Permissions

[Kathy]

No I am NOT BLONDE and I take great offence to that comment. I have 2 very
smart blonde daughters. Can you tell me whyy I have directories that don't
exist and folder I can't access? If I want to access a folder on computer
why can't I? All I want to know is a way to access my computer???? Why do
you guys have a problem with that? Why do any of the folders have to be
hard to access? If I choose to access something and mess up my computer,
why can't I?

Kathy

 

[Kathy]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!
Like you said I want to access everything. It is my computer and I don't
want anyone telling me I can't access things. I too have been able to
access some things and don't know I did it.

Once again thanks

Kathy

 

[Gordon]

No I am NOT BLONDE and I take great offence to that comment. I have 2
very smart blonde daughters. Can you tell me whyy I have directories that
don't exist and folder I can't access?

Because, if you bother to listen, they are NOT FOLDERS. They are JUNCTION
POINTS.

read this:

Windows Vista Junction Points:

http://www.svrops.com/svrops/articles/jpoints.htm

 

[FromTheRafters]

D

You're the type of person that MS is trying to protect the rest of us
from....

 

[Dave]

Standard reply I've been posting for the past 2 years....

Vista uses a different file structure than XP does/did. Those familiar
folder names you may be used to, like "My Documents", "Documents &
Settings", etc.
are not folders in Vista. They are junction points, and are used for legacy
programs which were written to utilize the XP file structure. They will
redirect the programs to use the equivalent Vista folders.
If you keep the protected operating system files hidden, you won't see them.

XP -> Vista......
Documents & Settings -> \Users
My Documents -> \Users\youraccount\Documents
My Music -> \Users\youraccount\Music
Application Data -> \Users\youraccount\AppData
etc.

 

[Randall Flagg]

OK, so they ARE NOT FOLDERS, they are JUNCTIONPOINTS. I could care a less
what they are called, if they are visable on my computer why can't I access
them?

She's not even as smart as the proverbial blonde!

You know people learn a lot better when teachers are not rude. I came on
here to learn something not be put down.

You speak in generalities ("things", "something") and want specifics
for answers. When you get the specifics (the explanation of junction
points) you apparently don't read them.

That's just plain dumb.

 

[FromTheRafters]

I had a directory (folder) named under DOS that Win98 had a problem with.
The folder icon appeared in the file browser window named with an
underscore.
When double-clicked I got a message box stating 'this folder does not exist'
or
some such...yes, computers can be aggravating. Why show me the icon if the
folder does not exist (and yet it does - I created it).

XP had a great out of the box experience, but needed to be 'hardened' for
better security. Vista's OOBE is a sharp contrast, but can be 'softened' to
be more like XP.

If I understand it correctly, Windows 7 puts that softening on a GUI
slider. Vista's methods can be easily googled for.

Disabling UAC

Activating the real administrator in Vista

 

[Kathy]

OK, so they ARE NOT FOLDERS, they are JUNCTIONPOINTS. I could care a less
what they are called, if they are visable on my computer why can't I access
them?
You know people learn a lot better when teachers are not rude. I came on
here to learn something not be put down.

 

[Gordon]

OK, so they ARE NOT FOLDERS, they are JUNCTIONPOINTS. I could care a
less what they are called, if they are visable on my computer why can't I
access them?

Umm because there is nothing in them. When you are driving, you don't access
a sign-post, do you? There's nothing in it. It POINTS to where you want to
go. Same with Junction points.
To further your analogy, there are THOUSANDS of dll files on your machine.
Do you want to access those? Would you even understand what they do? Yes you
could mess with them, and then we'd just get lots of hassle trying to right
the wrongs you have done to your machine.
Just accept the fact that there are inaccessible files and folders on your
machine. Yes, find out what they do, knowledge is good, but leave them
alone!

 

[Guest]

Umm because there is nothing in them. When you are driving, you don't
access a sign-post, do you? There's nothing in it. It POINTS to where
you want to go. Same with Junction points.
To further your analogy, there are THOUSANDS of dll files on your
machine. Do you want to access those? Would you even understand what
they do? Yes you could mess with them, and then we'd just get lots of
hassle trying to right the wrongs you have done to your machine.
Just accept the fact that there are inaccessible files and folders on
your machine. Yes, find out what they do, knowledge is good, but leave
them alone!

OK, I've found why we're having such a polarized discussion.
I DON'T USE WINDOWS EXPLORER. Somewhere around windows 95, it became
more hindrance than help. As a general rule, never use ANY windows
built-in function if a third-party tool exists. You'll have lower
blood pressure and fewer fits of anger.

I use totalcommander for my file browser.
Somehow, totalcommander has managed to provide a stable, consistent
user interface that incorporates most of the functions I ever need since
windows 3.1. And it doesn't break or change every time M$ has a brain
fart. It just keeps on working perfectly. I click the same menu item
I clicked 10 years ago and it still does the same thing.

When I click on documents and settings in windows explorer, I get
"access denied".
When I click on documents and settings in totalcommander, I get taken
to the place the junction point pointed to (c:\users)...as it should.
I never noticed because it's completely transparent...as it should be.

