Vista - Vista not allowing you to delete/rename certain files

Are there certain files crucial to Vista, that you are not allowed to
delete/move/rename?

If so, would explorer.exe be one of them?

I had an incident where I tried to create a desktop shortcut for
Windows Explorer. I don't know why but the shortcut had ".exe" at the
end. When I tried to rename it, it warned me about something, as if I
was renaming the actual program and not just a shortcut.

I usually make a shortcut for a program by dragging the name from the
Start menu to the desktop. Then it will have the name of the program
with no .exe.

Hi Richard, there are quite a few files on the OS not worth touching
if you are unsure how to manage them. A good rule of thumb would be to
leave alone those files in the C:\Windows and in the C:\Programs Files
folders.

As for wanting to create a desktop shortcut for Windows Explorer, you
already have this in the form of My Computer on your desktop? If you
don't, go to Start -> right-click on My Computer -> select "Show on
Desktop".

> As for wanting to create a desktop shortcut for Windows Explorer, youI never hade My Computer on my desktop.

The reason I brought this up is that after the incident with the
Windows Explorer shortcut, my computer wouldn't boot; however, I'm not
sure it was the very next bootup, or a few later.

Is it possible to boot up if you accidentally erased explorer.exe?

On Jul 20, 12:16*pm, "Stan Starinski"
<StopUnfairFreetr...@xxxxxx> wrote:I'm concerned about just anybody deleting C\Windows files and making
the whole computer unusable- shouldn't Vista disallow you from
deleting the most essential system files??

There is something called MS Resource Protection - I don't know how
that guards against somebody deleting system files on the desktop or
in Windows Explorer.

If you know what you're doing you can delete/rename ANY file you please
(e.g. I deleted MovieMaker, a boatload of stuff from WinSxs folder [system],
recovery partition), but I won't tell you how for the obvious reasons. You
need to know Windows "internal plumbing" so I won't be blamed for ruining
your system.
If you don't know stuff deeply, leave it alone, these days harddisk space is
cheap and the only downside is that as file count increases, so does
processsor overhead (access/manage filesystem, e.g.
move/copy/delete/properties/backups/etc); so techies still like a lean
system but for you - leave it "fat".

"Richard Fangnail" <richardfangnail@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:ea3fa165-3c3d-4ed6-accc-0de79823e53c@xxxxxx
On Jul 20, 12:16 pm, "Stan Starinski"
<StopUnfairFreetr...@xxxxxx> wrote:I'm concerned about just anybody deleting C\Windows files and making
the whole computer unusable- shouldn't Vista disallow you from
deleting the most essential system files??

There is something called MS Resource Protection - I don't know how
that guards against somebody deleting system files on the desktop or
in Windows Explorer.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Richard,

A little word of advice. Pay no attention to this moron. After he gives
bogus advice he falls back on the same excuse's. Either "I'm not sure of
that because I only work in hardware", or, "I'm not sure of that because I
only work in software." The truth is he's a moron who doesn't work at all,
has no clue how to set his system clock, cries that women, or in his case,
*A* woman, suckered him for his money, has no clue about Vista and is in
need of psychiatric help. This is not a flame. This is really who this
moron is. Basically, you're safe taking the advice of an MVP or someone who
uses a real name. "Stan" is his 3rd or 4th name here.
--

Don't pick a fight with an old man.
If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.

I am not an expert here (on Windows), just come & go along this Newsgroup.
But we all know since Windows9x, or certainly since WinXP regular users
can't just go and delete system files.
To break system you need to be a bit advanced & have an intense ongoing
desire to screw up.

WHO are you worrying about? Other users?
Can you create accounts for them and set POLICIES (in Gpedit, for example)
limiting their freedoms like you come to a Library or public kiosk and can't
even print or open Windows Explorer, or just feel like you're a trapped
mouse, unable to change settings or access applications beyond what
administrator allowed, or even shut down/logoff?

If you're worried about other folks using your computer set their accounts
as limited, allow your account to be used by YOURself only w/a passwrod, and
criplle system in other ways e.g. set disk quotas, file access
restrictions - say folder X can only be seen by you and your dog, but not
your cat.

Maybe I am talking out of my rear end, but then wait for more responses
here... I am more into hardware, than software, just using it for 20+ years
made me willing to help people but really an expert is someone who gets paid
for it or MVP's, not me.

I think I know what happened. When you drag a file from Windows
Explorer (WE) to the desktop, it MOVES the file - it doesn't
automatically create a shortcut. I must have moved explorer.exe from
WE to the desktop and when I renamed it, I renamed the actual file and
not just a shortcut. Then Windows couldn't find explorer.exe and
wouldn't boot.

I don't remember dragging explorer.exe from WE, but it's the only
explanation I can think of.

If you drag a program from the start menu to the desktop, it will
always create a shortcut.

Although this was my own fault, I think it's wrong that Vista allows
users to move or rename explorer.exe. It should safeguard against it,
because otherwise you can't boot at all.

"Richard Fangnail" <richardfangnail@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:6012b084-821e-4cdd-90f7-280bd53d9cc5@xxxxxxI have just tried to replicate your actions.
First with UAC on:
Left-click and dragging Explorer.exe from Windows folder to the Desktop
results in a dialog box opening saying:
" You'll need to provide Administrators permission to move this file "
Clicking ok results in the Desktop going dark and the UAC box appearing.
On clicking ' Continue' another box opens up:
" Destination folder access denied ", " Try Again? ".
Clicking ' Try Again ' just re-writes the box.

Right-clicking and dragging results in the Move, Copy or Create a shortcut options.
Move is blocked as above, Copy and Create a shortcut work.
So you can't move Explorer.exe with UAC on.

Next with UAC off:
Left-click and dragging Explorer.exe from Windows folder to the Desktop
results in a dialog box opening saying:
" Destination folder access denied ", " Try Again? ".
Clicking ' Try Again ' just re-writes the box.

Right-clicking and dragging results in the Move, Copy or Create a shortcut options.
Move is blocked as above, Copy and Create a shortcut work.
So you can't move Explorer.exe with UAC off.

So if you did move Explorer.exe out of the Windows folder
you must have used some other method.

On Jul 21, 11:57*am, "Dave-UK" <h...@xxxxxx> wrote:Perhaps your computer is set up differently from mine, regarding
permissions etc.