Can't open some system files.
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Thread: Can't open some system files.

  1. #1
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    Question Can't open some system files.

    Glad you folks are here. Had a major crash Friday, killing my Win-XP Pro SP-3 gaming machine. Even took-out 2- External Back-up HDD's.

    Got a new H-P Pav Home Premium 64-Bit unit running Win-7 Plus. Logged-on as Administrator Account, added a User Account as well, and went to reload some flight Sims.

    But I can't open Applications Data, or Local Settings, or Documents & Settings folders as an Administrator. I tried every setting I could find. And several Allowance windows would not let me gain access to these critical folders, shared or otherwise.

    In Windows Explorer, some folders have a small blue Arrow, and some others deeper in have a brown Padlock on the folder's icons.

    How can I get Full permissions to Open All of these files?

    When I load in my flight Sims, I'll need to go into these system folders to make some corrective hacks/adjustments & Drag-Copy of additional files.

    Is there any way to get these permissions? As usual, MS Help is of no help. And of course, I feel like a complete idiot!

    Thanks,
    SPQR33
    THE ONLY FAILURE IN LIFE IS THE FAILURE TO DO. DO OR DO NOT, THERE IS NO TRY! "YODA" __ Please post a response so that I and others may gain from your experience

  2. #2
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    Did you get from a rent to own place?
    If yes, do a complete restore first, that will get rid of all the garbage and whatever accounts they put on the computer. Plus if they have tracking software on it, it will be wiped out too.

  3. #3
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    "Applications Data" is now a junction point, a hidden, protected operating system file not meant to be accessed by users. It points to this user-accessible folder: C:\Users\<username>\AppData

    "Local Settings" is also now a junction point. It points to: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local

    Same with "Documents and Settings", except it points to:C:\Users\<username>\Documents
    Last edited by SpywareDr; April 1st, 2012 at 01:07 PM.

  4. #4
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    Resolved Can't open some system files.

    Quote Originally Posted by Train View Post
    Did you get from a rent to own place?
    If yes, do a complete restore first, that will get rid of all the garbage and whatever accounts they put on the computer. Plus if they have tracking software on it, it will be wiped out too.
    Nope: got it fresh out of the Box from Best buy on Saturday.
    I managed to reload many files from my old Back-up Aux HDD but many were not able to be open; as the HDD was built for Win-XP, a 32-Bit system. And Win-7 is a 64-Bit OS.

    I hope someone out there has a solution to this dilemma Re: Admin Users not able to open system files.

    Regards,
    SPQR33
    THE ONLY FAILURE IN LIFE IS THE FAILURE TO DO. DO OR DO NOT, THERE IS NO TRY! "YODA" __ Please post a response so that I and others may gain from your experience

  5. #5
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    Resolved Can't open some system files.

    Quote Originally Posted by SpywareDr View Post
    "Applications Data" is now a junction point, a hidden, protected operating system file not meant to be accessed by users. It points to this user-accessible folder: C:\Users\<username>\AppData

    "Local Settings" is also now a junction point. It points to: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local

    Same with "Documents and Settings", except it points to:C:\Users\<username>\Documents
    Yep, sorta figured this out. But is there a Hack that will work for me?
    Thanks for this reply.
    SPQR33
    THE ONLY FAILURE IN LIFE IS THE FAILURE TO DO. DO OR DO NOT, THERE IS NO TRY! "YODA" __ Please post a response so that I and others may gain from your experience

  6. #6
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    Just go into the new folder location and make changes there. The old folder names are basically links to the new locations. The application shouldn't know the difference.

  7. #7
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    You can't "get into" a junction because it's not 'real'. It's simply a shortcut-type thing that points to the new 'real' location.

    When Microsoft was building Windows 7, they decided to rename some of XP's main folders. So, in order to keep older programs that were designed to look in the old XP folders from failing to work on Windows 7, Microsoft created the junctions (shortcuts).

  8. #8
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    Vista uses the same junction points, but I guess a lot of people skipped Vista and went straight to 7.

    Also note that 32-bit apps will get installed into C:\Program Files (x86) on 64-bit Win7.

  9. #9
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    This says Vista, but it is the same in Win 7.
    http://www.svrops.com/svrops/articles/jpoints.htm

  10. #10
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    Thumbs up Can't Open some System Files, part two.

