Need help fixing a badly damaged WinXP system.

[Moodie1]

@ Kelsenellenelvian:

Oh, you want me to add these lines to the registry, not edit them, right? Oops, our posts crossed. I'll try this. Give me a few minutes.

When you say "copy" should I also copy the top line ' Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 '? Is that required?

Edited January 14, 2014 by Moodie1

[Kelsenellenelvian]

The reg file will ad them for you.

While you could do it manually I don't recommend it, especially with the syntax in that regfile. (the backslashes, commas and quotes don't go plainly into the reg it's they way it's written to add it fully)

[Kelsenellenelvian]

@ Kelsenellenelvian:

Oh, you want me to add these lines to the registry, not edit them, right? Oops, our posts crossed. I'll try this. Give me a few minutes.

When you say "copy" should I also copy the top line ' Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 '? Is that required?

Yes the top line is required. Otherwise its just gibberish to windows.

[Moodie1]

Nope, didn't work. I downloaded your file, saved it as 'ownership.reg' and ran it. Regedit said the info was successfully integrated into the registry. Then I went to my main WordPad project folder and right-clicked on 'Take ownership'. I got the DOS window showing all the scrolling file entries. Then I tried editing a file from that folder with WordPad and got an "Access denied" error message. I assume taking ownership of a folder affects *all* the files inside it, including all the subfolders as well, right?

FYI, the runas subentry is now present in the registry.

Edited January 14, 2014 by Moodie1

[Kelsenellenelvian]

It always has for me. The way the windows files work is the metadata says that the file was created by another user (You on the XP system) and when you take ownership it tells window you own the file now.

Is the wordpad dir the one with wordpad in it or your wordpad documents?

[Kelsenellenelvian]

Can you post a wordpad file for me? (one that is from the old system) Not one that has anything important just attach it to your next post.

Edit:

This might apply to your issue as well http://www.computing.net/answers/windows-7/trying-to-open-wordpad-files-from-windows-xp-to-windows-7/12884.html

OH Edit 2:

Has the file been set to read only?

Edited January 14, 2014 by Kelsenellenelvian

[Moodie1]

Okay, how do I attach a file? Is it the button at the top left corner (the one next to 'Remove Format'?) (the one with NO tooltip)?!?! :angrym:

Edited January 14, 2014 by Moodie1

[Kelsenellenelvian]

Pictures are easiest:

Choose more reply options (Not the fast reply) look at the right area of the fast reply box.

Then follow these.

[Moodie1]

I had an issue with 'Read-Only' on my WinXP system. Somehow, a few R/O files caused the system to see the entire top-level folder as Read-Only and when I cleared the R/O attribute for those files and the top-level folder as well it seemed to work but if I immediately checked the folder's attributes it would still have a gray (not black) checkmark in 'Read-Only'. Strange, but it didn't affect any of the other files. IOW, the folder showed as 'Read-Only' (partially, anyway) but the files in it were not.

BTW, the reason I used the word "project" when I said "WordPad project folder" was to indicate that that's the folder where I keep most of my text (.rtf) projects, which are *not* on my C: drive. If I was referring to the Windows C: drive folder where the WordPad program resides I would have said "WordPad program folder". If I was referring to the folder where I keep a program's downloaded installable file I would call it an "install" folder (not a "program" folder, and certainly *not* a "project" folder). Call me anal but I've found from many, many years of using computers that it helps to be *very* rigid with your terminology.

The .rtf file I'm attaching should give you all more than a few laughs, I hope. This file was made with my WinXP system.

insights & clever wordplay.rtf

Edited January 14, 2014 by Moodie1

[Kelsenellenelvian]

Actually you're quite right I missed the project word...

I saved your file and without doing anything but double clicking this is what I got:

Does your explorer show the files like so:

If it doesn't we can REALLY easily fix this.

I love most of those quotes

[Moodie1]

Uhhh... I hate to admit this, but I've never used Explorer (almost never, anyway). Ever since my first PC, I've always used a third-party file manager instead. I *really* got used to two-pane file managers, which MS took *forever* to bring to Windows. To this day, right-clicking on 'Copy' or 'Move' in one window and then 'Paste' in another seems a bit unnatural to me. Also, when I click the Start button (at the bottom left) I don't see an entry for Explorer. How do I get to it? If this helps, I can create a shortcut for an old file and drag it to the desktop. This works okay. But I still can't edit it.

BTW, the files open okay, but if I change them in any way Windows won't let me save them.

Edited January 14, 2014 by Moodie1

[Kelsenellenelvian]

Ummm uninstall the third party shell manager?

I have to go for now but here is the things I would try:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/299-user-account-control-uac-change-notification-settings.html (Method 1 is the one you want to read about.) Try lowering the uac setting.

Also if you select properties from the right click menu the you'll see this:

Click on unblock and then apply and try again. (This too can be automated if it works)

Good luck.

Edited January 14, 2014 by Kelsenellenelvian

[Moodie1]

Okay, I've done some research (both online and in my Win7 help file) on my "access denied" problem and it seems to me that this has nothing to do with UAC and everything to do with file permission settings. Moving the UAC slider to another setting would only affect how easy or hard it would be for Windows programs (*not* project files) to be changed. OTOH, modifying file permissions *would* directly affect which users have editing rights to files. I just visited http://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/windows-7-access-denied-permission-ownership/ and tried JohnnySmith0's fix. After some trial and error I finally solved the problem. It's a bit involved but here's how I did it:

1. In Explorer (yes, I found it!) right-click on the drive to be affected (or right-click on a data folder). Click on Properties. Click the Security tab.
2. Click on the user name of your account to highlight it. I had two (I don't know why), Administrators and Users. I chose Administrators.
3. Click the 'Edit' button. A new window will open, named 'Permissions for...'. Highlight your username in this window.
4. At the bottom are the permission checkboxes for this user. The 'Full control', 'Modify' and 'Write' boxes will probably be unchecked. Check them.
5. Click the 'Apply' button at the bottom. A small window will appear showing all the files on that drive having their permissions changed.
6. When all the files have been updated click the 'OK' button. The Permissions window will close. Click the 'OK' button on the Properties window to close it.

7. Repeat these steps for all folders/drives where you have data (projects).

That should do it. This worked for me. I can now edit any file on this drive and save the file normally. BTW, I didn't check the 'Special Permissions' box, not knowing what that term applies to. Also, I don't recommend doing this for Windows or program folders on the C: drive, although I could be wrong about that.

Edited January 14, 2014 by Moodie1