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Can anyone help? Windows 7 permissions

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Carol Haynes:
I need to replace corrupted/missing files and folders in Windows 7 64-bit. (A heavy cleanup deleted some stuff that stops SP1 installing).

The path I need to copy into is:

C:\Windows\System32

I have turned off UAC and still get access denied errors (even though the account is in the admin group, and the files/folders are not in use because they don't actually exist).

The problem I have is that I don't want to change the ownership on the folder because it is currently owned by TrustedInstaller and I am not sure how to reinstate the correct permissions after the files are copied.

What I have read suggest I should use the following to gain access from an elevated CMD prompt

takeown /f C:\Windows\System32
icacls C:\Windows\System32 /grant username:F

but that will leave the wrong owner on the whole of System32 which isn't a good idea.

Any ideas how to do this correctly and have the correct permissions afterwards?

40hz:
If it's just SP1 you want to block by replacing those folders, wouldn't it be easier to use Microsoft's Windows Service Pack Blocker Tool Kit which can be downloaded here? It's a tiny download.

Note: once you run it you'll have to use the standalone installer or a CD to install SP1 if you change your mind later on.

Addendum:

If you go to the properties of the System32 folder and go under the security tab you can select users and temporarily grant FULL control which will get you around the "access denied" error. That should let you replace folders at will.

Carol Haynes:
Actually I am trying to install SP1 and it is failing with an error. The system used to have an nVidia graphics card and it was swapped for an AMD/ATI card to allow 3 monitors.

The change really got screwed up as the drivers got into an infinite circle or errors and blue screens. The solution I used was to use DriverSweeper to remove the older drivers and start from clean.

Unfortunately DriverSweeper also removed the packaged drivers from MS for ATI and nVidia and SP 1 now wnon't install because preinstalled drivers are missing (even thoigh they aren't being used). This is a known issue with older versions of DriverSweeper.

There is a tool from MS to try and fix this sort of problem but it doesn't work.

The solution is to put the driver packages back and I need access to the winsxs and FileRepository folders.

Unfortunately disabling UAC and granting full access to the user doesn't get round the Access Denied error.

I can take ownership of the folders but the problem arises when I want to revert the ownership to the correct user. Winsxs is owned by "TrustedInstaller" which you can't return ownsership to (the user isn't recognised by the user/group check tool and so you can't assign ownership back). FileRepository seems to belong to "SYSTEM" which isn't a problem as you can return ownership to SYSTEM.

Stoic Joker:
If you go to the properties of the System32 folder and go under the security tab you can select users and temporarily grant FULL control which will get you around the "access denied" error. That should let you replace folders at will.-40hz (October 13, 2011, 01:35 PM)
--- End quote ---

If it's configured the way I think it is (and she's already using an admin acct) that will still stop it cold. Kinda like the Windows update folders that get left on the root of C: that are a PITA to delete.

Simplest would be just to configure permissions as needed to get the job done, and then apply the setup security template to put things back to "normal".

Ath:
The solution is to put the driver packages back and I need access to the winsxs and FileRepository folders.
-Carol Haynes (October 13, 2011, 02:52 PM)
--- End quote ---
Have you tried putting the harddisk as a secondary disk in another Win7 system, so it isn't booted from, just a data-disk? Then the permissions should be less stringent, and allow you to add the missing files.

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