Vista - can't access folders in C:\users

Even when I go in as Admin and open Windows Explorer with 'run as admin' and
try to 'rename' a user in C:\Users it says I don't have permission. The user
name can be changed in User Accounts but it stays the same in the C:\Users
folder. Also, there are many subfolders (Application Data, Cookies, etc)
that have an arrow next to it and says access denied when I click it. The
Documents and Settings folder wouldn't let me access it so I deleted it
along with all the folders that had arrows. I don't have a backup or restore
points. How do I reset all those folders, and why can't I access the
folders - shouldn't an admin be able to access and rename any folder?

rj wrote:
> Even when I go in as Admin and open Windows Explorer with 'run as admin'
> and try to 'rename' a user in C:\Users it says I don't have permission.
> The user name can be changed in User Accounts but it stays the same in
> the C:\Users folder. Also, there are many subfolders (Application Data,
> Cookies, etc) that have an arrow next to it and says access denied when
> I click it. The Documents and Settings folder wouldn't let me access it
> so I deleted it along with all the folders that had arrows. I don't have
> a backup or restore points. How do I reset all those folders, and why
> can't I access the folders - shouldn't an admin be able to access and
> rename any folder?

You can't just rename a user account that way. That is why you are
having problems. Go to the User Accounts and don't just change the name
- this doesn't actually change the underlying account - but rather
create a *new* account with the name you want. Then you can copy over
the data and settings from the original user account if that's what you
want. Here's an easy way to do that from MVP Jimmy Brush:

Copy a user account to another with WET (MVP Jimmy Brush)

"Simply pretend that your administrator account is the "old computer"
and your new user account is the "new computer". Also, make sure you
manually specify what files to transfer, and only select the files under
the admin user profile - you obviously don't need to transfer files that
are outside of the admin user profile, since they will be staying the same."


Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

Ok I fixed that by deleting the old user (but copying the AppData and other
folders to a temp folder first) and then deleting the old user folder in
C:\users in safe mode and then creating the new user and copying the files
over from temp. At first I didn't see the new user folders but after I
logged in to the new user, it was there.

But I still see folders with an arrow next to them (Application Data,
Cookies, Local Settings, etc) and when I click those folders it says
"Location is not available, access denied". I deleted the Docs and Settings
folder, wonder if that has anything to do with it?

"Malke" <notreally@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:%23PsvSbyuHHA.4800@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> rj wrote:
>> Even when I go in as Admin and open Windows Explorer with 'run as admin'
>> and try to 'rename' a user in C:\Users it says I don't have permission.
>> The user name can be changed in User Accounts but it stays the same in
>> the C:\Users folder. Also, there are many subfolders (Application Data,
>> Cookies, etc) that have an arrow next to it and says access denied when I
>> click it. The Documents and Settings folder wouldn't let me access it so
>> I deleted it along with all the folders that had arrows. I don't have a
>> backup or restore points. How do I reset all those folders, and why can't
>> I access the folders - shouldn't an admin be able to access and rename
>> any folder?
>
> You can't just rename a user account that way. That is why you are having
> problems. Go to the User Accounts and don't just change the name - this
> doesn't actually change the underlying account - but rather create a *new*
> account with the name you want. Then you can copy over the data and
> settings from the original user account if that's what you want. Here's an
> easy way to do that from MVP Jimmy Brush:
>
> Copy a user account to another with WET (MVP Jimmy Brush)
>
> "Simply pretend that your administrator account is the "old computer" and
> your new user account is the "new computer". Also, make sure you manually
> specify what files to transfer, and only select the files under the admin
> user profile - you obviously don't need to transfer files that are outside
> of the admin user profile, since they will be staying the same."
>
>
> Malke
> --
> Elephant Boy Computers
> www.elephantboycomputers.com
> "Don't Panic!"
> MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User