Windows 7 Administrator account cannot take control or change permissions to system folders

[rodger]

I'm running windows 7 ultimate and am trying to install some software off of a secure server at a remote location to my hard drive. The install fails every time because the my user account (an administrator) does not have full write permissions to the program files directory. I have tried taking ownership of the directory, but I don't have permission to change it from TrustedInstaller.

I turned on the built in administrator account and logged in through that, but there is no difference in permission level. When I attempt to change the permission level I get the following error dialog box:

An error occurred while applying security information to:
C:\Program Files (x86)
Access is denied

Then the following:

Unable to save permission changes on Program Files (x86)
Access is denied.

I've been fighting with this for three days now and I consider myself pretty adept at typical windows bs. Yes, my UAC is set all the way down. That was the first thing I turned off. I also tried shutting down virus protection and firewalls to no avail. Any help here would be awesome since none of the posts I've been able to find say what to do when the admin can't take control from TrustedInstaller.

Many thanks to whoever can help me out on this!!!

 

[rodger]

I forgot to mention that I tried rebooting the computer in safe mode with no services under the admin account and had the same results.

 

[Trouble]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Check your NTFS permissions on the C:\Program Files (x86) folder (security tab under folder properties) and confirm that the local administrators group has modify permissions to that folder and full control permissions to subfolder and files only.
Taking ownership from Trusted Installer should not be necessary.
Right click the installer (setup.exe, setup.msi, etc.,) and choose run as administrator.
Regards Randy

 

[rodger]

Hi Trouble,

Here is the screenshot of that window for me. All of the permissions are special and when I attempt to change any of them I get the same 2 errors I posted earlier. It allows me to check the box for full control but gives me those errors when I exit and doesn't save the changes. I don't have the exe for the install since it's a web app that is trying to install through a browser window using java and a secure p12 key. I really just need full control and not ownership, although TrustedInstaller is making me distrust it extremely...

Link Removed

 

[Trouble]

Yes, sorry.... I keep forgeting that I'm currently running Windows 8, hence the subtle difference. Had to go upstairs to my wife's Windows 7 machine to double check.
I suspect that your permission for typical program installation is fine, of course you can double click on any of those to inspect "Special" permissions more closely.
I can only suggest that you either check with the application vendor for suggestions as to how to resolve the issue or work arounds that they might be familar with as I don't suspect that you are the first person to ever have this issue. Or perhaps let us know the name of the actual app and someone here might have had some experience that they will be able to share with you.
I am not at all sure that resting ownership of that particular folder from Trusted Installer is likely to be a solution nor can I provide any information regarding any long term consequences of doing so. I can provide a link to a program that will do what you apparently want to do Link Removed however you might want to spend some time researching the consequences and determining ways and methods to return ownership to trusted installer should that become necessary.
Regards
Randy

 

[rodger]

Thanks, Trouble. I tried that just now and have the same results as before. I can't take ownership or change permissions. All those reg keys do is add the shortcut to "Take Ownership" the windows shell right click folder options. A DOS window flashes for a split sec but obviously it fails because the owner is still TrustedInstaller. I still can't change permissions. The problem is deeper here and I am running out of ideas besides looking at the registry by hand....

 

[rodger]

So it's a new day and I'm still having this problem. Does anybody out there know how to give a user account full control over system folders if the administrator account doesn't have full control? That is the core of my issue. I am hoping to fix this without doing a repair install of windows...

 

[MikeHawthorne]

So it's a new day and I'm still having this problem. Does anybody out there know how to give a user account full control over system folders if the administrator account doesn't have full control? That is the core of my issue. I am hoping to fix this without doing a repair install of windows...

Have you tried logging in as Administrator?


How to Enable the Administrator Account

Open the command prompt withelevated privileges by clicking the Start orb, AllPrograms, Accessories, right-click Command Prompt and thenselect Run as administrator.

Type or cut and paste…

net user administrator /active:yes

and then press Enter.

Log out and log back in asAdministrator.

When you are done undue theprocess by doing the same thing and pasting in

net user administrator /active:no

Do you have the UAC turned off?

You can also try downloading this app and see if it will let you take ownership...

Grant Admin Full Control

Link Removed - Not Found

Mike

 

[rodger]

Thanks, Mike. I already have UAC turned off and am using the normally hidden administrator account. the "grant admin full control" registry key you linked to at mydigitiallife.com just adds another command to the shell that actually just runs the takeown function from the command prompt. Below is a screenshot of that not working...

Link Removed


Is there anything else I can try?

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

Try installing the software in a different directory.
It may not object to that.

