Access is Denied Error on system disk

[Flaviss]

I am new to the unattended and nlite installations. I experimented with doing an installation that directed my program and documents and settings files onto a separate partition (XP sp3 slipstream). I installed over a previous install that I did not previously delete and re partition during setup, although it was formatted during installation.

Everything worked ok, my screen resolution setting didnt work and it wasnt quite unattended because I forgot to enter things like workgroup and such but it installed I got all my drivers up and I started installing software. When I tried to point some of my software to the system disk ( C: ) and not where the program files and documents/settings was pointed to (other partition D:) I got an error message that access was denied.

I have tried the changing owners thing and it doesn't work. I dont remember exact error but can probably reproduce if necessary.

I would provide a log of what I did with my nlite disk, but I do not know where I get that. If anyone can instruct me how I will be happy to provide it.

I would like to know if anyone has a clue what went wrong to get me started in looking for a solution. Or is it as simple as I should have deleted and repartitioned my previous install partition and thats what is screwing me up?

Thanks,

Flaviss

Edited April 11, 2009 by Flaviss

[Guest]

By default, "Last Session.ini" should have been copied to the root of the CD/DVD you created to install Windows. If it's not there then you can find it in the "%ProgramFiles%\nLite\Presets" directory. When posting the file, please attach it to your reply; do not cut and paste its contents.

EDIT: You may need to import the volume to access it under your new Windows installation. I don't remember the exact steps, but I remember the following steps:

1. Press WindowsKey+R and run "CompMgmt.msc".
   
2. In the left pane, navigate to "Storage/Disk Management".
   
   
3. Right click the volume to import, and choose the appropriate action.
   

Edited April 11, 2009 by 5eraph

[johnhc]

Flaviss, did you format your D: partition before the install? If not format it now, before you take down your Windows installation. Setup will not format any partition but the one you are using for the Windows install. As 5eraph said, attach your Last Session and, please make sure to always start with a fresh copy of your CD files/folders, do all your work in one nLite session and integrate only one SP. Please report when you have a solution, so others can benefit. Enjoy, John.

[Ponch]

Sorry for the basic question, but are you working as administrator "when you tried to point some of your software to the system disk" ?

I don't see any reason why you would not be granted access to the C: drive.

About formatting the D: drive "now", as Johnc suggests (before reinstalling), I doubt it'd solve your problem and I doubt Windows allows such suicidal move. Were the two directories on D remaining from a previous installation as well ?

[Flaviss]

Thanks guys for the quick response,

Attached should be my last session.ini.

5eraph:

I went into the disk manager but when I right click the drive I am denied access to, there is no option to import. I have 'open, explore, change drive letter ...., properties, and help' available and 'make partition as active, format, and delete partition' grayed out. Under the security tab on properties I have 'administrators, creator owner, everyone, Flaviss, system, and users' listed and have checked off allow for all of them - still no access.

johnhc:

I did pre-partition and format the drive I wanted to use for my program and document and user profile files. However I skipped deleting and re partitioning the drive I had my previous install of xp sp3 on. I installed over it and let the install disk just format the drive. If I just delete and reform that partition and re-install do you think it would work?

I didn't use a fresh set of files for my nlite disk, although I did finish in 1 session and use only 1 service pack. How would I go about using fresh files? Since my first use of the program it has not prompted me for any new files. Additionally, even if I use new CD files is there a way to save the options used for the last session? I am not familiar with many of the features and it takes me a long time (2hr+) to go through and look up the ones I have questions on before deciding to disable or not. I would like to not repeat that effort every time.

Thanks again,

Flaviss

Last_Session.ini

[Flaviss]

Ponch:

Yes, I am logged as an administrator. All my accounts are given administrator access except for the auto-created guest account and I don't think I have ever used that account.

I did pre-partition the D drive and windows had no problem moving my program files and user profile files to it as a non system disk. I do not question D's status. I know it was cleanly partitioned and formatted. I have full access to D, its just my system disk C, that is denying me access.

Also, it there a way to 'expand all' when viewing these forums? I find it clunky to have to keep clicking for individual replies on longer threads.

Thanks,

Flaviss

[Guest]

You can change the thread Display Mode by clicking the Options drop down menu at the top of the first thread post on the right side, as shown in the attached image. I use Standard mode.

[Flaviss]

Ahh, thanks, that is soo much better than clicking on the Low Fi link at the bottom.

