Windows Vista Forums

Access to \Documents & Settings\User\My Documents
  1. #1


    Tim Gowen Guest

    Access to \Documents & Settings\User\My Documents

    A Vista Business user cannot get access to his My Documents folder on the C:
    drive. Normally I encourage people to use the H: drive but in this case I
    need to allow that user access to C:.



    Is this a Vista security feature for domain member systems? Can I get
    around it by giving the user access to his user directory in Documents &
    Settings? I tried to do this but changed rights in C:\Users which seems to
    be a link to the other folder and so the rights didn't work.

    I'm fairly new to Vista; we only have one non-Admin using it, hence the
    simple question.


    Tim

      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  2. #2


    Bob Guest

    Re: Access to \Documents & Settings\User\My Documents

    The Vista folders beginning with "My" are not real folders. They are
    junctions (shortcuts) which point to the corresponding folder e.g. "My
    Music" points to "Music".
    The Junction Points are in Vista for backward compatibility of pre-Vista
    applications. Pre-Vista applications (applications written for XP and 2000)
    look for folders that are no longer used in Vista. Folders with the “My”
    prefix such as My Documents, My Pictures, and so on. There are also folders
    in your user profile that have been changed in Vista, and pre-Vista apps
    might be looking for the old folder structure during installation. If you
    don’t set the option to Show Hidden Files in Windows Explorer, you will
    rarely even see the Junction Point folders.
    -------
    *Report back, please*
    [When responding to posts, please include the post(s) you are replying to so
    that others may learn and benefit from the issue]

    [How to ask a question]
    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375

    "Tim Gowen" <TimGowen@xxxxxx> wrote in message
    news:AD686E35-7881-4431-811F-A8EE55787C28@xxxxxx

    >A Vista Business user cannot get access to his My Documents folder on the
    >C:
    > drive. Normally I encourage people to use the H: drive but in this case I
    > need to allow that user access to C:.
    >
    > Is this a Vista security feature for domain member systems? Can I get
    > around it by giving the user access to his user directory in Documents &
    > Settings? I tried to do this but changed rights in C:\Users which seems
    > to
    > be a link to the other folder and so the rights didn't work.
    >
    > I'm fairly new to Vista; we only have one non-Admin using it, hence the
    > simple question.
    >
    >
    > Tim

      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  3. #3


    Kerry Brown Guest

    Re: Access to \Documents & Settings\User\My Documents

    "Tim Gowen" <TimGowen@xxxxxx> wrote in message
    news:AD686E35-7881-4431-811F-A8EE55787C28@xxxxxx

    >A Vista Business user cannot get access to his My Documents folder on the
    >C:
    > drive. Normally I encourage people to use the H: drive but in this case I
    > need to allow that user access to C:.
    >
    > Is this a Vista security feature for domain member systems? Can I get
    > around it by giving the user access to his user directory in Documents &
    > Settings? I tried to do this but changed rights in C:\Users which seems
    > to
    > be a link to the other folder and so the rights didn't work.
    >
    > I'm fairly new to Vista; we only have one non-Admin using it, hence the
    > simple question.
    >
    >

    There is no "C:\Documents and Settings" folder in Vista. It is a junction
    pointing to "C:\Users". You can't access it as it's not a real location.

    http://www.jimmah.com/vista/Security/junctions.aspx

    --
    Kerry Brown
    MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration
    http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/




      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  4. #4


    Tim Gowen Guest

    Re: Access to \Documents & Settings\User\My Documents

    OK, so if I want to enable a user access to their documents folder on the
    local drive, which directory do I need to change rights on? I have already
    granted rights to c:\users\myuser\ which I thought would be enough.

