Can't rename a folder

[PT]

This sounds like one of those Vista curses.

I'm the sole new user of a home media center PC running Vista 64 bit
ultimate.
Privileges are of absolutely zero concern.

So I try to rename a folder, call it MainFolder located in UserName | Music
and which contains numerous subfolders created by Windows Media Player 11.

I can rename the subfolders with no problem. But today, for the first time
I tried to rename the MainFolder. I get a warning that I need permission,
and to try again (which does nothing).

I right click the folder's properties and see that the read-only attribute
is checked (not by me). I uncheck it and try renaming again. Same result,
and
on my returning to Properties, the read only box is miraculously rechecked.

I click on Properties | Security and see that all are checked "Allow" except
special permissions, which is blank

I click Advanced, and in the resulting Permissions tab I see the following:

Name Permission

WMP Network Service Full control
WMP Network Service Read
Username Full Control

Anyhow, All I want is For Vista to allow me or anyone using the computer to
be able to use it without requiring passwords, secret handshakes, etc...

Please advise.

 

[Memnoch]

This sounds like one of those Vista curses.

I'm the sole new user of a home media center PC running Vista 64 bit
ultimate.
Privileges are of absolutely zero concern.

So I try to rename a folder, call it MainFolder located in UserName | Music
and which contains numerous subfolders created by Windows Media Player 11.

I can rename the subfolders with no problem. But today, for the first time
I tried to rename the MainFolder. I get a warning that I need permission,
and to try again (which does nothing).

I right click the folder's properties and see that the read-only attribute
is checked (not by me). I uncheck it and try renaming again. Same result,
and
on my returning to Properties, the read only box is miraculously rechecked.

I click on Properties | Security and see that all are checked "Allow" except
special permissions, which is blank

I click Advanced, and in the resulting Permissions tab I see the following:

Name Permission

WMP Network Service Full control
WMP Network Service Read
Username Full Control

Anyhow, All I want is For Vista to allow me or anyone using the computer to
be able to use it without requiring passwords, secret handshakes, etc...

Please advise.

Just out of curiosity have you tried creating another folder at the same level
as the one you can't rename and then try renaming that one?

 

[Bob Campbell]

Did you try the Attrib command at the command prompt?

 

[PT]

But I created the folder in question, not Microsoft - So what I'd like to
learn is how I can eliminate globally all permission limitations, so I can
live life as on my Windows XP Home machine.

 

[PT]

There's no easy way for me to get to the command prompt and enter the long
multi-level string for the file name.

 

[Andrew McLaren]

I right click the folder's properties and see that the read-only attribute
is checked (not by me). I uncheck it and try renaming again. Same result,
and
on my returning to Properties, the read only box is miraculously rechecked.

The Read-only attribute has no effect on whether you can read, write or
rename NTFS folders. Attributes are a legacy of the old FAT file system
and are mainly there for compatibility on NTFS. Explorer uses the
superfluous read-only attribute for a totally unrelated purpose, to
track whether a Folder has been customised. This applies to XP and
Vista. See this Microsoft KnowledgeBase article for details:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326549

I click on Properties | Security and see that all are checked "Allow" except
special permissions, which is blank

I click Advanced, and in the resulting Permissions tab I see the following:

Name Permission

WMP Network Service Full control
WMP Network Service Read
Username Full Control

The "WMP Network Service" user context suggests that you have some kind
of media extender running - maybe Windows Media Centre, or XBox? That
service is possibly keeping the folder locked, so you can't rename it;
or may have taken ownership of the folder. To check your own effective
permissions, go to the Properties, Security tab and hit the Advanced
button, down the bottom of the panel. Then select the Effective
Permissions tab. Enter your own user ID and see what it reports. Also
look under the Owner tab, to make sure you are indeed the owner of the
folder.

If you are not the owner, take ownership. If you are the owner of the
folder, next thing would be to turn off the WMP Network Service, while
you rename the folder.

