Folder access issue

We received a used Windows 7 box from my wife's workplace (Insurance company). They were upgrading and donating most of the old ones to charity but they gave her one after wiping it clean.
While trying to resolve a Mozilla issue, I need to access the documents and setting folder but a pop up says "access denied". There was a small padlock symbol on the folder.
After adjusting the permissions, there is now a small curved arrow on the folder but I still get the access denied pop up. Is there any way to get into this folder? I know XP fairly well but I'm struggling with the newer OS's.

 

This "Junction" actually started with Windows Vista. I have the same inaccessible Documents and Settings folder on my Vista laptop and I have to go to C:\Users to get to my Documents or Downloads folders.

 

These are symbolic links. The new path is c:\users

To create a new directory symbolic link:

From command line

mklink /j name target

This is like a shortcut to the path you want to go to. So, instead of typing in cd /d c:\windows\system32

You could create a symbolic link to system32 by type in mklink /d system32 c:\windows\system32
then from c:\ cd system32

 

No luck. All of the Application Data folder are "access denied".

Unfortunately I'm not good at command lines at all.

 

Go to C:\Users\NAME\AppData. In both the Local and Roaming folders you'll find Mozilla folders.

 

You need to go to C:\Users\Username\AppData and then to the Local and Roaming folders as Eldon said. Do not click on the shortcut icons or you'll get that access denied message.

 

Thanks guys. I'm at work now but I'll try it when I get home. I thought that's what I did though but I'll check again.

 

In order to have access to C:\Users\<username>\AppData you have to enable viewing of hidden files and folders. In File Explorer it's View > Options.

This is relevant to your other thread too where you are having a problem copying your TBird profiles.

 

Thanks, I have enabled it on each PC. The problem was accessing the proper folder. "Access denied" popped up every time I tried to open them.

 

That's easy to correct. We need to activate the hidden Administrator account and, logged on to that, pass the Security permissions of AppData to all child objects. Right now I can't help you with that but if it defeats you I will be able to in an hour or so.

 

Can you not open the AppData folder?

 

Thanks Earthling, I'd really appreciate that. I won't be home for a couple hours anyways.

I'm almost positive it had the Access Denied pop up when I tried to open that one and most of the others. I'll have to wait until I get home to check for sure though.

 

In a couple of hours I shall be in the land of Nod (UK time), but I had read your previous post as being able to open AppData but not any of its subfolders. If you can't open AppData then I'm not so sure I have a solution atm.

 

The AppData folder and it's sub-folders should open. You'll also notice there's no lock or shortcut symbol on it.

 

Good catch, I forgot a had posted that. The posted it while trying to open them so it must be correct, unlike my memory.

There was a lock symbol on it initially, but after I messed with the security settings, that change to a small curved arrow.
I still get the same Access Denied though.

 

Are you perhaps confusing the Application Data and AppData folders?

 

That could very well be. I've been messing with 3 different PC/OS's since yesterday but can only view one at the moment.
I will be bringing the old hard drive home with me, and either Friday or over the weekend I can really dig into to it without my boss' evil stares. That is, unless I can get to these files tonight after trying what some posted above.

 

Good luck.
Things were so much easier with Windows XP. The System Volume Information folder is the only inaccessible one.

 

Totally agree with that. I won't say bad things about the newer OS's since most are new to me and there's a learning curve, but I wasn't afraid of anything with XP and I know just where everything is. Windows 8.1 is a HUGE change though.
I wish there was a one click "change to XP style button" in there somewhere.

 

Actually, the SVI folder can be made accessible in XP:

1. Click Start, and then click My Computer.
2. On the Tools menu, click Folder Options.
3. On the View tab, click Show hidden files and folders.
4. Clear the Hide protected operating system files (Recommended) check box. Click Yes when you are prompted to confirm the change.
5. Clear the Use simple file sharing (Recommended) check box.
6. Click OK.
7. Right-click the System Volume Information folder in the root folder, and then click Properties.
8. Click the Security tab.
9. Click Add, and then type the name of the user to whom you want to give access to the folder. Typically, this is the account with which you are logged on. Click OK, and then click OK again.
10. Double-click the System Volume Information folder in the root folder to open it.

Information taken from this page.

