DJGM Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 So, I'm trying to backup a "My Documents" folder from a hard drive partition that contains a no longer bootable Windows installation ... the Consumer Preview of Windows 8, to be precise. I want re-format the hard drive, but need to backup the contents my Users/Greg folder from the obsolete installation, but it won't let me. Everytime I try to cut/paste from that folder I get this VERY annoying error. Errrrr, excuse me? It's MY computer, I AM THE ****ING ADMINISTRATOR!" How DARE you restrict access to MY OWN FILES, then tell me I need to obtain permission from MYSELF to continue! I've tried the "Take Ownership" registry hack ... but for this particular issue, that doesn't work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Norris Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 How DARE you restrict access to MY OWN FILES, then tell me I need to obtain permission from MYSELF to continue! Are you accessing it as an administrator and not your own user account? As far as security is concerned, it's seeing a different set of permissions from a different installation... not really "your" own files, you as in the user account you're using now. Those directories are restricted to a user that doesn't exist. Probably want to reset the access control list on that volume. Open up a console, switch to that volume and do: icacls * /T /Q /C /reset Needs admin rights of course, and don't do this on a volume that's going to be used in a different installation.. that other install won't be able to access it most likely either. Could always use a Linux live DVD too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mystic Mungis Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 I get a lot of permission errors with Win8, if I try and copy anything to the root or program files folders I need to give administrative permission. I have UAC disabled and and have full administrator rights on my account, never had it flat out deny access yet though. You could try and enable the default admin account by opening CMD as admin and then entering "net user administrator /active:yes" but that's just a work around not a proper fix, hopefully someone can give you a permanent fix for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmaobox Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Why would you have access to files that were created by a different user? If you are administrator just add yourself permission to read/write those files. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hum Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Use that Take Permission program that Warwagon recommenced, on the files. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dashel Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 I've tried the "Take Ownership" registry hack ... but for this particular issue, that doesn't work. Eh, what? As noted, its a different user from a different install so you need to take control of it. Screaming about it won't help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sc302 Veteran Posted July 1, 2013 Veteran Share Posted July 1, 2013 boot to a PE disk/iso/usb or boot to a linux disk and copy away. +Warwagon and Roger H. 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xdot.tk Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 LOL all these new operating systems that have to babysit people that know what they are doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duddit2 Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 The system doesn't know 'YOU', it knows a user account that you setup on a different install, the account you are now using is setup on a different system, it has no idea that YOU are using this account as it has no concept of 'YOU' - just a user account. So the folder you are trying to backup belonged to a user account on a different system, the first thing you need to do is take ownership of the folders/subfolders and files (right click the root, properties, security, advanced, ownership) - this wont change permissions, but I will allow you to add permissions once you are the owner. Then you'll need to close the panels and re open them, go to the permissions tab and give yourself full access to all folders, subfolders and files. Depending on the amount, this may take a while. This also is no different than windows 2000, its an NTFS file security issue and nothing to do with new operating systems or anything else - its a simple case of a users directory is secured so only that user can access it, even an admin by default cant access it, they would need to change all the permissions and reveal to the user that they have been 'spying' on them so to speak. ZakO and Dashel 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickkins Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 Personally, I disabled uac via regedit... but I don't use metro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nrjperera Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 Windows sucks and we all have to deal with stuff like these. If I were you, I would rather use an Ubuntu disk, load the system using the disk and I get access to those files from Ubuntu. Piece of cake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duddit2 Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 Its 2 simple steps and you'd have to take ownership of the files using Ubuntu as well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Norris Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 Windows sucks and we all have to deal with stuff like these.Windows sucks because it's not allowing one user account to mess with the files from another account? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nrjperera Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 Windows sucks because it's not allowing one user account to mess with the files from another account? I wasn't just talking about this. In general, with issues like viruses, errors makes Windows very annoying to deal with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Norris Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 I wasn't just talking about this. In general, with issues like viruses, errors makes Windows very annoying to deal with.Ah. Let me know when you find an OS that's immune to malware and user error. I'd be happy to switch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BajiRav Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 This is pretty trivial file permissions issue, you should be prepared to handle stuff like this and whining about it won't help. You will need to claim ownership of the parent folder and everything inside it. Windows sucks and we all have to deal with stuff like these. If I were you, I would rather use an Ubuntu disk, load the system using the disk and I get access to those files from Ubuntu. Piece of cake. Only clueless people blame OS for a user "error". This is no different than accessing userA's files as userB on Ubuntu/Linux/OS X/Solaris/blah blah. duddit2 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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