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XP Permissions Fiasco - Please help!

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jackmccarron

jackmccarron

Technical User
Jul 6, 2007
11
US

A few days ago I was having trouble deleting a non-working file (Zonealarm exe file) because it had the attribute "read-only". This attribute was "grayed out" so I couldn't change it. I then noticed that ALL the files and folders in my C drive were the same way (don't know how that happened).

I went to the C drive folder (toshiba satellite laptop running XP pro, SP3+) and looked in properties/security and after trying a few things that didn't work, I changed the user permissions to full control thinking this could undo the read only status. Then in the advanced panel I checked the box called "Inherit from parent the permission entries that apply to child objects. Include these with entries explicitly defined here", expecting that to propagate the new full contrrol permissions to all files/folders in C drive.

After the system "searched" (and changed) many files, it stopped. I checked the file I wanted to delete - and it was STILL grayed out read-only.

Thought maybe I needed to reboot, so I did that -- then everything got worse! My XP wouldn't even boot. BSOD saying "autochk program not found... STOP: fatal sys error 0xC0000022". From web searches on that code, looks like the crash is caused by a permission problem. (That figures)

Next I'll pull the HD from my XP machine, and using an HD to USB adapter (ordered one which should arrive on Monday), plug it into my Vista laptop. From there I should be able to explore the XP drive and HOPEFULLY fix the screwed up permissions.

That's what I need help with. I don't understand why what I did before with the permissions screwed things up. Anyone understand what happened?? And I'm not sure if adding the XP HD to the vista machine will even allow me to play with the permissions.

How should I proceed?? (I need to get my XP machine out of its endless boot loop, and to get my files out of read only status.)

Thnaks,
Jack

PS - Booting the XP machine in DOS shows me that the directory structure on the HD is still intact. So I assume there's nothing really wrong with the drive itself. I have no idea if I can change permissions from DOS.


 
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It doesn't sound too hopeful to me, if you have changed permissions on the root of C: so that users have permission, you might have accidentally banished System from accessing the drive?

Whereas there are programs that can reset security permissions, I don't know of any that work in pure DOS.

If you can get the drive accessed by any Windows system you might be able to grant the Everyone group, access on that drive and make sure the permissions are passed on down the line to child objects (via the other computer or operating system).

On another Computer change the drive at fault Permissions to allow Everyone Full Control.

Change it back when booted and working (see article).

You may have multiple Mouse clicking to do as many files might come up as "Access Denied" and it is necessary to click on "Continue" rather than canceling, (cancel = only half files done, and aborts operation).


The first thing you should do is rescue your valuable data because a complete Format is on the cards. If you can get the Everyone group accessing that drive hopefully it might boot. But it might not be too stable a system, only time would tell.

When, and if, you get XP going, see if you can do this.

How do I restore security settings to the default settings?

It is too late for this but I wonder if you caused your own demise needlessly? Hindsight is marvelous isn't it, still experience comes from hard knocks.

You cannot view or change the Read-only or the System attributes of folders in Windows Server 2003, in Windows XP, or in Windows Vista
 
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on another PC create a BartPE CD and boot with it on the Toshiba...

then see if you can switch the permissions back to the correct values... e.g. Give SYSTEM FULL CONTROL over every thing...

also is there a chance that you can log on using the Recovery Console? if so then log into that and then follow Linney's first link...







Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"
 
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Thanks Linney - Altho it obviously happened, I don't understand how my changing User permissions (in root C) to full control could have banished System from accessing the drive. System was shown to have full control already. Any ideas? I believe that somehow I must have caused this problem, but I don't know what I did wrong. Everything I did seemed logical at the time.

My plan is to wait till I get the "bad" XP drive removed and visible on my Vista pc when I get my HD/USB adapter on Monday. Since I don't remember seeing an "Everyone" group, I guess I can add one? Is that the way to go? Then I can hopefully grant Everyone full control and pass that down the line to all child objects. I will also look to see what permissions the System group has and change that back to full control if it's not there already (it was before all this started).

