Arbitrary changes in file access in Win 7 64 bit

[Niege]

My rig is an i7-930, 12GB, Nvidia 250GTS, Windows 7 64 bit Home Premium with all updates current.

I do a lot of photo editing with Nikon software and CS5. My critical problem affects CS5 64bit, Nikon CaptureNX2 - 32 bit, and Nikon ViewNX2 - 32 bit. Suddenly last night I could not save labels in ViewNX2 or files in CaptureNX2 and CS5. The error message was the red circle with an 'x' saying I did not have access privileges to change the file, that I will have to go to the file and change the access privileges in the files/info properties in the operating system. I can save files with a new name, I just can’t edit and save again. I have over 40,000 image files; changing access privileges would be close to impossible, even if I knew how to do it.

I took a look at the properties of the folder where the images were and, for some unknown reason, the whole folder was marked as 'Read Only'. Unchecking that attribute did not solve the problem, I still can't edit the files.

This problem does not occur in other programs, notably Word and Excel 2003. Those files are on another disk and, interestingly to me, those folders are marked 'Read Only.'

Obviously there is something very basic about Win7 that I don't understand and/or I have a totally hosed system.

This is just baffling and has stopped my photo editing (my main activity) in its tracks.

Any suggestions? Thanks

 

[Niege]

Update. As trial measure I took ownership of one of the image folders, even though I am in an Admin user account. Now I am able to edit in that folder. I did NOT take ownership of another image folder, although I am now able to edit images in that folder without error messages.

OTOH, when I tried to edit an Excel file just now I got an error message that said it was Read Only. I looked at the properties and it was NOT read only. Then, went I went back to save the file Excel still said it was read only and prompted me for a new name. I opened the save-as dialogue box and simply saved with its original name, and it saved the file.

What gives with this inconsistent, random, and arbitrary access privilege changes?

I really need some help here or I won't be able to use this computer in a work environment. Thanks.

 

[Gooberlx2]

Are you using libraries/homegroup/Media Center Extender? I've found that setting those up can, at times, screw with permissions.

Aside from ownership, you should look at the actual file permissions as well.

....and don't run an admin account as your everyday account.

 

[Niege]

Thanks, Gooberlx2. I am not using Media Center Extender.

As far as permissions go, I simply don't get them in Win7. I used to some Unix long ago and I thought I understood something about XP, but Win7 has me completely perplexed.

The images I was trying to edit have Everyone having Full Control. Administrators have Full Control, Users only have Read. I am in an Admin account. I don't understand.

The thing I really don't understand is why access is granted one minute and denied the next, without any system level input at all in between.

Another thing about permissions is: if I am in a User account and I don't have permission to change the files, according to the security settings for that file, how am I supposed to edit the file? Why are folders marked read-only yet allow changes to files in sub-folders? Clearly I am under some huge misapprehension about how Win7 works; it must be radically different from XP and all other OS's I have worked with. Any place where I can get a briefing on that?

Thanks.

 

[Modelworks]

Windows method of user access is a bit awkward compared to linux.
Are the files in a folder shared with another pc ? Or are they used with another OS ? Windows really hates it when two different windows installs access the same file. It often will screw up the permissions.

Folders are always read only in windows but the contents of the folder are not, another awkward thing.

Any deny options counts first before allows no matter what order windows shows it in the menus. Use the effective permissions tab , it works better for keeping it straight.

Windows also has 2 different administrator accounts. One is an elevated account that is what you see when you are a user and use UAC and another when you are the administrator and logged in as administrator. The elevated account is similar to using su in linux. It is limited in what it can do . The full administrator account is disabled by default but can be enabled from a admin command prompt and the command
Net user administrator /active:yes

Log out of the user account and there should be a new administrator account you can log into, that account has complete access to the OS, about the same as root in linux. Good for fixing screwed up permissions.

You can tell which account windows considers you to be using by typing whomai at a command prompt . If you are a user and run the whoami command in a command prompt window using admin privilege it will still say you are a user even though the window title will say administrator.


There is a very good book on how windows works internally that covers it all in detail along with a bunch of other stuff like memory management and the kernel.
http://www.amazon.com/Windows%C2%AE-Internals-Including-Windows-PRO-Developer/dp/0735625301/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285282312&sr=8-1