I'm running Windows 8 right now and I don't have any of my software installed in the C:\Program files, or Program files (x86) directories because I don't have room on my Windows 8 partition.

Actually I don't have any of the software installed on the same physical drive as Windows 8.

While it defaults to the program files directory it doesn't usually care where it's installed unless the software it'self has some kind of limitation.

Mike

 

[Geryalb]

You should create a new permission. Add Everyone. Set to full control and you wont have any further problem on accessing and changing the file.

 

[StandardFlower]

A workaround is to share Program Files folder with everybody. Go to Property->Sharing->Advanced, and set everybody to share it.

And this works for me.

-S.F.

 

[onomrbill]

I'm running windows 7 ultimate and am trying to install some software off of a secure server at a remote location to my hard drive. The install fails every time because the my user account (an administrator) does not have full write permissions to the program files directory. I have tried taking ownership of the directory, but I don't have permission to change it from TrustedInstaller.

I turned on the built in administrator account and logged in through that, but there is no difference in permission level. When I attempt to change the permission level I get the following error dialog box:

An error occurred while applying security information to:
C:\Program Files (x86)
Access is denied

Then the following:

Unable to save permission changes on Program Files (x86)
Access is denied.

I've been fighting with this for three days now and I consider myself pretty adept at typical windows bs. Yes, my UAC is set all the way down. That was the first thing I turned off. I also tried shutting down virus protection and firewalls to no avail. Any help here would be awesome since none of the posts I've been able to find say what to do when the admin can't take control from TrustedInstaller.

Many thanks to whoever can help me out on this!!!

 

[onomrbill]

I'm running windows 7 ultimate and am trying to install some software off of a secure server at a remote location to my hard drive. The install fails every time because the my user account (an administrator) does not have full write permissions to the program files directory. I have tried taking ownership of the directory, but I don't have permission to change it from TrustedInstaller.

I turned on the built in administrator account and logged in through that, but there is no difference in permission level. When I attempt to change the permission level I get the following error dialog box:

An error occurred while applying security information to:
C:\Program Files (x86)
Access is denied

Then the following:

Unable to save permission changes on Program Files (x86)
Access is denied.

I've been fighting with this for three days now and I consider myself pretty adept at typical windows bs. Yes, my UAC is set all the way down. That was the first thing I turned off. I also tried shutting down virus protection and firewalls to no avail. Any help here would be awesome since none of the posts I've been able to find say what to do when the admin can't take control from TrustedInstaller.

Many thanks to whoever can help me out on this!!!

I'm running windows 7 ultimate and am trying to install some software off of a secure server at a remote location to my hard drive. The install fails every time because the my user account (an administrator) does not have full write permissions to the program files directory. I have tried taking ownership of the directory, but I don't have permission to change it from TrustedInstaller.

I turned on the built in administrator account and logged in through that, but there is no difference in permission level. When I attempt to change the permission level I get the following error dialog box:

An error occurred while applying security information to:
C:\Program Files (x86)
Access is denied

Then the following:

Unable to save permission changes on Program Files (x86)
Access is denied.

I've been fighting with this for three days now and I consider myself pretty adept at typical windows bs. Yes, my UAC is set all the way down. That was the first thing I turned off. I also tried shutting down virus protection and firewalls to no avail. Any help here would be awesome since none of the posts I've been able to find say what to do when the admin can't take control from TrustedInstaller.

Many thanks to whoever can help me out on this!!!

 

[onomrbill]

I'm running windows 7 ultimate and am trying to install some software off of a secure server at a remote location to my hard drive. The install fails every time because the my user account (an administrator) does not have full write permissions to the program files directory. I have tried taking ownership of the directory, but I don't have permission to change it from TrustedInstaller.

I turned on the built in administrator account and logged in through that, but there is no difference in permission level. When I attempt to change the permission level I get the following error dialog box:

An error occurred while applying security information to:
C:\Program Files (x86)
Access is denied

Then the following:

Unable to save permission changes on Program Files (x86)
Access is denied.

I've been fighting with this for three days now and I consider myself pretty adept at typical windows bs. Yes, my UAC is set all the way down. That was the first thing I turned off. I also tried shutting down virus protection and firewalls to no avail. Any help here would be awesome since none of the posts I've been able to find say what to do when the admin can't take control from TrustedInstaller.

Many thanks to whoever can help me out on this!!!

