Cannot access Windows.old folder

Installed Vista Business last night. This was a clean install from XP pro.
The install went flawlessly and I am having a ball checking out all the new
features. One problem - I have a bunch of programs that were moved into the
windows.old folder that I still want to have access too. Everytime I try to
run a program from this folder, or move it into another folder, I get an
error saying

"Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You may not have
the appropriate permissions to access the item"

I have gone into the folder properties/securities and given myself
permission. I also took ownership of the files and folder. I am the only user
on this PC and I do have administrator rights. Still, I get the same error
message when trying to do anything with these files. Anyone have any
suggestions?

Josh:
You have to re-install your programs in Vista for them to function since
you did a clean installation. After you re-install the programs you should
be able to open your data files.

--
Dennis Pack
XP x64, Vista Enterprise x64
Office2007
"Josh" <Josh@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:42B299FC-62E5-402C-BBE6-83D2911EC3C6@microsoft.com...
> Installed Vista Business last night. This was a clean install from XP pro.
> The install went flawlessly and I am having a ball checking out all the
> new
> features. One problem - I have a bunch of programs that were moved into
> the
> windows.old folder that I still want to have access too. Everytime I try
> to
> run a program from this folder, or move it into another folder, I get an
> error saying
>
> "Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You may not
> have
> the appropriate permissions to access the item"
>
> I have gone into the folder properties/securities and given myself
> permission. I also took ownership of the files and folder. I am the only
> user
> on this PC and I do have administrator rights. Still, I get the same
> error
> message when trying to do anything with these files. Anyone have any
> suggestions?
>

You have the right idea, Josh, but it's the way you're giving yourself
permission I suspect. Try going to the security tab, and either doing it
from the add button or the advanced button. If all else fails, you can type
in the word users as the object name and then after you get the .old folder
open, I'd go back and take the users privileges away (before all you
UACanistas jump in and say it's not a good idea. I'm recommending to give
users permission for the amount of time you need to get the folder open.

If this doesn't work try the same from Windows explorer in Safe Mode.

CH



"Josh" <Josh@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:42B299FC-62E5-402C-BBE6-83D2911EC3C6@microsoft.com...
> Installed Vista Business last night. This was a clean install from XP pro.
> The install went flawlessly and I am having a ball checking out all the
> new
> features. One problem - I have a bunch of programs that were moved into
> the
> windows.old folder that I still want to have access too. Everytime I try
> to
> run a program from this folder, or move it into another folder, I get an
> error saying
>
> "Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You may not
> have
> the appropriate permissions to access the item"
>
> I have gone into the folder properties/securities and given myself
> permission. I also took ownership of the files and folder. I am the only
> user
> on this PC and I do have administrator rights. Still, I get the same
> error
> message when trying to do anything with these files. Anyone have any
> suggestions?
>

Hello,

- What specific folder is giving you problems?

- Can you run the following command in an elevated command prompt, and then
report back the output:

1) Open an elevated command prompt (right-click command prompt, click Run As
Administrator)
2) change the directory to the folder that contains the file that is having
problems (e.g. "cd windows.old\program files\program folder")
3) Type the following command and press enter:

icacls program.exe

Where program.exe is the program that won't run.

If you get an access denied error, execute this command, and then try again:

takeown /F program.exe /A



--
- JB
Microsoft MVP - Windows Shell/User

Windows Vista Support Faq
http://www.jimmah.com/vista/

Windows.old is to do with your old winxp installation. You need to delete
that and re install your progs. If you wanted to keep your progs you should
have done an upgrade.


