Special permissions

[Gjert Stensrud]

I have a "Documents and folders" folder from a previous Win XP installation
on my computer.
I want to access this folder, but I am not allowed.
I guess this is because I don't have Special permissions.
I have the same problem when I try to open the Boot.ini file.

How do I give myself Special permissions?

-Gjert

 

[Jimmy Brush]

Hello,

Your previous installation of windows ... is it on a different partition
than your Vista installation? Or did you install Vista to the same partition
that your previous version of windows was on?

- JB

 

[Gjert Stensrud]

I have installed Vista on the same partition as the previous installation.

I know that Documents and folders are no longer used. But I still need to access that folder.

-Gjert
no longer used.
files are now under "USERS" further down the tree.



(e-mail address removed)



I have a "Documents and folders" folder from a previous Win XP installation
on my computer.
I want to access this folder, but I am not allowed.
I guess this is because I don't have Special permissions.
I have the same problem when I try to open the Boot.ini file.

How do I give myself Special permissions?

-Gjert

 

[Jimmy Brush]

The Documents and Settings folder you need is located in the Windows.old folder. This folder contains stuff from your previous installation of windows.

The Documents and Settings folder you see at the root of your drive is actually fake... there is no way to access it. It's purpose is to point programs to the new Users folder, which replaces Documents and Settings in Vista.

- JB

 

[Gjert Stensrud]

OK, I see. Thank you.
But do you know why I am not allowed to open Boot.ini?
After I copy the stuff I need from the Windows.old folder, I want to delete it and edit Boot.ini, so that Windows XP don't appear on the boot menu.

-Gjert
The Documents and Settings folder you need is located in the Windows.old folder. This folder contains stuff from your previous installation of windows.

The Documents and Settings folder you see at the root of your drive is actually fake... there is no way to access it. It's purpose is to point programs to the new Users folder, which replaces Documents and Settings in Vista.

- JB

 

[Jimmy Brush]

You are not allowed to open boot.ini because it is set to only allow Administrators access to it.

But ... you are logged in as an administrator ... however, in Vista, the programs you run are given normal user priviledges unless the program asks for admin or you explicitly allow the program admin.

Unfortunately, notepad is one of those programs that doesn't automatically ask for admin privilidges if it tries to access a file that is access denied, which is the case with boot.ini.

So, the solution... explicitly give notepad admin permission:

- Click start
- Click All Programs
- Click Accessories
- Right-click notepad
- Click Run as Administrator

Now, open the boot.ini file from within notepad and you will be able to access it

- JB

OK, I see. Thank you.
But do you know why I am not allowed to open Boot.ini?
After I copy the stuff I need from the Windows.old folder, I want to delete it and edit Boot.ini, so that Windows XP don't appear on the boot menu.

-Gjert
The Documents and Settings folder you need is located in the Windows.old folder. This folder contains stuff from your previous installation of windows.

The Documents and Settings folder you see at the root of your drive is actually fake... there is no way to access it. It's purpose is to point programs to the new Users folder, which replaces Documents and Settings in Vista.

- JB

 

[Gjert Stensrud]

Thank you once again

-Gjert
You are not allowed to open boot.ini because it is set to only allow Administrators access to it.

But ... you are logged in as an administrator ... however, in Vista, the programs you run are given normal user priviledges unless the program asks for admin or you explicitly allow the program admin.

Unfortunately, notepad is one of those programs that doesn't automatically ask for admin privilidges if it tries to access a file that is access denied, which is the case with boot.ini.

So, the solution... explicitly give notepad admin permission:

- Click start
- Click All Programs
- Click Accessories
- Right-click notepad
- Click Run as Administrator

Now, open the boot.ini file from within notepad and you will be able to access it

- JB

OK, I see. Thank you.
But do you know why I am not allowed to open Boot.ini?
After I copy the stuff I need from the Windows.old folder, I want to delete it and edit Boot.ini, so that Windows XP don't appear on the boot menu.

-Gjert
The Documents and Settings folder you need is located in the Windows.old folder. This folder contains stuff from your previous installation of windows.

The Documents and Settings folder you see at the root of your drive is actually fake... there is no way to access it. It's purpose is to point programs to the new Users folder, which replaces Documents and Settings in Vista.

- JB

 

[mikeyhsd]

no longer used.
files are now under "USERS" further down the tree.



(e-mail address removed)



I have a "Documents and folders" folder from a previous Win XP installation
on my computer.
I want to access this folder, but I am not allowed.
I guess this is because I don't have Special permissions.
I have the same problem when I try to open the Boot.ini file.

How do I give myself Special permissions?

-Gjert

 

[mikeyhsd]

download a program called
VistaBootPro
it allows the editing of the vista boot menu.
W A R N I N G
does not work on 5456.5



(e-mail address removed)



OK, I see. Thank you.
But do you know why I am not allowed to open Boot.ini?
After I copy the stuff I need from the Windows.old folder, I want to delete it and edit Boot.ini, so that Windows XP don't appear on the boot menu.

-Gjert
The Documents and Settings folder you need is located in the Windows.old folder. This folder contains stuff from your previous installation of windows.

The Documents and Settings folder you see at the root of your drive is actually fake... there is no way to access it. It's purpose is to point programs to the new Users folder, which replaces Documents and Settings in Vista.

- JB