Admin Account Lockout

hi, I have this same problem and did almost exactly what this guy did,
although my acces to C drive was denied RIGHT after I did it. anyway I
followed the instructions that you've listed but I come to a screeching halt
when you said "click the edit button". when I clicked it, the same error like
always came up saying "access denied". Please tell me if there is a different
way to get by this.

"EricLoadwick" wrote:

> Yes. I have the Windows OEM DVD that came with the laptop.
> When I was setup the permissions, I'm pretty sure I was in the normal edit
> screen.
> I can't even look at the permissions for the c: drive from any of the
> available accounts right now.
> From what I can recall of the settings for the Kids' account:
> 1. I right clicked on the drive.
> 2. Security Tab
> 3. Edit button under "Group or user names"
> 4. Highlighted Kristin(hom-PC/Kristin) account
> 5. Under the Permissions for Kristin
> Full Control Deny
> Modify Deny
> Read & execute Allow
> List folder contents Allow
> Read Allow
> Write Deny
> Special permissions Nothing checked
>
> I set the permissions up back in August. And until the other day have never
> had any issues with
> accessing anything from my 'Admin' account.
> I have not made any changes to the accounts since I first set them up.
> This was NOT the first time I had tried to access the c: drive.
> Windows is installed on c: drive. D: drive is just a data drive. E: is the
> DVD drive.
> Thanks for your help, but I am afraid this is a lost cause. If you have no
> further advice, I will try to
> restore the system back a few weeks, I'm just afraid this may cause more
> problems down the road. Thanks
> again.
>
> "Jimmy Brush" wrote:
>
> > Ok, some more questions.
> >
> > - Do you have a Windows Setup DVD?
> > - When you were changing permissions, were you in the normal "edit" screen
> > on the security tab or did you click the advanced button?
> > - If you went to the advanced screen, did you create the permissions here,
> > and did you check 'Replace all existing inheritable...."
> > - What did you do with the permissions that were already there?
> > - Did you add any other permissions besides the one for the kids?
> > - Did you change/remove any pre-existing permissions?
> > - Did you check any boxes for Deny?
> > - How long ago did you change permissions?
> > - When your kids logged off and you logged on, was this the first time you
> > had tried to access drive c?
> > - Which drive is Windows installed on, c or d?
> > - Do the kids have read access to drive c? If so, you should be able to use
> > their account to look at the security permissions.
> >
> > I'm not sure if system restore will restore the permissions. You should be
> > able to get to system restore as long as it is not located in a restricted
> > portion of the c drive.
> >
> > --
> > - JB
> > Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
> >
> > "EricLoadwick" <EricLoadwick.RemoveThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > news:B8608888-5644-418B-A15B-192DAE70FC8B@microsoft.com...
> > > Jimmy,
> > > When I initially set up the accounts, I only selected the Kids' account in
> > > the security tab of the C: drive properties. I checked off, from the list
> > > of
> > > what they could and could not do, they did have read access to the C:
> > > drive,
> > > but no other access. Now if I try to go back in, under any of the
> > > accounts
> > > and look at the security settings for the C: drive....it doesn't show
> > > me...just says that you have to be an administrator to view and make
> > > changes.
> > > I understand what you're thinking about maybe I accidentally denied myself
> > > access and any subsequent accounts. But no changes have been made and the
> > > issue only occurred when the kids logged off and I logged onto my
> > > account....the system pretty much stays on 24/7.
> > > If I go back to a backup point, let's say, 2 months ago...will this clear
> > > the issue? I would rather not, but I have my doubts that I could even do
> > > that because of this issue? Thanks again for your help.
> > >
> > > "Jimmy Brush" wrote:
> > >
> > >> Hello,
> > >>
> > >> It sounds like you may have accidentally denied yourself access to the C:
> > >> drive as well.
> > >>
> > >> How did you deny your kids access to drive C
> > >>
> > >> If you used the security tab, added a permission for the users group, and
> > >> selected deny, then this would have denied anyone who is a user,
> > >> including
> > >> administrators.
> > >>
> > >> In windows, deny permissions are always evaluated before allow
> > >> permissions,
> > >> so any relevent deny permissions cause an immediate access denied
> > >> regardless
> > >> of what allow permissions on there.
> > >>
> > >> If you can tell us exactly what permissions you set/changed and on what
> > >> folders and what options you chose when doing so, we may be able to fix
> > >> this.
> > >>
> > >> --
> > >> - JB
> > >> Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
> > >>
> > >> "EricLoadwick" <EricLoadwick.RemoveThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > >> news:DA8292BB-A5BD-46EF-83A9-069E31728654@microsoft.com...
> > >> >I have 2 accounts set up on my laptop – One for me as an administrator
> > >> >and
> > >> > the other for the kids. When I set up the accounts, I restricted the
> > >> > kids’
> > >> > account from having access to the C: drive. They saved everything to
> > >> > the
> > >> > D:
> > >> > drive. Now, yesterday, I all of a sudden do not have access to the C:
> > >> > drive
> > >> > as the administrator. Every time I try to access something on the C:
> > >> > drive
> > >> > it pops up a window saying, “access denied.� What has caused this?
> > >> > There
> > >> > have been no changes made to any security settings.
> > >> > I read a possible solution by a Microsoft MVP
> > >> >
> > >> > What do I do: I can no longer log in or elevate to an administrator
> > >> > account
> > >> > http://www.jimmah.com/vista/
> > >> >
> > >> > And I went through and completed all 3 options listed. On option 3 I
> > >> > was
> > >> > able to unhide the “hidden administrator� account. But as I logged on
> > >> > as
> > >> > the
> > >> > administrator and tried to fix whatever problems were with MY admin
> > >> > profile,
> > >> > that account was denied access to the C: drive as well. If anyone
> > >> > knows a
> > >> > workaround or a perm solution to this problem, I would greatly
> > >> > appreciate
> > >> > it.
> > >> > I am running Windows Vista Home Premium.
> > >> >
> > >>
> >

I am also experiencing this issue. I'm not sure exactly what I did, but
some how I deleted all of the administrator permissions. Not only for
my account that was set as administrator, but also for the the built-in
administrator account. I cannot access the C:/ drive (no permissions),
I cannot start/stop services like my Apache Tomcat service (no
permissions), I cannot install/uninstall programs (no permissions), I
cannot add/modify any users (no permissions), I cannot open regedit (no
permissions). I tried it all from the built-in administrator account in
safe mode.

Short of starting over from scratch, is there someway to get the
default permissions back to the Administrators? Or at least to the
Built-in Administrator?


--
vcmorgan