Windows Cannot Access To A Specified File, Device

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Windows Cannot Access To A Specified File, Device

(27 posts) (7 voices)

Started 3 months ago by ArahMan7
Latest reply from ArahMan7

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windows cannot access

ArahMan7

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Hola,

Lately, every time I downloaded and tried to install 'Giveawayoftheday' or any other, I received this message, "Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item."

I can't even access CCleaner as though my own computer don't recognized I'm the administrator! Fortunately, I'm still able to access some.

I've browse all over the Internet looking for the remedy but nothing so far can solve my problem. I know about taking ownership but in my case it didn't work.

I'm not computer savvy as I like to think but here's a few particulars about my computer;

Microsoft Windows XP
Professional
Version 2002
Service Pack 3

Thank you in advance.

Posted 3 months ago #
judydog

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Hi,are you using any firewall,if so what?Thanks

Posted 3 months ago #
ArahMan7

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Hola JudyDog,

Yeah, I'm using AVG Free and Online Armor which was on Giveawayoftheday awhile back.

To find out more, I try to open Belarc, but I got the dreaded message instead. I guess that's it. Don't think WinPatrol considered as a Firewall.

Posted 3 months ago #
copmom

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Don't know if this is any connection, but I had some major problems with various things when I installed SP3 for my XP. I've since deleted that and just have SP2.. no problems.

Posted 3 months ago #
ArahMan7

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Hola CopMom,

How do you do that? At this stage, I'm willing to try anything.

Posted 3 months ago #
GMMan

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Try writing a file to %temp% and see if that works. If it does, it's something else. If it doesn't, that means that somehow the Temp folder is locked and you'll need to try to unlock it. The wrapper uses the Temp folder to put *things that I can't tell you as per the rules*.

To uninstall SP3, go to Add/Remove Programs, check Show Updates, and then search for Windows XP SP3.

Posted 3 months ago #
watcher13

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ArahMan, my impression is that you may have a problem with Acess Control List corruption. I assume you know what these are - master lists of file permissions. This can be a major problem in Vista, I don't know about XP, hadn't thought it was much of a problem there.

Two things come to mind. One, I don't know if you've checked the permissions tab in your properties box for some of these files - if you have the permissions tab enabled. If things like CCleaner.exe are suddenly showing as read only or the permissions tab used to be there but is now missing, that could be a sign of ACL corruption. I'm assuming you're up on your virus scanning, because malware is one of the ways this happens. The other thing you can try is creating a new account with Administrator privileges. Then, if things work in the new account that don't work in the old, that's a tip off that you've got this type of permission corruption. Often, creating a new account is the only way short of reinstalling to correct a permissions corruption problem. Of course, you'll have to migrate settings, amd maybe even reinstall software for the new account. However, from one Administrator account to another, none of that may be necessary. In any case, you can then delete the damaged account if you want.

Though creating a new account doesn't work every time it's worth a try and also a good way to test. Good luck.

Posted 3 months ago #
GMMan

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Ahh... ACL corruption. One of my sparse but major headaches. Usually, if you try to access the affected entry, you'll get an access denied message, and no one, not even SYSTEM can get into it. They only way I've managed to fix it is by deleting the file's parent folder in Linux, as the file's entry itself doesn't exist properly.

@ArahMan7: When do you see the message? Unzipping, immediately after running Setup.exe or Activate.exe, after the wrapper accesses the Internet, after ending install, or at the very end?

Posted 3 months ago #
ArahMan7

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#GMMan - Yes, I can access the Temp folder.

The wrapper uses the Temp folder to put *things that I can't tell you as per the rules*. - Forum's rules? If that's the case, we wouldn't want you to be in any sort of trouble, would we?

And thanks for showing how to remove SP3?

#watcher13 - Yes, I've checked those file and it still stated I'm the owner of those files. Here's how I do it (suffice by showing this page), How to take ownership of a file.

It's already past 3am over here, I shall try changing my account later. Before I'm off to bed, do you think it got to do with some .dll files missing? You see I was uninstalling a software (I'm using Your Uninstaller) the other day. Might it be possible during the course some important .dll files deleted without me realizing it (about how important those files was)?

And no, 'System Restore' not working either. I tried to restore my computer to an earlier time but it failed.

Anyway, thank you to both of you.

Posted 3 months ago #
ArahMan7

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Hola GMMan,

I get the message right after I click to open/run (eg CCleaner).

On Giveawayoftheday case, I'm able to download the app but when I click to install, I got the dreaded message.

Posted 3 months ago #
GMMan

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Odd case. I'd think that it's a virus infection of some sort. Have you tried safe mode? (F8 just before Windows' start logo displays)

About the "things that I cannot tell you", I can't tell you. But let's just say that the wrapper uses the Temp folder and you can access it, and we don't need to talk further on that matter ;)

Posted 3 months ago #
Robert

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This doesn't has to be an odd case...
The message Arahman7 is getting can easily be evoked if one of his security programs denies a program to launch/access .tmp files.

