Permission denied to files/folders

[KingCobra220]

My desktop is cluttered with many folders containing shortcuts, programs, projects, and so on. Today, I started experiencing problems with said folders on my desktop.
When I try to run executables and shortcuts located in these desktop folders I am told: Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item.

Some of the folders' files (image, HTML, PHP, and others) open properly with their default programs. Others, like ZIP files, do not. The error I get when trying to run or right click them is: your current security settings do not allow this action. I also get this error when trying to get to My Docs from the desktop.

Experiments to figure out what is wrong:
I copied a non-working folder from my desktop to my c drive. Everything inside the copied folder works perfectly.
A working shortcut to FF (located on my desktop) was copied into a folder of non-working files/shortcuts. The FF shortcut then did not work.

Theories:
Something is wrong with the file/folder permissions?

I've searched microsoft support, but have found nothing that works.
I am running windows XP Tablet PC Edition as an Administrator.
Virus scans (Symantec & Webroot) turned up nothing.

Any ideas?

[KDLA]

Your profile may be corrupted. I suggest you create a new profile, then try to access in the files.

[Angry Black Man]

- open a command prompt. type: "echo %username%" (without quotes)
- remember the name
- browse to: C: >> Documents and Settings
- right click on the folder with your username
- click properties
- click the "security" tab
- click the "advanced" button
- click the "owner" tab
- best case scenario here is that under the "change owner to" box, you will see "administrators" and "your username". if so, select "your username" and check the "replace owner on all subcontainers and objects" box.
- click "OK". the computer will hang for a moment, and then sooner or later you will get a dialog that looks like a file transfer. this means that its changing the ownership on everything in the folder.
- assuming you are an administrator, this will not fail (or should only error on a couple items that may be locked for one reason or another). once this is completed...
- right click on the folder in "documents and settings" with your name on it
- click properties
- click the "security" tab
- make sure only the following 3 security items are listed in the "group or user names" box:

Administrators ( <- note plural), your account's username, SYSTEM

- with only those three security objects listed, ensure that each has FULL CONTROL (all boxes will be checked) under the ALLOW column.
- now, click "advanced" button, and then check the box that says "replace permission entries on all child objects......"
- click OK
- it will whine at you basically saying that anything else that was defined before will be removed and replaced with the working permissions we want. click YES.
- you may need to click OK to get the process to actually begin. otherwise, you will then see the "file copy" looking dialog which is then adding your security permissions to everything in your profile. there shouldnt be any access denied errors, but if so, just click okay and it should move on.

its certainly posssible that your profile is "corrupted" and that this fix will not work, but this solution (if successful) saves you from having to recreate a profile and reenter any myriad of settings. recreating a profile is certainly "simpler", but could potentially end in lost data if you dont know what to back up, as well as complicating the process of redoing profile settings. moreover, it is possible that using the files/settings transfer wizard could copy incorrect settings to a new profile and be a waste of time.

[KDLA]

Good instructions!
Something you need to do, also, is to figure out what changed your settings. You may be dealing with a symptom of a bigger problem. I would check to see if a Windows Update (or other program "touching" these folders) only partially installed, or if you have a possible virus.

KDLA

[KingCobra220]

I followed your instructions exactly, but unfortunately it didn't work. I suspect the account somehow became corrupted. I created a new one and it works fine. Thanks for the help!

[Declan1991]

Unlocker can be quite useful at times too.

[Icodeforfun]

They could be encrypted files, usually to protect agensit virus's but if you know the name of the file or program, exc that you want to acess search for it by clicking.. well the search button :P