Denied access to "All Users" by mistake for C: drive

JMCSD · Dec 16, 2008

Hello everyone.

A tiny bit of background story here. My sister is visiting and she has a habit of toying around with and messing my mothers laptop up. Now for what we thought we should do: We created my sister her own account, and I was under the impression that my mums login was an "Administrator". Now I made the mistake of deny access for "all users" to the C:\ thinking that her login would still have access. So now, I've tried booting in safe mode, opening the cmd prompt as the administrator, type net user administrator /active:yes. I logged in as the new Administrator login, but still cannot make any changes to the permissions on her C:\. I can't change the owner either. I cannot create another user even. I'm lost and we can't even do a system restore. Getting which apparently has to do with permissions (gee, what a surprise). Please help!

Brink · Dec 16, 2008

Re: Administrator Account

Hello JMCSD, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Can you do a System Restore at boot using Method Two in this tutorial?

Shawn

JMCSD · Dec 16, 2008

Hello Brink,

Unfortunately I never created a system restore point or a backup cd of any kind. On top of that I can't open system restore, not in Safe Mode either.

Gah!... please don't give up on me. Believe it or not I actually work on computers all day for a communications company.... it's just i work with XP and i definitely don't specialize in windows so just bounce ideas off of me and I'll do whatever i can to make them work. I'll start taking screen shots if that would help. I bassicaly locked my C:\ to "All Users" and now *BANG*................. i can't do anything to get back into it. Even using the built in administrator account. So if i don't have a restore point... am i screwed completely or are there other suggestions???

Brink · Dec 16, 2008

Re: Administrator Account

JMCSD,

It looks like your only option is to format and reinstall Vista.

Sorry,
Shawn

JMCSD · Dec 16, 2008

Re: Administrator Account

............................................ :cry:

.......................................................... okay......... is there ANYTHING ANYTHING ANYTHING I can do to back up some of the files my mother had on her c drive, whether or not it costs money? Man I'm so mad I made the simple mistake of assuming the "administrator" account also counts as a "user". Assumptions only make an (butt) out of yourself. I appreciate everyone and anyones help.

Brink · Dec 17, 2008

Re: Administrator Account

JMCSD,

If you have a retail Vista installation disc, then you may be able to do a Repair (upgrade) install to not lose anything. The previous installation of Vista may be placed in the C:\Windows.old folder after the repair install so you can copy what you needed back.

If not, then I suppose that you could take it to a computer shop in your area and have them pcopy the files off the hard drive for you. I'm not sure how much that would cost though.

Hope this helps some,
Shawn

PainlessTorture · Dec 17, 2008

Re: Administrator Account

Have you tried booting in safe mode and trying to fix the security perms from there?

Also, if its locked to all users have you tried using the SYSTEM account to gain access? Its not a normal thing to do however the SYSTEM has more access than every admin including the builtin one so it stands to reason it should be able to do something.

There is another thing I do not understand, how can you login and run explorer etc with no C:? That would lock you out of the windows folder? :huh:

Can you upload a screenshot of your C: security config please

JMCSD · Dec 17, 2008

Re: Administrator Account

Hi Guys,

I will be sure to upload a screenshot later today. I am actually at work right now and don't have access to that machine. A quick question though... how do I enable that SYSTEM account? Is it similar to enabling the built in administrator? or are there other steps?

Brink · Dec 17, 2008

Re: Administrator Account

The built-in Administrator account is the same thing as the System account. It's just another name for it.

JMCSD · Dec 17, 2008

Re: Administrator Account

Ah I see. Yep. Tried activating the Administrator account and then started in safe mode yet I still can't change the C:\ permission levels

.

Flavius · Dec 17, 2008

May try change permissions by using command prompt:

to take ownership use command takeown, if you display takeown /? you show command describe how it use

command icacls is for changing permissions;icacls /? desplay describe

limneos · Dec 17, 2008

indeed the above method seems to have most chances..

Try booting in either safe mode or with Vista DVD( boot from vista install dvd, select "Repair Computer" , select your Windows Installation and open command prompt).

In command prompt, switch to your installation path e.g. c:\

and type:

takeown /F your_damaged_folder /A /R

Example:

takeown /F c:\Users /A /R

This will give the administrators group ownership to the folder.

Let us know if it worked

Flavius · Dec 18, 2008

@limneos

Try booting in either safe mode or with Vista DVD( boot from vista install dvd, select "Repair Computer" , select your Windows Installation and open command prompt).

Command takeown, don't work under Vista DVD,althoug icacls work -strange..

EDIT
No,unfortunatly changing permissions under Vista DVD,liveCD or likely will be unuseful for him.Of course you can change permissions under Vista DVD but it only read,changing from Vista DVD level not installed system.When he boot system again he'll have the same permissions as before booting Vista DVD.I've tested on my virtual PC -He must change permissions only on allive system

limneos · Dec 18, 2008

Flavius, thanks for noticing...

In Windows 7 boot DVD, takeown works in command prompt. That's where I last saw it ,so I assumed it would work in Vista too.

PainlessTorture · Dec 18, 2008

Re: Administrator Account

Brink said:
The built-in Administrator account is the same thing as the System account. It's just another name for it.

I mean executing the command as the NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM.

Brink · Dec 18, 2008

Oh, ok Fmjc001. Thank you for clarifying that.

PainlessTorture · Dec 18, 2008

No problem

KCMichaelB · Dec 18, 2008

I'm not a Linux geek by any means but can you boot up with an Ubuntu live cd or flash drive? You should be able to see all of the directories on C:/ and at least retrieve any important data prior to reformatting and re-installing system software.

johngalt · Dec 20, 2008

The point of this exercise is to *not* have to format and start over. Hence them trying what they are now.

Using a *nix bootable CD ***that supports NTFS read at bare minimum*** will be required to do this as a drastic last measure.

KCMichaelB · Dec 20, 2008

johngalt said:
The point of this exercise is to *not* have to format and start over. Hence them trying what they are now.

Using a *nix bootable CD ***that supports NTFS read at bare minimum*** will be required to do this as a drastic last measure.

If you read one of his/her earlier posts it sounded like a desperate plea to me asking for any way to save some of the data on the hard drive.

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