My left mouse button is a legacy device attempting to access the legacy
folder and per your explanation, should behave as if it were working.
Windows explorer fails this test.

By screwing around with ownerships and permissions in a manner I couldn't
reproduce, I managed to make it work in totalcommander.
Never bothered to try it in windows explorer before.

For the most part, clicking on an icon does pretty much what I expect.
I just wish I could document exactly what I did to coerce Vista into
behaving that way. I expect that my system is much more vulnerable
to attack than it would be if I knew what I was doing.

In general, if I want something, I'll ask for it. If I didn't ask for
it, don't do it.
Vista FAILS that test.
Vista's stock answer to any attempt is "NO!". You gotta
go find a workaround to get anything done. And, more seriously,
it does all manner of
stuff you DON'T want done. More workarounds...GRRRRR!!!!

 

[DDW]

OK, I've found why we're having such a polarized discussion.
I DON'T USE WINDOWS EXPLORER.

Like, everyone was supposed to guess that, hmm?

I think I know where you belong, so in there you go...

DDW

 

[Sam Hobbs]

You would have gotten better responses if you had first tried to understand
why things are the way they are. I agree that there is room for improvement.
I think there is no reason whatsoever to show "My Documents" in the user
directory since the user directory itself is not real (it is a subdirectory
of "Users"). You would have gotten a better response if you had asked why
you can't access "My Documents" instead of assuming you must.

I have seen thousands of questions; literally thousands in programming
forums. Developers often ask questions without reading documentation and
without searching for previous answers. People that volunteer to help others
get frustrated with people that spend a minute or two asking a question yet
expect (at least hope for) useful answers that often require more than a few
minutes of time. People asking questions often don't understand why we are
so frustrated.

You got many responses asking that you be more specific. I can understand
you don't understand the frustration of seeing so many questions saying
things like "doesn't work" without specifics.

The most important ingredient of a good question is research. If you try to
find answers yourself first then you are more likely to get help. It also
helps to understand that people are volunteering their time to help.

 

[Sam Hobbs]

There it is. You are asking for help so you can mess up your computer, which
means it is likely you will be back asking for more help fixing something
and you won't understand how you messed it up and you will provide
insufficient information. You will waste a lot of time; yours and those of
others trying to help.

I think most or all people that help others here will prefer that you don't
ask for help here when in the future you mess up your computer in a manner
you don't understand and you are doing something Windows is trying to
protect you from messing up.

 

[Kathy]

If I mess up my computer I will fix it or format it and start over.
I get the feeling noone gets my point. I know they are junction points, but
why show them if you can't access them?
I want to know what is on my computer. On my computer they look like an
ordinary folder. If you look back at the first response, won't you
immediately feel put down and defensive? My default user folder is not
empty. I could not access it until I changed the security options. So are
the rest empty?

Kathy

 

[Gordon]

If I mess up my computer I will fix it or format it and start over.
I get the feeling noone gets my point. I know they are junction points,
but why show them if you can't access them?

I want to know what is on my computer. On my computer they look like an
ordinary folder. If you look back at the first response, won't you
immediately feel put down and defensive? My default user folder is not
empty. I could not access it until I changed the security options. So
are the rest empty?

Why would you WANT to access your "default folder"
I suggest you do a course in computing.

PLONK!!!

 

[Addison Steele]

If I mess up my computer I will fix it or format it and start over.
I get the feeling noone gets my point. I know they are junction points, but
why show them if you can't access them?
I want to know what is on my computer. On my computer they look like an
ordinary folder. If you look back at the first response, won't you
immediately feel put down and defensive? My default user folder is not
empty. I could not access it until I changed the security options. So are
the rest empty?

I know for sure that something is empty... I think it's your head.

 

[FromTheRafters]

If you have read permissions on a folder then you can open it. If you
don't well then your not an administrator [...]

Not completely true, even the administrator can be denied access
to some things.

[...] and the administrator has not
assigned you read permissions. How hard is that to understand?

Is it too hard to read where the OP mentioned she *is* running as
admin (albeit, protected admin). If you are going to be arrogant, at
least be correct.

A regular user cannot open other users folders by default as they are
protected by permissions.

....and MIC.

 

[Sam Hobbs]

Even I understand that the people that want to mess with their system are
owners of the system, so they are the Administrator too. That is not hard to
understand.

 

[Sam Hobbs]

Yes, but if you mess up your computer, don't ask here for help yet since you
are asking here for help it is likely you will ask again. There is a reason
why people here are reluctant to help you mess up your system.

You are obviously not getting many important points that people are making.

If you want to know what is on your computer, then read; then after you have
read, ask about what you don't understand. Don't expect others to help you
mess with your system without learning. Your initial question was vague and
indicated very little understanding. You need to get that point.

I know you are not a developer so the following is too technical, but it is
an example of someone messing with something they should not mess with and
then they ask for help when they don't realize they are responsible for
messing it up.

Visual Studios 2008 Professional refuses to compile some projects : Visual
C++ General : Visual C++ : MSDN Forums
http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vcgeneral/thread/f25e09a5-eb70-4b18-aa4c-009eb075b3a3

 

[Kathy]

You know my original question only required a yes or no. I just wanted to
know.