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Topic: Vista-read only |
Ken Lang
From:
Simi Valley, Ca
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Posted 8 Jul 2010 10:49 am |
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OK. I have decided to keep Vista rather than go back to XP, but all my word files from XP now say they either are currently being used or are read only. Neither is true. They are not marked read only. But I can't save them because of this.
The only way is to copy them, delete the old file and then rename the new back to the original. Is there a flag or something in Vista to make it think the files are being used.
It would be a rather tedious event to have to do this. The files are in the Dell Word Perfect program.
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heavily medicated for your safety |
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Anders Eriksson
From:
Mora, Dalecarlia, Sweden
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Posted 8 Jul 2010 11:01 am
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It's probably a Rights thing.
In which directory do you have your files?
Vista will not let you change any file under \Program\...
If you right-click on one file and select Properties and then Security. Here you can select your user and see what rights you have to the file
// Anders
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Mitch Drumm
From:
Frostbite Falls, hard by Veronica Lake
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Posted 8 Jul 2010 1:13 pm
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Ken:
This is an "ownership" or permissions issue. It is commonly encountered and resolvable.
I've never run into it personally, so can't directly help you, but you should be able to run it down by hitting google with appropriate search terms like
Vista ownership XP
Vista permissions XP
Vista rights XP
and so forth.
Here is one possibility:
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/67717-take-ownership-file.html
Here is another:
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/112795-context-menu-take-ownership.html
And another:
http://www.mydigitallife.info/2007/05/25/how-to-take-ownership-and-grant-permissions-in-windows-vista/
You probably were an administrator in XP and so had complete access to everything.
You may think you are an administrator in Vista but I think the term has a different meaning in Vista. You may only be a user with certain administrative rights and that could be causing the problem.
Be careful about this. I wouldn't make ownership/permission changes to any Windows or System folder. But I would do it for any folder or series of folders that held my personal data--as in your case of Wordperfect files.
You made the right move by going to Vista, but it has it's shortcomings which you will likely run into--the solution to those shortcomings is Windows 7--which is much improved. |
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Ken Lang
From:
Simi Valley, Ca
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Posted 8 Jul 2010 3:52 pm
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Hey Mitch. Those ways of gaining permission are more work that just copying and renaming. What the H is windows doing anyway? Hollering at you to upgrade and then making the program doubly hard to use.
I'll stick with Vista as it's no doubt the way to go, but I'll be kicking and screaming all the way.
7 is even worse. Some of my programs will not even run. I know, I need to get with it and spend several hundred or thousand dollars to get up to date, but it honks me off.
Thanks again for your help. I'll keep plugging along.
_________________
heavily medicated for your safety |
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Mitch Drumm
From:
Frostbite Falls, hard by Veronica Lake
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Posted 9 Jul 2010 1:00 am
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Ken:
I think the changes are largely related to security.
I'm not too excited about it either.
Attempting to make computers more secure is behind an awful lot of the hair pulling in computing--antivirus, firewalls, malware, encryption, etc etc.
If there hadn't been that bit of trouble in the Garden Of Eden (you know, that original sin, snake, and apple stuff), it wouldn't be necessary. But in the dog eat dog real world, what's mine is mine and what's yours is negotiable. We've all had to deal with that since Adam took a bite. |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 9 Jul 2010 8:12 am
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Ken;
You can right click on any file or folder and choose Properties > Security. From there, click on the Advanced button, then on Owner. If your logged in identity is shown in the list of possible owners, click on it, then click on Take Ownership, or equivalent. If your name is not in the list, go back to the first security tab and see if you can add your login name and assign it full permissions, and if so, apply them. Then, if successful, go back to the Owner tab and try to take ownership in your name.
If you are not allowed to add your logged in name to the list, you must log into a true administrator level account and assign your preferred identity full privileges over the drive, folders, or files in question, apply them, then log out and back into your main identity. I had to jump through these hoops as I beta tested Windows 7.
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog |
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Ken Lang
From:
Simi Valley, Ca
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Posted 9 Jul 2010 4:28 pm
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Thanks Wiz. It works. Like this:
I clicked on the word file, then properties, then secutity, then users(owner-pc\users). I could then edit that to open the file.
The next line up, Administrator (owner-pc\administrator) had all things checked, but apparently I'm not logged in as administrator. How do I do that?
_________________
heavily medicated for your safety |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 9 Jul 2010 9:54 pm
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| Ken Lang wrote: |
Thanks Wiz. It works. Like this:
I clicked on the word file, then properties, then secutity, then users(owner-pc\users). I could then edit that to open the file.
The next line up, Administrator (owner-pc\administrator) had all things checked, but apparently I'm not logged in as administrator. How do I do that? |
Are you logged in as a "Standard User?" That is the equivalent of an XP Power User, with some refinements. Windows Vista and 7 hides the actual Administrator account, until you boot into safe mode. It then appears as one of the login options.
To enter Safe Mode, start the computer and repeatedly tap the F8 key, until a white text boot menu appears. The top two options are Safe Mode and Safe Mode With Networking. Using the up/down arrow keys select either for this purpose and press Enter. You'll see a large amount of files loading (real mode drivers), then you'll come to the Welcome screen. Click on "Administrator" (type in your Administrator password if one exists), acknowledge the screen explaining that you are in the diagnostic Safe Mode, then proceed as follows.
Inside the Administrator account, go to "(My) Computer" and double click to open it to reveal the C drive. Double click to open the C drive and drill down to the folder you need to take ownership of. Right click on that folder, or a file within a folder and select Security, if present, or else Properties > Security. Use the "Add" button to add the name of your standard user account and check the top box to assign Full Privileges to that account, for the desired file or folder. Apply the changes.
Next, click on the "Advanced" button, then the Owner tab, click on your just added personal account name, then click on "Take Ownership." Click Apply, and OK to exit out. Do this with any other problem files, but avoid taking ownership of any system directories (Program Files, Users or Windows). Leave those directories as they are, to prevent most malware from taking possession of your PC, without a fight.
When done, restart the computer and boot into normal Windows. You should now be able to open, edit and move or rename the files and folders that were off limits before, as you are the new owner.
Do not browse the Internet in the actual Administrator account (Safe Mode With Networking option), except to go the Windows Update. It is simply too dangerous to do so with full administrator privileges.
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog |
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Ken Lang
From:
Simi Valley, Ca
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Posted 10 Jul 2010 5:09 am
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Got it. Thanks Wiz. I'll leave it alone unless there is a need for it.
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heavily medicated for your safety |
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