Problem locating Data File in Windows 7

[Robert Heller]

At Sun, 21 Feb 2010 06:14:38 -0800 (PST) trythis <grahamlane at gmail.com> wrote:

> 
> 
> 
> twodogron wrote:
> > 
> > 
> > I'm not adverse or anti GnuCash in any way, it's just that this is the
> > ONLY programme I've had this type of problems with under Windows 7....
> > If you could just explain your suggestion about "Windows 7 Ownership
> > Rights" in a little more detail, I'll try it...
> > Thanks for your input,
> > Ron..
> > 
> 
> !!Warning, I am not a certified Windows person, This is just my way of
> fumbling through the mystery that is Microsoft security settings. You could
> completely ruin your computer by listening to anything I say.!!!!

Yep.  See below.  

> 
> As I found when installing Windows 7, I have other disks that have old XP
> installations from old computers that I just stuck in the case, via ATA
> connectors. The data on those disks/systems was previously "owned" by the
> "user" from the XP OS on those disks. If I wanted to modify anything on them
> or sometimes even access them, it was not possible until I went through the
> elaborate and mystical Microsoft dance that is the Security tab of a
> folder's (or in this case whole drive's) right click, properties menu.
> See the little check marks in "Permissions for Authenticated users",
> associated with  each group or user name? If you don't, it may be that this
> is happening to you as well.
> When I installed a old XP drive into the windows 7 installation environment,
> I got to experience attempting to make everything have a check mark for
> Authenticated Users, System, Administrators, but I skipped Users, because I
> never log in as one.
> I am always an administrator when I log in. 

Mistake #1: *never* log in as an administrator (or root or SYSTEM).  Don't
do it.  I know, MS-Windows is borked in that far too much MS-Windows
software needs to be run as administrator, because the of various stupid
legacy issues, mostly from way back when in the days of mess-dos and
win-over-mess-dos (Win 3.11 => Win9x => WinME).  You need to migrate as
much as possible away from 'just logging in as administrator' as the
'easy' way out.  It might be painful now, but it will be worse later. 
Microsoft seems to be *trying* to do things right (after a decade+ of
doing things wrong).  It looks like MS-Windows 7 is trying its best to
wean people off the administrator tit.  This is probably a good thing,
although it will probably be *painful* at first.  Time to bite the
bullet, as it were.

> Anyway, click Advanced> Click Owner> Click Edit> See who is the owner of
> each of your partitions. One of mine was TrustedInstaller, whatever that
> means.
> Find the Name of the owner you would like to have as owner, I chose "me(user
> name)" or Administrator might be better.>

"me(user name)" is *always* best.

> Check Replace owner on subcontainers and objects.
> 
> Click Apply, and watch every file and folder get altered by windows. This
> can take a long time. Sometimes when the ownership change gets to folders
> with AppData and related it will say I do not have access, do I want to get
> full control? I click yes.
> These are folders that I couldn't open from within Windows 7.  This is where
> I think something is wrong and may be causing you problems.
> 
> Then you can go back and make sure you can check Full Control by whatever
> user type you prefer to log in as.
> 
> I have no idea if Gnucash could be fouling up because I have no idea how it
> works with Windows in terms of file locations permissions needed, etc.  
> 
> !!Warning, I am not a certified Windows person, This is just my way of
> fumbling through the mystery that is Microsoft security settings. You could
> completely ruin your computer by listening to anything I say.!!!!
> 

-- 
Robert Heller             -- 978-544-6933
Deepwoods Software        -- Download the Model Railroad System
http://www.deepsoft.com/  -- Binaries for Linux and MS-Windows
heller at deepsoft.com       -- http://www.deepsoft.com/ModelRailroadSystem/