Vista - Documents and Settings

Access to Documents and Settings in the root directory is denied to me
(I have administrator credentials). Why is this so? Also, I want to
back up my entire drive and all folders and files. If I don't have
access, how do I do this? Thanks.........

On Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:30:27 -0400, rmo555@xxxxxx wrote:
It's possible that Documents and Settings is a junction point, a special
link for compatibility with pre-Vista software..

In that case you shouldn't be able to access it.

However, I have no idea why it's in your root; I have no such folder in my
root, nor any similar folders either.

I am reaching a bit here, so wait for a post from someone who has more
knowledge...

--
Gene E. Bloch letters0x40blochg0x2Ecom

documents and settings
can be found in the root
on xp machines.

so the o.p.'s vista must be
an upgrade from an xp
o.s. that was once on
that disk.

--

db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
- Systems Analyst
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~~~~~~~~~~"share the nirvana" - dbZen
"Gene E. Bloch" <not-me@xxxxxx> wrote in message news:1wo26w0v9x66m.4h7b0lrn8sxk$.dlg@xxxxxx

Hi, rmo555.
Because this is NOT WinXP and there is NO "Documents and Settings" in Vista!

Well, there is a "Documents and Settings", but it is only a Junction,
pointing the way to the C:\Users\<username>\Documents folder for each
username. Each Users\<username> folder also contains subfolders for
Contacts, Desktop, Music, Pictures, etc. The D&S Junction is there only for
the benefit of poorly-written applications that otherwise would not be able
to find their own data files, with Administrator credentials or not.

What is your username? If it is MOS, then look in C:\Users\MOS\Documents.
(You may need to Run as Administrator.) What do you see there? How about
C:\Users\MOS\Pictures? Or C:\Users\Public\Music?

Remember: Vista is NOT WinXP, even though they look a lot alike. Under the
hood, there are many differences. Until you learn those differences, you
will continue to suffer this kind of frustration. Breaking the WinXP
mindset is a very hard thing for some users to do. Every day we see posts
here from users who have not yet realized that "this is not your father's
Oldsmobile". Once you get over that hump, the going gets much easier.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
rc@xxxxxx
Microsoft Windows MVP
Windows Live Mail 2009 (14.0.8064.0206) in Win7 Ultimate x64 RC 7100

<rmo555@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:gf3s65d89ps9lg3u5k1qmjav0dsvbser4p@xxxxxx

"Documents and Settings" is no longer a real file folder but a junction
point, maintained for compatibility with older programs that can't find the
new "Users" folders. You cannot open it since it does not exist. Don't
worry about it and/or whether or not it will get backed up as all will be
well.

<rmo555@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:gf3s65d89ps9lg3u5k1qmjav0dsvbser4p@xxxxxx

Documents and Settings isn't a real folder in Vista.
It's a Junction Point, a virtual folder, that points to C:\Users

It's there so that older programs looking for that folder will still work.
They don't know about Vista's redesign of default folders, and the Junction
Point means they don't need to know. It's transparent to them.

***

<rmo555@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:gf3s65d89ps9lg3u5k1qmjav0dsvbser4p@xxxxxx

On Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:57:15 -0500, db wrote:
OK, thanks.

--
Gene E. Bloch letters0x40blochg0x2Ecom

On Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:58:17 -0700, "Gene E. Bloch"
<not-me@xxxxxx> wrote:
No, it's not. But I backup my new Vista machine from my old XPPro
machine (networked).

On Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:59:38 -0400, rmo555@xxxxxx wrote:
Still, the message seems to be that the folder is not harmful - plus you
can't get rid of it, AFAICT.

Anyway, good luck ...

--
Gene E. Bloch letters0x40blochg0x2Ecom

<rmo555@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:gf3s65d89ps9lg3u5k1qmjav0dsvbser4p@xxxxxxAs Gene said, it is a junction point to allow older, pre-Vista, programs to
function properly. All that was in it is now in other places in the folder
list off the root of the drive. Most is currently in Users\yourname.....

D & S can not be accessed directly within Vista with any type of rights,
administrator or other.