Edited April 11, 2009 by Flaviss

[johnhc]

Flaviss, Sorry, I got confused concerning which disk you were being denied access to and thought it was the D:. Your Last Session looks OK to me, except you need to remove the Tweak "Explorer-Launch folder windows in a separate process". I don't think this has anything to do with your problem, but it exposes a Windows bug. You can turn it off in a running machine by going to Folder Options (Control Panel). I see you are defining an Autologon user. Do you place it into the Administrator group? My reference to a fresh copy of your source, simply means to start with a fresh copy of your CD files/folders. When I started using nLite, I copied my CD to a folder which I don't use except to copy all the files/folders into my Working folder before I start nLite. Reusing a source that has had nLite run against it usually leads to bizarre results. The Last Session will save all your options/tweaks/etc. What I do is save a copy of my Last Session in a separate folder with a meaningful name (I am running two different configurations). As 5eraph pointed out, all your previous Last Sessions are in the Preset folder with time stamps. Remember to copy both the .ini and the _U.ini and if you change the name, make sure the first part is exactly the same for both. I don't think you need to repartition or delete your partition to start with. I use VMware Server and just do a quick format of the partition I am going to install to. If you are comfortable (as I am) that you have a good disk, this should work fine for you. I don't have an idea why you are getting the access denied unless it has to do with reusing your source - could be. Please be sure to let us know when you figure it out. Enjoy, John.

[Flaviss]

Ok, I will retry with a clean CD source and make the separate process change you suggest.

I think I will also delete and repartition the drive I plan to use for my system disk, just in case because I saw in a non nlite related forum somewhere that a possible cause was an install over a previous install. If this fixes the problem I won't be able to know which fixed it (repartition or clean CD source) but I don't want to go through the install process twice if not necessary purely for diagnostic purposes.

This time I am bothering to download alll the hotfixes that I can (I made a list this time of which ones windows update adds to my current hotfixes) but am running into a dilemma I cannot seem to google an answer to: WGAplugininstall. This is the download I get for multiple, different hotfixes. I get the same file for the supposedly different downloads and I am thinking it won't be incorporated correctly into nlite unless I do something to it - or perhaps those just cannot be incorporated. I have a legal volume license copy of XP so I suppose I can just update them after install, but is there a way to incorporate them into the hotfixes. The ones I have run into so far are: 898461, 959772, and 955839. I haven't gone through my whole list yet so there may be others.

BTW I am sure someone already has posted this but fix 954600 just brings you to download 952069, so if you have already used all the updates for media player through the media player integration tool (I forget the name) - don't bother trying for 954600.

Flaviss

EDIT: I think I am also going to remove the autologon option, because it didn't seem to work anyway and I might as well just manually set it up.

Edited April 11, 2009 by Flaviss

[johnhc]

Flaviss, the Autologon option works fine for me. Something else may have caused it to not to work for you - perhaps the multiple runs of nLite. I see no need to give it up. I run XP x64 so your hot fix questions are totally foreign to me. I suggest you look into RyanVM's Update packs. They offer a single source for your updates and the site lists all the included updates. Good luck and let us hear. Enjoy, John.

[Flaviss]

Well I re-installed and have access to my C: drive just fine. I also put in a password and hid the administrator from the welcome screen and now the autologin function work.

I used RyanVM's update pack rather than the updates I downloaded and had another 11 or so updates to install. Also, for some reason when using the update pack no compatible wireless driver installed. In my previous sessions it auto-found my wireless internet driver but for some reason with this latest session I had to manually install it. Not a big deal. *shrug*

In case anyone is curious I have attached my last session.ini.

I still would like to know how to get the hotfixes that come from microsoft via the WGAplugininstall.exe myself so I can make a custom install disk rather than using a generic pack.

Thanks for the help and suggestions,

Flaviss

Last_Session.ini

[johnhc]

Flaviss, I looked around for WGAPluginInstall.exe and found a DL here. I don't have any idea if this is the correct or latest one. The MS Download Center has WGA notification KB, but I don't know if that is what you are looking for either. I did a search here on it and got lots of hits, so it has been a popular subject. I suggest you look at these three sources and see what fits. Enjoy, John.

[Flaviss]

The problem I am having is when I try to download the following hotfixes from microsoft download pages:

898461, 959772, 955839, 939683, 952287, 909520, 931125, 951847, and 961118

They download an installer package rather than a straight hotfix. For most of them it is the same installer that is downloaded: WGAplugininstall.exe. So on my desktop I will have: WGAplugininstall.exe, WGAplugininstall(2).exe, WGAplugininstall(3).exe ... etc etc etc. I am thinking that if I integrate "WGAplugininstall.exe, WGAplugininstall(2).exe, WGAplugininstall(3).exe" with nlite hotfixes that it is not going to actually add KB898461, KB959772, and KB955839 respectively.

I need to know how to get the actual hotfix out of the installer package that MS downloads onto my computer or from the files that the installer has already installed on my computer.

Flaviss

[g-force]

I think this Addon is not language-related, so give it a try:

http://www.german-winlite.de/wbb/index.php...17000#post17000