    "Kerry Brown" wrote:

    > "Tim Gowen" <TimGowen@xxxxxx> wrote in message
    > news:AD686E35-7881-4431-811F-A8EE55787C28@xxxxxx

    > >A Vista Business user cannot get access to his My Documents folder on the
    > >C:
    > > drive. Normally I encourage people to use the H: drive but in this case I
    > > need to allow that user access to C:.
    > >
    > > Is this a Vista security feature for domain member systems? Can I get
    > > around it by giving the user access to his user directory in Documents &
    > > Settings? I tried to do this but changed rights in C:\Users which seems
    > > to
    > > be a link to the other folder and so the rights didn't work.
    > >
    > > I'm fairly new to Vista; we only have one non-Admin using it, hence the
    > > simple question.
    > >
    > >
    >
    >
    > There is no "C:\Documents and Settings" folder in Vista. It is a junction
    > pointing to "C:\Users". You can't access it as it's not a real location.
    >
    > http://www.jimmah.com/vista/Security/junctions.aspx
    >
    > --
    > Kerry Brown
    > MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration
    > http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/
    >
    >
    >

      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  5. #5


    Bob Guest

    Re: Access to \Documents & Settings\User\My Documents


    See: Sharing files with the Public folder
    http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Win...5c2de1033.mspx
    -------
    *Report back, please*
    [When responding to posts, please include the post(s) you are replying to so
    that others may learn and benefit from the issue]

    [How to ask a question]
    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375

    "Tim Gowen" <TimGowen@xxxxxx> wrote in message
    news:19CCC22A-3EAF-4DFE-9422-B3F25A9CCA04@xxxxxx

    > OK, so if I want to enable a user access to their documents folder on the
    > local drive, which directory do I need to change rights on? I have
    > already
    > granted rights to c:\users\myuser\ which I thought would be enough.
    >
    > "Kerry Brown" wrote:
    >

    >> "Tim Gowen" <TimGowen@xxxxxx> wrote in message
    >> news:AD686E35-7881-4431-811F-A8EE55787C28@xxxxxx

    >> >A Vista Business user cannot get access to his My Documents folder on
    >> >the
    >> >C:
    >> > drive. Normally I encourage people to use the H: drive but in this
    >> > case I
    >> > need to allow that user access to C:.
    >> >
    >> > Is this a Vista security feature for domain member systems? Can I get
    >> > around it by giving the user access to his user directory in Documents
    >> > &
    >> > Settings? I tried to do this but changed rights in C:\Users which
    >> > seems
    >> > to
    >> > be a link to the other folder and so the rights didn't work.
    >> >
    >> > I'm fairly new to Vista; we only have one non-Admin using it, hence the
    >> > simple question.
    >> >
    >> >
    >>
    >>
    >> There is no "C:\Documents and Settings" folder in Vista. It is a junction
    >> pointing to "C:\Users". You can't access it as it's not a real location.
    >>
    >> http://www.jimmah.com/vista/Security/junctions.aspx
    >>
    >> --
    >> Kerry Brown
    >> MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration
    >> http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/
    >>
    >>
    >>

      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  6. #6


    Dave Guest

    Re: Access to \Documents & Settings\User\My Documents

    In Vista, the "Documents & Settings" has been replaced with "\Users" and "My
    Documents" has been replaced with "Documents".
    So the user documents are now stored in C:\Users\(login)\Documents
    The user should have no problem saving to this folder, or to any of the
    other folders under his login folder.

    Most of the familiar XP standard folders are now junction points.


    --
    Vista Home Premium 32 SP1
    http://get.live.com/wlmail/overview


    "Tim Gowen" <TimGowen@xxxxxx> wrote in message
    news:AD686E35-7881-4431-811F-A8EE55787C28@xxxxxx

    > A Vista Business user cannot get access to his My Documents folder on the
    > C:
    > drive. Normally I encourage people to use the H: drive but in this case I
    > need to allow that user access to C:.
    >
    > Is this a Vista security feature for domain member systems? Can I get
    > around it by giving the user access to his user directory in Documents &
    > Settings? I tried to do this but changed rights in C:\Users which seems
    > to
    > be a link to the other folder and so the rights didn't work.
    >
    > I'm fairly new to Vista; we only have one non-Admin using it, hence the
    > simple question.
    >
    >
    > Tim

      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  7. #7


    Kerry Brown Guest

    Re: Access to \Documents & Settings\User\My Documents

    I'm not understanding something. A user automatically has permissions to use
    the folders in their profile. How did you end up in this position? If you
    detail the steps of how you got here we may be able to offer a fix. It
    sounds like you have redirected their documents to H: (possibly a network
    location) and now want to change this back to the default location on C:?