    Quote Originally Posted by SpywareDr View Post
    You can't "get into" a junction because it's not 'real'. It's simply a shortcut-type.......failing to work on Windows 7, Microsoft created the junctions (shortcuts).
    Thanks Doc, and to all of you others with better skills than I do. I now have the Seagate folks trying to Recover that External Back-Up 500Gb HDD so I can get the remaining stuff I need to load in this new Win-7 machine. They suggested trying the Control Panel, Appear & Setngs, to unlock Hidden files/folders. Plan to do so soon, but thought I did that on Set-up.

    And will look in the areas that you indicated in another post, for access to those "hiden files", which I now understand as simply Shortcuts, and available for use elsewhere. No different than un-learning Win-98, when Win-2K, then Xp came along. Simply a learning curve; again..

    And yes, I know that older 32-Bit software goes in to the Prog(x86) folder, and did my loads into there. But, one set of favorite Flight Sims places some needed .xca & .xml files that get changed each time the game is played, and sometimes needs to have its .xca file deleted for some major upgrades to take effect (like making changes to the pilot's status, or global scenery layer, or instruments, and text sizing and location).

    The game is Combat Flight Simulator 3, with about 6 CFS3-based Add-ons for Korea, Pacific, the Med War, Battle or Britian, etc. Each is a separate game, but all must load onto and use a Clean Load of CFS3 for success.

    So, I know where all of these freshly loaded (and as yet unmodified, that is until I get my Seagate HDD plugged-in for Drag-Drop copying the daily back-ups into these games) Prime games folders should be, and found them rather easily.

    The games place a Second set of Named folders into the User's MyDocs folder, to save spec missions, campaigns, and Screen Shots. I found them as well, as they appeared right after I loaded the games.

    But it is that Third set of named game folders I can't seem to find. In them are those .xca & .xml files I'll need to change when I put back all of my hundreds of hacks for each game.

    So, perhaps I should have a bit more specific. The Path was: C:\Docs & Settings\(AdminUserName)\Applications Data\Microsoft\Combat FS 3\. In this new Win-7 machine, I can find that AppsData folder under my "AdminUser" name, and the Microsoft folder. But still no named game's 3rd folders with those Spec files.

    My old and Dead machine was a Dell XPS Gen-4, running Win-XP Pro Sp-3, with 5- Drives in a Raid Arrangement for Data Stripping. For it's age, it is (now was) about the fastest Gaming machine I ever had. And ran my business apps quite well too.

    You folks all have my thanks for your selfeless efforts in this regard. I'll post back once I discover a resolution.

    SPQR33
    THE ONLY FAILURE IN LIFE IS THE FAILURE TO DO. DO OR DO NOT, THERE IS NO TRY! "YODA" __ Please post a response so that I and others may gain from your experience

  11. #11
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  12. #12
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    Resolved Can't open some Win-7 System Files, Part-3.

    [QUOTE=SpywareDr;1386911]Did you do a search for ".xca" files?...[QUOTE]

    Hey Doc: You have it all down pat !?!?! I followed your intuitive instructions to locate these Hidden Folders, making the assumption that these are simply Short-Cut links (Re: Junctions).

    After some Trial & Error hacking, I found all of the Game's Folders I needed.

    The path was, from the new Win-7 Windows Explorer Left-Pane View, was simply located under the Desktop Header with my Admin User Name just below.

    As such, the path was very Simple: (AdminUserName)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Combat Flight Simulator3\ and there it was. Full of the Prime Load of the files I need to modify. And the same with all of the Other Add-Ons for the CFS3 Sim that I loaded.

    And since your last post, I also looked for other files that I need, and found them in the most Odd Locations, but not all that different from Win-NT or Win-XP.

    Seems the folks at M$ did not want code hackers like me to make any changes to their Pre-Set folders & files in Win-7. Too Bad for them, now that I learned the secret !!! With your suggestions, I found all of those I usually hack.

    Doc, you have all of my thanks, and if I can be of service to you some day soon... Well, simply call back. Again all of my thanks for your and all of the others who tried to help me with this new machine.

    As usual for my moniker: I'll Graze this web site occasionally; posting seldom.

    SPQR33
    THE ONLY FAILURE IN LIFE IS THE FAILURE TO DO. DO OR DO NOT, THERE IS NO TRY! "YODA" __ Please post a response so that I and others may gain from your experience

  13. #13
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    Good to hear the problem's been solved. Thanks for posting back.

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