Are you saying, Linney, that when I try to set the Everyone permissions that's when I may have multiple Mouse clicking to do as many files might come up as "Access Denied"? Normally when an "access denied" message comes up there is no "Continue" vs "Cancel" option that I recall. Is it different when changing permissions?

If I "restore security settings" to the default settings using the Windows link you supplied, I'm concerned that since it says it "resets the registry", it might wipe out all my APPLICATION registry entries as well as resetting just the security entries. Is that a valid concern?

Thanks, I already do have good backup data. But I sure hope I won't have to go thru a full format. It's still a pain even without lost data!

BigBadBen, BartPE disks cannot be made using a Vista pc. A Vista is my only other machine. Also, I don't have XP full installation disks (only the stupid "Recovery disks"), therefore I can't get to a Recovery Console. Wish I could!

Thanks again,
Jack
 
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When you change permissions in the Advanced Permissions and pass them down the line to child objects you usually get a warning from Windows that it is going to make serious changes, and what I have seen happen is that it wipes out all the other user groups and just sets security permissions for the user group that was highlighted in the Advanced Permissions, in your case the Users but at the expense of losing the System group and other groups.

I also worry that in another operating system if you change the permissions to give System full control that the System user that is given full control might relate to the actual machine you are on and not your faulty drive and the System user in XP. The Everyone group seems to be a group that can apply to any machine and not limited to the machine that it was set on. Still this is not something that I get to play around with very often so setting the System permission might be workable, I just don't know for sure.

Talking about Cancel versus Continue when setting mass permissions may be more relevant to Vista and Windows 7 where access permissions are a bit more restrictive, but if you have any super protected files in XP don't cancel the operation if you given any choice to continue. Just keep in mind in case you come across it.

Resetting the security permissions back to default settings will not wipe out any entries in files or a registry. It will only change access permissions back to default settings so that groups can actually access them.
 
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Thanks again, Linney. Your responses are excellent! I'll keep you posted on what happens.
Jack
 
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There is also the alternative called VistaPE...


and Microsofts own ErdCommander...

How to recover a non-bootable Windows installation – The Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset


besides that I have not had any problems creating a BartPE on VISTA nor Win7... Disabling UAC should do the trick...


Beginner's Guide to Creating a VistaPE CD



Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"
 
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Hey guys - I finally got my XP to boot. When I got my HD/USB adapter yesterday I was able to attach the xp hd to my vista machine and see its contents. I proceeded to change the ownership of all folders/files to my username, then add an everyone group and give that full control (propagated to all child objects). That did it. Putting the drive back into the xp machine, it rebooted nicely.

Now I am back to my original problem of not being able to get rid of ZoneAlarm - which now seems to be blocking all internet access.

See NEW POST: "Can't delete ZoneAlarm, and Permissions Problems"

Thanks again, expecially to you Linney!! Great job.
Jack
 
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I haven't use ZoneAlarm for years. Does it still have service called VSmon, or similar, which must be stopped and perhaps disabled before you can do anything unusual to ZA?
 
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I've never found a file which either "Unlocker" or "Malwarebytes' Anti-malware's" FileASSASSIN hasn't been able to delete.

Might be worth a try.

Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are good is like expecting the bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian.
 
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Ben - Thanks much. Your reply "I've never found a file which either "Unlocker" or "Malwarebytes' Anti-malware's" FileASSASSIN hasn't been able to delete" enabled me to complete the removal of Zonealarm from my machine. Actually, Unlocker didn't work, but Fileassassin worked beautifully.

Linney - Thanks again to you also. Yes, I did have to use Fileassassin on VSmon.exe also to finish killing off Zonealarm. Good call, I wouldn't have found that without your help.

Jack
 
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FIOL - Sorry for the mixup in names. I really appreciate your help in getting my problem solved.

All of you guys are great and I'm really thankful for this and all the other informative forums online. I've learned so much, and have been able to solve every computer problem I've ever had with the help of these forums. I've never had to get professional help to fix a computer in over 18 years of pc use!

Thanks again,
Jack
 
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Glad one of them worked Jack.

I knew the one bit of knowledge I had about computers would come in handy one day.

Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are good is like expecting the bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian.
 
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