    --
    Kerry Brown
    MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration
    http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/



    "Tim Gowen" <TimGowen@xxxxxx> wrote in message
    news:19CCC22A-3EAF-4DFE-9422-B3F25A9CCA04@xxxxxx

    > OK, so if I want to enable a user access to their documents folder on the
    > local drive, which directory do I need to change rights on? I have
    > already
    > granted rights to c:\users\myuser\ which I thought would be enough.
    >
    > "Kerry Brown" wrote:
    >

    >> "Tim Gowen" <TimGowen@xxxxxx> wrote in message
    >> news:AD686E35-7881-4431-811F-A8EE55787C28@xxxxxx

    >> >A Vista Business user cannot get access to his My Documents folder on
    >> >the
    >> >C:
    >> > drive. Normally I encourage people to use the H: drive but in this
    >> > case I
    >> > need to allow that user access to C:.
    >> >
    >> > Is this a Vista security feature for domain member systems? Can I get
    >> > around it by giving the user access to his user directory in Documents
    >> > &
    >> > Settings? I tried to do this but changed rights in C:\Users which
    >> > seems
    >> > to
    >> > be a link to the other folder and so the rights didn't work.
    >> >
    >> > I'm fairly new to Vista; we only have one non-Admin using it, hence the
    >> > simple question.
    >> >
    >> >
    >>
    >>
    >> There is no "C:\Documents and Settings" folder in Vista. It is a junction
    >> pointing to "C:\Users". You can't access it as it's not a real location.
    >>
    >> http://www.jimmah.com/vista/Security/junctions.aspx
    >>
    >> --
    >> Kerry Brown
    >> MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration
    >> http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/
    >>
    >>
    >>

      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  8. #8


    Tim Gowen Guest

    Re: Access to \Documents & Settings\User\My Documents

    All my users have their home directories set to H:\ but that doesn't normally
    prevent access to their My Documents on the C: drive. In XP I tend to direct
    their My Documents to H: which, again, doesn't shut off access to the profile
    on C.

    This particular user will have an H: drive just like everyone else but his
    access to My Documents on C is denied, and I can't work out why.

    Tim

    "Kerry Brown" wrote:

    > I'm not understanding something. A user automatically has permissions to use
    > the folders in their profile. How did you end up in this position? If you
    > detail the steps of how you got here we may be able to offer a fix. It
    > sounds like you have redirected their documents to H: (possibly a network
    > location) and now want to change this back to the default location on C:?
    >
    > --
    > Kerry Brown
    > MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration
    > http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/
    >
    >
    >
    > "Tim Gowen" <TimGowen@xxxxxx> wrote in message
    > news:19CCC22A-3EAF-4DFE-9422-B3F25A9CCA04@xxxxxx

    > > OK, so if I want to enable a user access to their documents folder on the
    > > local drive, which directory do I need to change rights on? I have
    > > already
    > > granted rights to c:\users\myuser\ which I thought would be enough.
    > >
    > > "Kerry Brown" wrote:
    > >

    > >> "Tim Gowen" <TimGowen@xxxxxx> wrote in message
    > >> news:AD686E35-7881-4431-811F-A8EE55787C28@xxxxxx
    > >> >A Vista Business user cannot get access to his My Documents folder on
    > >> >the
    > >> >C:
    > >> > drive. Normally I encourage people to use the H: drive but in this
    > >> > case I
    > >> > need to allow that user access to C:.
    > >> >
    > >> > Is this a Vista security feature for domain member systems? Can I get
    > >> > around it by giving the user access to his user directory in Documents
    > >> > &
    > >> > Settings? I tried to do this but changed rights in C:\Users which
    > >> > seems
    > >> > to
    > >> > be a link to the other folder and so the rights didn't work.
    > >> >
    > >> > I'm fairly new to Vista; we only have one non-Admin using it, hence the
    > >> > simple question.
    > >> >
    > >> >
    > >>
    > >>
    > >> There is no "C:\Documents and Settings" folder in Vista. It is a junction
    > >> pointing to "C:\Users". You can't access it as it's not a real location.
    > >>
    > >> http://www.jimmah.com/vista/Security/junctions.aspx
    > >>
    > >> --
    > >> Kerry Brown
    > >> MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration
    > >> http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/
    > >>
    > >>
    > >>
    >

      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  9. #9


    Kerry Brown Guest

    Re: Access to \Documents & Settings\User\My Documents

    If you could document the process involved it would help. Start by how you
    created the user (e.g. is this a local user or a domain user?), how you
    redirected the Documents folder, how you created the local Documents folder
    on C:. etc. Note that Vista does not have a "My Documents" folder but a
    "Documents" folder. The terminology may be important.