Ken


"Josh" <Josh@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:42B299FC-62E5-402C-BBE6-83D2911EC3C6@microsoft.com...
> Installed Vista Business last night. This was a clean install from XP pro.
> The install went flawlessly and I am having a ball checking out all the
> new
> features. One problem - I have a bunch of programs that were moved into
> the
> windows.old folder that I still want to have access too. Everytime I try
> to
> run a program from this folder, or move it into another folder, I get an
> error saying
>
> "Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You may not
> have
> the appropriate permissions to access the item"
>
> I have gone into the folder properties/securities and given myself
> permission. I also took ownership of the files and folder. I am the only
> user
> on this PC and I do have administrator rights. Still, I get the same
> error
> message when trying to do anything with these files. Anyone have any
> suggestions?
>

Thanks for the advice.

Jimmy, it is not one program that I am trying to work with, it is a bunch. I
am trying to salvage most of the programs on the program files folder, that
is under the windows.old directory. I ran the command you gave me, from an
elevated commnad prompt, on the entire directory. I'm not sure if that will
tell you anything, but here is the output:

F:\Windows.old>icacls f:\windows.old
f:\windows.old NT AUTHORITY\Authenticated Users:(OI)(CI)(F)
NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(OI)(CI)(F)
NT AUTHORITY\LOCAL SERVICE:(OI)(CI)(F)
NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE:(OI)(CI)(RX)
BUILTIN\Administrators:(OI)(CI)(F)
BUILTIN\Users:(OI)(CI)(F)
BUILTIN\Administrators:(I)(F)
BUILTIN\Administrators:(I)(OI)(CI)(IO)(F)
NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(I)(F)
NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(I)(OI)(CI)(IO)(F)
BUILTIN\Users:(I)(OI)(CI)(RX)
NT AUTHORITY\Authenticated Users:(I)(M)
NT AUTHORITY\Authenticated Users:(I)(OI)(CI)(IO)(M)

Successfully processed 1 files; Failed processing 0 files

F:\Windows.old>

"Jimmy Brush" wrote:

> Hello,
>
> - What specific folder is giving you problems?
>
> - Can you run the following command in an elevated command prompt, and then
> report back the output:
>
> 1) Open an elevated command prompt (right-click command prompt, click Run As
> Administrator)
> 2) change the directory to the folder that contains the file that is having
> problems (e.g. "cd windows.old\program files\program folder")
> 3) Type the following command and press enter:
>
> icacls program.exe
>
> Where program.exe is the program that won't run.
>
> If you get an access denied error, execute this command, and then try again:
>
> takeown /F program.exe /A
>
>
>
> --
> - JB
> Microsoft MVP - Windows Shell/User
>
> Windows Vista Support Faq
> http://www.jimmah.com/vista/
>

Thanks for that output,

However, I am interested in seeing the output of that command on a specific
file that is denying you access :)... just pick any one file, try to
open/execute, rename, copy, etc that file and verify you are denied access,
then run icacls against it and report back the output.

- JB

Here it is, Jimmy.

f:\Windows.old\Program Files\Mirabelle>icacls GameClient.exe
GameClient.exe: Access is denied.
Successfully processed 0 files; Failed processing 1 files

f:\Windows.old\Program Files\Mirabelle>

"Jimmy Brush" wrote:

> Thanks for that output,
>
> However, I am interested in seeing the output of that command on a specific
> file that is denying you access :)... just pick any one file, try to
> open/execute, rename, copy, etc that file and verify you are denied access,
> then run icacls against it and report back the output.
>
> - JB
>

What does the takeown command say when you attempt to take ownership?

- JB

Sorry.. here is result of the takeown command:

f:\Windows.old\Program Files\Mirabelle>takeown/F GameClient.exe /A

SUCCESS: The file (or folder): "f:\Windows.old\Program
Files\Mirabelle\GameClien
t.exe" now owned by the administrators group.

f:\Windows.old\Program Files\Mirabelle>

I still get the same error when I try to run the program :(


"Jimmy Brush" wrote:

> What does the takeown command say when you attempt to take ownership?
>
> - JB

Ok, now that you have ownership of the file, you should be able to run the
icacls command again and have it say something besides access denied.