I don't have any media extenders installed, so I can't tell you exactly
how to do that ... but I hope it'll be kind of obvious (famous last
words

Hope it helps,

Andrew

 

[Memnoch]

There's no easy way for me to get to the command prompt and enter the long
multi-level string for the file name.

No easy way? It's not hard either though is it.

 

[Synapse Syndrome [KGB]]

There's no easy way for me to get to the command prompt and enter the
long multi-level string for the file name.

You can shift-right-click a file to get a context menu entry to copy the
full path into the clipboard.

ss.

 

[+Bob+]

There's no easy way for me to get to the command prompt and enter the long
multi-level string for the file name.

Did you try a reboot after fixing the priv's? I've had Vista throw
error messages after being sure I had the priv's correct. A reboot
cured it. Evidently it caches some of that info somewhere, at some
point.

 

[PT]

If it's not already obvious, I'm a brand new user of a Vista computer. I've
used XP Home for years.
My XP computer's "Documents and Settings" folders lists the following users:

Administrators
All Users
Compaq Owner
Default User
LocalService
Network Service

When I right click any XP folder, there are no screens for setting up
permissions

OK - Here's what I'd like:

To change my Vista setup so there is just one and only one user with global
permissions. In other words, bypass all the security settings which may be
appropriate for a machine in a larger network.

Is there a simple way to accomplish this?

 

[Malke]

If it's not already obvious, I'm a brand new user of a Vista computer.
I've used XP Home for years.
My XP computer's "Documents and Settings" folders lists the following
users:

Administrators
All Users
Compaq Owner
Default User
LocalService
Network Service

When I right click any XP folder, there are no screens for setting up
permissions

OK - Here's what I'd like:

To change my Vista setup so there is just one and only one user with
global
permissions. In other words, bypass all the security settings which may
be appropriate for a machine in a larger network.

Is there a simple way to accomplish this?

I'm coming late to your thread, but there are a few things you should know.

1. There is no such real "place" as Documents and Settings in Vista. If
you're trying to access a "folder" under that hierarchy, that is why you
can't do it. The whole Documents and Settings thing as well as all the "My"
folders - My Documents, My Computer, etc. - are only virtual locations
called "junctions". They are only for backwards compatibility with older
software that expects those directories to exist. They point to the real
directories such as C:\Users\your-username\Documents, etc. You may have
already known this but I mention it just to be thorough. I'm certainly not
trying to disparage your mad skilz.

2. As for setting up user accounts correctly, having only one and that one
being an administrator is not the best situation. You should also run as a
Standard user for your daily work, not as an administrator. This was true
even in XP although from a practical standpoint, administrator user
accounts worked better because of the need to run older software that
didn't understand permissions. I'll give you the user account setup I use
and the explanation below. If you don't want to follow it, that's your
choice of course.

=====
You absolutely do not want to have only one user account. Like XP and all
other modern operating systems, Vista is a multi-user operating system with
built-in system accounts such as Administrator, Default, All Users, and
Guest. These accounts should be left alone as they are part of the
operating system structure.

You particularly don't want only one user account with administrative
privileges on Vista because the built-in Administrator account (normally
only used in emergencies) is disabled by default. If you're running as
Administrator for your daily work and that account gets corrupted, things
will be Difficult. It isn't impossible to activate the built-in
Administrator to rescue things, but it will require third-party tools and
working outside the operating system.

The user account that is for your daily work should be a Standard user, with
the extra administrative user (call it something like "CompAdmin" or "Tech"
or the like) only there for elevation purposes. After you create
"CompAdmin", log into it and change your regular user account to Standard.
Then log back into your regular account.

If you want to go directly to the Desktop and skip the Welcome Screen with
the icons of user accounts, you can do this:

Start Orb>Search box>type: netplwiz [enter]
Click on Continue (or supply an administrator's password) when prompted by
UAC

Uncheck the option "Users must enter a user name and password to use this
computer". Select a user account to automatically log on by clicking on the
desired account to highlight it and then hit OK. Enter the correct password
for that user account (if there is one) when prompted. Leave it blank if
there is no password (null).
=====

Malke

 

[Synapse Syndrome [KGB]]

Did you try a reboot after fixing the priv's? I've had Vista throw
error messages after being sure I had the priv's correct. A reboot
cured it. Evidently it caches some of that info somewhere, at some
point.