First time poster so I may have created dome blank posts as I could not detect field in which to type. Can't address this issue with a solution but I can offer my 10 experience and 2) empathy. Your thread and the responses read like a script for the same issue that I have been trying to fix forever. I have received the same answers that you have and have rolled my eyes in frustration of tech support telling me the solutions that are supposed to work but do not. It is incredibly frustrating to get responses for fixes I/you/we have long since tried and discarded as unusable. Despite whatever theory is offered, I have not received one that has yet to work- including paying $149 for 2 Win 7 OS that were never fixed. The answers that are most discouraging are those where the solution is seen but impossible to implement because option is grayed out, programs are blocked etc. The fundamental issue is the UAC. This problem cannot even be fixed by restoring PC to factory settings as (my jargon may be incorrect) the UAC module is saved despite the restore. Wiping the drive seems a possibility but then one is stuck with 1) having to by the the OS install and 2) still having screwed up permissions with new OS. I bought a Mac as these problems are so difficult and unfixable. Unfortunately discovered that the business software I use uis not made for Macs and partioning the drive to add OS simply adds the problem to a better designed PC.Though I do not know the user interface nor how much of an adjustment, I am considering switching to Linux.

One possible suggestion is this: I have traced many of the issues to a csrss.exe file. If you search for that you will find 50% claiming that is itself or is host for a Trojan and 50% stating that it's a critical Windows system file. I think bith are correct. Though I have not yet read your entire thread to conclusion I can pretty much promise that it is either not fixed despite responses or it looks like it's fixed but will start denying permissions, blocking drives, create new network etc. It feels like playing chess with satan as their is an intelligence to problems that's difficult to believe. In my case, at least, I have had security downloads blocked, existing security programs locked and/or filed in bizarre places. You will probably find that your admin permissions are outranked by any/all of the following: System. Creator Owner, Trusted Installer, Your original name with an appendage you have never used.... I have also tried using the "Everyone" owner but despite the permissions it will show after adding, those permissions will either be blocked or have never been changed. It is impossible to change the Inherited or Special permissions because , as you noted, its clone simply appears. Of the two Windows techs I paid money for a remote "guaranteed" fix; one could recommend nothing besides wiping the drive after spending an hour. The second was a much more persistent woman who tried all of the solutions you and respondents mentioned to no avail. Both promised to send new OS cd and walk me through installation process. Never received either cd/cd-rom. The second, more thorough but ultimately unsuccessful tech did call a month later & left VM asking if I rec'd cd-rom but I couldn't reach her with call-back so please save your $$. Wish I had better news. Best suggestion would be to use hammer and hope another OS works better (not Windows 8 which has all the same issues.+ looks like and advert. rather than OS)

 

[hangmanx]

I had the same problem with windows 8. This worked for me... Fist In C:\Program Files (x86) Right Click\Properties and turn off read only (I don't know if this makes a difference but I'm retracing my steps as I just completed this task.) Next navigate to the folder in regedit you wish to apply the change to in my case it was...
"HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{031E4825-7B94-4dc3-B131-E946B44C8DD5}\ShellFolder"
Right Click/Permissions/Advance
At the very top of the page it should say owner with a link to change the owner click it then click advance then click Find Now...Make sure you select your administrative user that you are using in my case "littlemittenz" click Ok until your at the Permissions window again, and if you notice you can change the permissions and click ok with no error message.
Hope this helped

 

[Ihatewindows]

I had the same problem with windows 8. This worked for me... Fist In C:\Program Files (x86) Right Click\Properties and turn off read only (I don't know if this makes a difference but I'm retracing my steps as I just completed this task.) Next navigate to the folder in regedit you wish to apply the change to in my case it was...
"HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{031E4825-7B94-4dc3-B131-E946B44C8DD5}\ShellFolder"
Right Click/Permissions/Advance
At the very top of the page it should say owner with a link to change the owner click it then click advance then click Find Now...Make sure you select your administrative user that you are using in my case "littlemittenz" click Ok until your at the Permissions window again, and if you notice you can change the permissions and click ok with no error message.
Hope this helped

Worked exactly as stated!!! Outstanding!!

 

[shibby170]

How do I find the Program Files "shellfolder" key? I went through every one the search could find in the registry and didn't see it.

 

[Neemobeer]

If your user is a member of the administrators group you shouldn't need to edit anything. If it's an older program you're trying to install, right click the installer and select "Run As Administrator" this will allow you to install.

 

[shibby170]

I actually fixed my initial issue, which was the same as the OP's issue. I was just curious about hangmanx's resolution. I can't find any keys that relate to the Program Files folder. Also, I was wondering if anyone knew why this happened in the first place. SFC says all my system files are fine. I don't have any other issues.