- JB

f:\Windows.old\Program Files\Mirabelle>icacls GameClient.exe
GameClient.exe No permissions are set. All users have full control.
Successfully processed 1 files; Failed processing 0 files

f:\Windows.old\Program Files\Mirabelle>

Still won't let me do anything with the file :(

"Jimmy Brush" wrote:

> Ok, now that you have ownership of the file, you should be able to run the
> icacls command again and have it say something besides access denied.
>
> - JB
>

LOL "No permissions are set. All users have full control" - wrong. Looks
like you found a minor bug in the icacls tool - when no permissions are set,
all users have no access, not full control.

Looks like the permissions on those files got messed up somehow durring the
installation process.

Executing these commands should give you access to the files:

cd f:\windows.old\program files

takeown /F . /A /R /D Y > NUL

icacls . /grant System:(CI)(OI)(IO)(F) /grant
Administrators:(CI)(OI)(IO)(F) /grant Users:(CI)(OI)(IO)(RX) /grant
System:(F) /grant Administrators:(F) /grant Users:(RX) /T /L /Q

This will allow you to get at the files inside those folders. You should
follow the advice of another poster and re-install the applications in
Windows Vista, as most of them won't work just by running them from
Windows.old.

--
- JB
Microsoft MVP - Windows Shell/User

Windows Vista Support Faq
http://www.jimmah.com/vista/

Jimmy:
I may be wrong but the programs in the Windows.old folder can't be
started or run. The Windows.old folder is for access to data that was on the
original hard drive or partition.

--
Dennis Pack
XP x64, Vista Enterprise x64
Office2007
"Jimmy Brush" <JimmyBrush@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:eor3wMpQHHA.3444@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> LOL "No permissions are set. All users have full control" - wrong. Looks
> like you found a minor bug in the icacls tool - when no permissions are
> set, all users have no access, not full control.
>
> Looks like the permissions on those files got messed up somehow durring
> the installation process.
>
> Executing these commands should give you access to the files:
>
> cd f:\windows.old\program files
>
> takeown /F . /A /R /D Y > NUL
>
> icacls . /grant System:(CI)(OI)(IO)(F) /grant
> Administrators:(CI)(OI)(IO)(F) /grant Users:(CI)(OI)(IO)(RX) /grant
> System:(F) /grant Administrators:(F) /grant Users:(RX) /T /L /Q
>
> This will allow you to get at the files inside those folders. You should
> follow the advice of another poster and re-install the applications in
> Windows Vista, as most of them won't work just by running them from
> Windows.old.
>
> --
> - JB
> Microsoft MVP - Windows Shell/User
>
> Windows Vista Support Faq
> http://www.jimmah.com/vista/

Jimmy, thanks so much for your time. I'm getting an error when entering the
first command line you gave me, and I am sure it is because I am screwing up
the spacing or something.

"invalid argument/option - 'y' "

I'll start on this again tomorrow, and as you suggest, will most likely
reinstall the programs that I still have.

"Jimmy Brush" wrote:

> LOL "No permissions are set. All users have full control" - wrong. Looks
> like you found a minor bug in the icacls tool - when no permissions are set,
> all users have no access, not full control.
>
> Looks like the permissions on those files got messed up somehow durring the
> installation process.
>
> Executing these commands should give you access to the files:
>
> cd f:\windows.old\program files
>
> takeown /F . /A /R /D Y > NUL
>
> icacls . /grant System:(CI)(OI)(IO)(F) /grant
> Administrators:(CI)(OI)(IO)(F) /grant Users:(CI)(OI)(IO)(RX) /grant
> System:(F) /grant Administrators:(F) /grant Users:(RX) /T /L /Q
>
> This will allow you to get at the files inside those folders. You should
> follow the advice of another poster and re-install the applications in
> Windows Vista, as most of them won't work just by running them from
> Windows.old.
>
> --
> - JB
> Microsoft MVP - Windows Shell/User
>
> Windows Vista Support Faq
> http://www.jimmah.com/vista/
>
>