Bob Plus, that would be that horrible registry virtualizing again - you
know, the reason why StartupCPL does *not* work on Vista?

ss.

 

[+Bob+]

Bob Plus, that would be that horrible registry virtualizing again - you
know, the reason why StartupCPL does *not* work on Vista?

You are incorrect about StartupCPL. See the other thread for
enlightenment.

As for the file priv's, if MS caches them (or registry settings for
that matter) for the session then they need a mechanism to change the
cache if those settings are changed during the session. Even MS is not
ignorant enough to miss-design something that simple. Otherwise every
priv change or registry change would require a reboot - and that is
not the case. They do have a bug in the code the file priv area as it
does not always work.

I am unaware of any bugs in the registry caching area but if you'd
like to post some references please feel free.

 

[Dave T.]

If it's not already obvious, I'm a brand new user of a Vista computer.
I've used XP Home for years.
My XP computer's "Documents and Settings" folders lists the following
users:

Administrators
All Users
Compaq Owner
Default User
LocalService
Network Service

When I right click any XP folder, there are no screens for setting up
permissions

OK - Here's what I'd like:

To change my Vista setup so there is just one and only one user with
global
permissions. In other words, bypass all the security settings which may
be appropriate for a machine in a larger network.

Is there a simple way to accomplish this?

I'm coming late to your thread, but there are a few things you should know.

1. There is no such real "place" as Documents and Settings in Vista. If
you're trying to access a "folder" under that hierarchy, that is why you
can't do it. The whole Documents and Settings thing as well as all the "My"
folders - My Documents, My Computer, etc. - are only virtual locations
called "junctions". They are only for backwards compatibility with older
software that expects those directories to exist. They point to the real
directories such as C:\Users\your-username\Documents, etc. You may have
already known this but I mention it just to be thorough. I'm certainly not
trying to disparage your mad skilz.

2. As for setting up user accounts correctly, having only one and that one
being an administrator is not the best situation. You should also run as a
Standard user for your daily work, not as an administrator. This was true
even in XP although from a practical standpoint, administrator user
accounts worked better because of the need to run older software that
didn't understand permissions. I'll give you the user account setup I use
and the explanation below. If you don't want to follow it, that's your
choice of course.

=====
You absolutely do not want to have only one user account. Like XP and all
other modern operating systems, Vista is a multi-user operating system with
built-in system accounts such as Administrator, Default, All Users, and
Guest. These accounts should be left alone as they are part of the
operating system structure.

You particularly don't want only one user account with administrative
privileges on Vista because the built-in Administrator account (normally
only used in emergencies) is disabled by default. If you're running as
Administrator for your daily work and that account gets corrupted, things
will be Difficult. It isn't impossible to activate the built-in
Administrator to rescue things, but it will require third-party tools and
working outside the operating system.

The user account that is for your daily work should be a Standard user, with
the extra administrative user (call it something like "CompAdmin" or "Tech"
or the like) only there for elevation purposes. After you create
"CompAdmin", log into it and change your regular user account to Standard.
Then log back into your regular account.

If you want to go directly to the Desktop and skip the Welcome Screen with
the icons of user accounts, you can do this:

Start Orb>Search box>type: netplwiz [enter]
Click on Continue (or supply an administrator's password) when prompted by
UAC

Uncheck the option "Users must enter a user name and password to use this
computer". Select a user account to automatically log on by clicking on the
desired account to highlight it and then hit OK. Enter the correct password
for that user account (if there is one) when prompted. Leave it blank if
there is no password (null).
=====

Malke

Malke,
Educate me. I have been using an administrators account, but nothing
happens unless I approve through UAC. What is the reasoning for daily
operation as a standard user? I assume there must be a very good reason,
because it seems that it will be a real PITA to switch accounts every
time I need to use the "Run as administrator" option in the right click
menu.