 

Update:

I'm on the Windows 7 machine. Here is the .ini file and the folders inside the Tbird folder:





This is the default folder, I don't see a xxxxxx.default file though:




These are most of the contents:

 

I should have posted this first, but here is the users folder:

 

The x's are just wildcards for the real filename. If this profile contains the data you want when displayed in TBird in Win 7 then copy it to your 8.1 machine and follow the earlier guidance on how to use it in TBird.

 

The contents of the folder are in the bottom picture in post 672. I don't see a xxx.default file in there. The parent folder (users) is the one with my wife's name on it (Nicole) is shown in that post too. Only the "Default folder" contains an apps data folder too but there is no Thunderbird folder in it like in the Nicole folder.
Either way, I found the .ini but but there is no xxxxx.default file as in the XP hard drive or in my Windows 8.1 at work.

 

I obviously didn't explain properly. The folder in the second pic in #22 IS the xxxxxxxx.default folder you are looking for. I can't read the name but it begins with 7. Copy that folder to 8.1.

 

Has it been that obvios this whole time? I thought it was a file I needed to copy and edit, not a folder.It's late here but I'll re-read everything tomorrow. Maybe I'm attempting too many fixes a once and mixing things up.

 

It isn't helping that the problem is being addressed in two threads but yes, it is that simple. Realise though that the info it contains will be what you see in 8.1. You won't see what 8.1 has at present, this will replace it. There is a way to access both but not right now, let's just get this fixed first.

 

In the AppData folder, look for a Mozilla folder first then the T-Bird folder. I needed to do that to find the Firefox folder on my Vista and 8.1 systems.

 

That isn't right. The path is AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles but Tater is already there - see default.gif above.

 

I'm not sure about Thunderbird, but Firefox has 2 locations for the Profiles folder.
C:\Users\Nicole\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles
C:\Users\Nicole\AppData\Local\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles

 

It's the same with TBird except the path is as I gave it above - not via Mozilla. The Local folder just contains caches and is built up during use. It is not necessary to copy it though probably wouldn't do any harm to do so.

 

OK, I just copied the 7er6zn1p.default folder to a memory stick and I'll add it to in 8.1 tomorrow. Pretty big folder.

 

OK, I copied the .default folder in the Tbird folder shown below. Nothing changed in the calendar. Should it have been automatic?

 

You now need to work through the detailed instructions Hedon James gave you in post #9 in your other thread.

 

OK, I just tried that and restarted Tbird. I failed to load so I had to change it back.
Here is what the .ini looks like on the Win 8.1 machine:

[General]
StartWithLastProfile=1

[Profile0]
Name=default
IsRelative=1
Path=Profiles/0db3rasg.default
Default=1


The part I changed was the 0db3rasg.default to 7er6zn1p.default

 

I posted this by accident in your other thread -

There is a utility built into TBird that avoids the need to manually edit profiles ini. Open a command prompt and navigate to C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Thunderbird. Once there type thunderbird.exe -P and in the dialog box that opens select Create Profile > Next > assign a name and click Choose Folder. A box will open which hopefully will list both your old and new profiles. Select the new one and exit. Hopefully that should work.
Edit/Delete Message

 

I gave that a try but I'm just not good with the command prompt. I think I made an error typing the path.

 

Copy the path from my post. Open a command prompt and type cd <space> then right click and Paste.

 

OK, that part went fine. But when I typed thunderbird.exe -P nothing opened, the command propt just minimized to the task bar.

 

That has me stumped - sorry, cricketing expression - Can you confirm that the command prompt did change to C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Thunderbird?

 

Yes it did. Your patience with me on this is incredible.

 

We're so nearly there - this unknown error is frustrating. No possibility of a typo, or P being lowercase?

 

Uh oh - I've been using Win 7 to advise you but I just fired up a win 8.1 system and got the same effect as you, command window just minimizing. This looks like a problem with TBird not being fully 8.1 compliant. I'll post it at Mozilla and see what the answer is, but could take a day or two.

 

Thank you so much Earthling. If it's not raining to hard when I leave work today, I'll bring my old work computer (XP) home. Hopefully I'll be able to retrieve everything from that computer and try the same process out on that.

 

If you aren't following on Mozilla the answer is simple - just close TBird before running the command.

 

Thanks! I wasn't following because I was on a work call. I'm just leaving work for the day but I'll try that tomorrow. I'm also taking an old computer and my XP hard drive.