    --
    Kerry Brown
    MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration
    http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/



    "Tim Gowen" <TimGowen@xxxxxx> wrote in message
    news:8F098A3A-E2CB-4D31-B126-6B5771233F24@xxxxxx

    > All my users have their home directories set to H:\ but that doesn't
    > normally
    > prevent access to their My Documents on the C: drive. In XP I tend to
    > direct
    > their My Documents to H: which, again, doesn't shut off access to the
    > profile
    > on C.
    >
    > This particular user will have an H: drive just like everyone else but his
    > access to My Documents on C is denied, and I can't work out why.
    >
    > Tim
    >
    > "Kerry Brown" wrote:
    >

    >> I'm not understanding something. A user automatically has permissions to
    >> use
    >> the folders in their profile. How did you end up in this position? If you
    >> detail the steps of how you got here we may be able to offer a fix. It
    >> sounds like you have redirected their documents to H: (possibly a network
    >> location) and now want to change this back to the default location on C:?
    >>
    >> --
    >> Kerry Brown
    >> MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration
    >> http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/
    >>
    >>
    >>
    >> "Tim Gowen" <TimGowen@xxxxxx> wrote in message
    >> news:19CCC22A-3EAF-4DFE-9422-B3F25A9CCA04@xxxxxx

    >> > OK, so if I want to enable a user access to their documents folder on
    >> > the
    >> > local drive, which directory do I need to change rights on? I have
    >> > already
    >> > granted rights to c:\users\myuser\ which I thought would be enough.
    >> >
    >> > "Kerry Brown" wrote:
    >> >
    >> >> "Tim Gowen" <TimGowen@xxxxxx> wrote in message
    >> >> news:AD686E35-7881-4431-811F-A8EE55787C28@xxxxxx
    >> >> >A Vista Business user cannot get access to his My Documents folder on
    >> >> >the
    >> >> >C:
    >> >> > drive. Normally I encourage people to use the H: drive but in this
    >> >> > case I
    >> >> > need to allow that user access to C:.
    >> >> >
    >> >> > Is this a Vista security feature for domain member systems? Can I
    >> >> > get
    >> >> > around it by giving the user access to his user directory in
    >> >> > Documents
    >> >> > &
    >> >> > Settings? I tried to do this but changed rights in C:\Users which
    >> >> > seems
    >> >> > to
    >> >> > be a link to the other folder and so the rights didn't work.
    >> >> >
    >> >> > I'm fairly new to Vista; we only have one non-Admin using it, hence
    >> >> > the
    >> >> > simple question.
    >> >> >
    >> >> >
    >> >>
    >> >>
    >> >> There is no "C:\Documents and Settings" folder in Vista. It is a
    >> >> junction
    >> >> pointing to "C:\Users". You can't access it as it's not a real
    >> >> location.
    >> >>
    >> >> http://www.jimmah.com/vista/Security/junctions.aspx
    >> >>
    >> >> --
    >> >> Kerry Brown
    >> >> MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration
    >> >> http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/
    >> >>
    >> >>
    >> >>
    >>

      My System SpecsSystem Spec

Access to \Documents & Settings\User\My Documents problems?

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
access Documents & Settings dir John A Grandy Vista security 3 21 Sep 2008
UAC - wont allow user who is administrator to access "documents and settings" folder ? james Vista file management 1 28 Jun 2008
How to access Documents and Settings brett Vista General 4 18 Jul 2007
Documents and settings access? Amir Facade Vista hardware & devices 3 28 May 2007
Documents and Settings - no access? Steve Howard Vista installation & setup 1 11 Jun 2006