"Access denied" for random files and folders

**Dakshi** · 17-02-2007

I am facing some critical problem with my Windows XP system. It started day before yesterday when I was trying to extract a rar file. As soon as I tried extracting I received an error message saying

“Cannot delete (folder name): Access is denied. Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected and that the file is not currently in use.”

The same error appears also when I try to delete, edit, move, or renaming the file. Damn. Let me tell you that I am the only administrator of this computer and am logged in with admin rights. Well this happened day before yesterday and in past two days, my system has restricted me to do anything on this computer. Now I’m not able to move desktop shortcuts to documents folder, I cannot renamed any excel or word file, or anything.

I know the very first symptoms may be Malware hence I updated my Antivirus and scanned the entire system. Dint found anything. Surprisingly the same thing even happens in the Safe Mode as well, even with the built-in Administrator Account.

Can anyone please help me out with this? Many thanks.

**Dakshi** · 18-02-2007

It seems like i managed to at least get deleting permissions. By going to any folder's or files Properties and making the folder shareable (which it then says it cannot, because of Access Denied and such), the folder and its contents suddenly become accessible and I can delete them. You and i know that this is not the permanent fix because yet there are two files which wont have such options and hence I cannot delete. Can someone please help?