[MajorModeler]

Running Windows 7, home premium version.
None of the Documents and Settings folders will allow me to view, open, or modify them - for any user.
I am logged on as Administrator.

Suggestions?
Thanks

[Mumbodog]

User accounts in Vista and W7 are limited admin accounts, not full like XP was. Can you see the D and S folder for the logged on account?

Where are you trying to access this folder from? please be specific.

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[MajorModeler]

Using Windows Explorer, I double click on C: drive.
There is a D&S folder showing.
When I click on it, I get a box that says :C:\Documents and Settings is not accessible. Access is denied."
I then went to the Properties for the D&S folder and tried to change the security from special to "full control" for only the Administrator. That too returned a message of" Access is denied".

[Mumbodog]

Its the same for me, I think you need to access documents via "Libraries"

But if you want actual access to My Documents.

C:\Users\<your user name here>\My Documents

[MajorModeler]

It is the settings / entries in the Documents and Settings folder that I want to change, not any actual documents themselves. It was so note to be able to tweak them in XP so the machine did what I wanted it to, not limited by the lack of imagination of M$ personnel!!

[Mumbodog]

The folder is owned by the "system" in Vista and W7, you can change the owner and permissions, but I don't know what this does for security and system stability. Do this at your own risk.

You must take ownership of the folder first, close all properties windows, go back and set permissions for the new owner.

.

[TerryNet]

What are you trying to do?

In Vista and 7 the "Documents and Settings," "My Documents," "My Music" and "My Pictures" are some kind of pseudo thingies (don't know the technical term) that allow some applications to work, but cannot be used by us. Have to use the new and mostly equivalent Users, Documents, Music and Pictures, respectively.

[Mumbodog]

pseudo thingies (don't know the technical term)

Virtual folders.

.

[MajorModeler]

Well, I can do it for DOS files and command lines in Unix, but I do not see the "change ownership" options on any of the drop down menues I have seen in Windows 7. Where should I be looking, or is it still a command line thingy?

[DaveA]

You do NOT want to be doing any ownership changes to these "Document and Settings" folders. They are there for machine use only, so the older programs that are written to use them, will get rerouted to the Users folders.

If you really want a headache, just keep messing with them and you will create one.

[scrfix]

Do not mess with the permissions on those folders.
Certain folders that you get access is denied on are called Junctions.
As Dave and everyone is attempting to tell you, leave them alone. Do not worry about them.

Your documents and settings folder in Vista and 7 have been moved to c:\Users\%username% and are no longer found in c:\documents and settings\%username%

[TheOutcaste]

Actually, those "folders" are Junctions, or reparse points. That's why they have the Shortcut arrow on them. Their sole purpose is to redirect old programs that have the old locations hard coded, rather than using environment variables, to the new locations.
Open a Command Prompt, type Dir /AL, and it will list the Junctions, and the location they point to.

You can't access them because the Everyone group only has permission to traverse the folder, and has a Deny permission set for reading/listing.

This MSDN Article has a list of the junction points and where they point. I'm not aware of any differences between Vista and Win 7, but there certainly could be.

[davehc]

I f you leave the Windows Explorer Tools - Viewdefaults alone, which was as Microsoft intended for the average user, (that is the two entries concerning Hiden file and the protected operating system) you cannot even see them and they will use no resources.
To ovecome the ownership, which is easily done, is a recipe for disaster. The first mainifestation will be a constant duplication of sub-folders.

[MajorModeler]

SCRFIX - thanks. Your answer that "Your documents and settings folder in Vista and 7 have been moved to c:\Users\%username% and are no longer found in c:\documents and settings\%username% " is exactly the information I am looking for.

TheOutcaste - Thanks for the junctions information. I tried the command and found the ones that make sense to me. However, the D&S folder did not show up in the list, so it it really a junction? According to the article, it is. So the command does not show all of the jundtions, but a subset of them. Thanks for the pointer to the article.

I do find it interesting that both the D&S and the $Recycle.Bin folders have a padlock icon in front of their names.

For the rest of you, thanks for your replies. However the cautions about ownership without any further information, including the statement "...which is easily done..." without saying how, only provides frustration to me without adding useful information.

Thanks to all for taking the time to reply. I certainly do not intend to appear ungrateful.

[TerryNet]

I also tried the Dir /AL. It only shows the Junctions for the current directory (folder). Like me, I assume you were in C:\Users\<account>

Do cd ..\.. to get back to the C: drive level and try Dir /AL there.

You will see the "system" Junction.

Thanks, TheOutcaste, for more amazing and accurate information. But I'll probably forget soon and go back to calling them "pseudo thingies."