now people are complaining that Microsoft has too much security.

Vista uses a security scheme which approximates Mandatory Access Control.
Just because you're the administrator, doesn't mean you can do anything.
That schema has been tried before; and, it didn't work. In Vista, if you are
the Administrator you can grant your self permission to do anything; but -
this is the important bit - you don't get it automatically. You may have to
ask yourself, for permission to do some things.

As it happens however, this is not the cause of your problem

"C:\Users\MyUserName\Local Settings" doesn't really exist. It's not a
directory; it's a Junction Point: which points towards the "real" directory,
C:\Users\MyUserName\AppData\Local. If you try to access the Junction Point
directly, you will get "Access Denied" errors; you're not supposed to be
using them. If you go to the real location of your local application
settings (ie, C:\Users\MyUserName\AppData\Local) you'll probably find you
have appropriate access. But never be surprised, if Vista denies you access.
It's actually a Good Thing.

Hope it helps,