Posted 3 months ago #
watcher13

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Well, I may have misunderstood ArahMan, Robert. He said he couldn't open CCleaner, either, which made me suspicious. Certrainly, if he's made a change in one of his security programs recently, I agree, I'd check that first. As to taking ownership, there can be more to it. The method Microsoft cites is not always effective. Also, there's more to ACL corruption than just ownership. I'll post more on that in a bit, when I refind a link on that I want to post. But, I agree, it could be something simple and I'd start there first. I'd definitely retrace my steps concerning any recent changes I'd made that might have caused this.

Posted 3 months ago #
GMMan

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@Robert: I don't think that's the problem, as the GAOTD wrapper doesn't create any temp files when launched. And there's no reason any security software should block .tmp files, as a extremely wide range of programs use them.

Posted 3 months ago #
Robert

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@GMMan
Only a possible cause I mentioned.
Well,right,activate doesn't.Some security software over here however does ask permission to launch tmp files running wrapped setup exes and whenever unknown (new) programs try to access temp or other files.

Posted 3 months ago #
watcher13

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Yeah GM, some of the actual setups do create temps, depending on the developer, so that could still be relevant. Other people have reported the temp folder problem with certain GOTDs, so messed up temp folder permissions have been shown to cause it.

ArahMan, I retract what I said about a different method to take ownership. Double checking myself, I think the problem I was going to post about is unique to Vista. Assuming that you have actually looked at the "Security" tab (I don't why I called it "Permissions" tab. My brain must have short circuited.) and it says you're the owner AND you've got FULL permissions, then that's, obviously, not the problem. But if you haven't, I recommend you check that. In any case, making a new account still might be a relatively painless way to test it. There easy to make and delete. I made a backup account just in case this ever happens to me. Like I said, it is a documented problem in Vista.

Posted 3 months ago #
ArahMan7

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Sorry for the late reply, guys. I was busy browsing and reading (found in other forums) any materials that deals with such problem. I've even tried out Troubleshooting the System Restore and others that are too numerous to mention.

I didn't deleted SP3 coz I couldn't find it on Add or Remove Programs. I can only find 'Office 2003 Service Pack 3 (SP3):MAINSP3' but it say, This update cannot be removed.

One more thing, my Add or Remove Programs looked kinda weird coz on the outset it looked a little longer than usual. The programs are all there except that it was divided into two with a lot of empty space in the middle. I hope you understand what I'm trying to explain here.

And I didn't made a new account either coz I don't know how to make a backup account.

After trying all sort of things, I closed up my computer thinking nothing that I've done would work. After Friday's prayer, I tried to install USB Safely Remove which was a giveaway on one of the threads on this forum.

All of a sudden, Online Armor came alive and asked whether to allow USB Safely Remove to be installed? It was a shock coz before this I would received the dreaded message.

In jubilant, I tried to open up CCleaner and again Online Armor came alive and I was able to open it. And I swear I don't know how I did it?

Anyway, I would like to thanks JudyDog, CopMom, GMMan, Watcher13, and Robert. Well at least I'm able to install 'Gold Audio Suite' on today's Giveawayoftheday. Thank you again.

Greetings and lots of love from Malaysia.

Posted 3 months ago #
GMMan

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Well, good to know you've got it fixed. I wonder what's really the problem. Maybe some sort of security software started acting up or something. Anyways, about the blank in Add/Remove Programs, is it completely blank, or is it just the title that's blank?

Posted 3 months ago #
watcher13

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Gotta hand it to you, Robert, you were right. Well, I don't mind being off target as long as the problem got fixed and I didn't cause any harm. Glad you're back to normal, ArahMan.

If you ever want to know, here's instructions on how to create and work with user accounts in XP:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/279783
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/winxp/accounts.mspx

Right from the horses.... well, whatever part of the horse Microsoft's advice comes from. :)

Posted 3 months ago #
ArahMan7

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Hola GMMan,

I really don't know which of the troubleshooting I did beforehand solved the problem. Was it this one, Fix iT?

Anyway, my PC is back to normal and I'm very very happy about it. I've spent nearly four days searching for the solution and I missed 'Streaming Video Recorder' that was on Giveawayoftheday last Tuesday.

About Add/Remove Programs, like I said all the programs are all listed there but it was divided into two. First half on top then empty space and I've to scroll quite far to bottom to reach the other half of the programs.

I wish I could show you the screenshot but the image gonna be big coz there's a huge empty gap in the middle. One half starting with uTorrent until StarBurn(Giveawayoftheday), then empty space and near the bottom of the list the programs started with 'The Logo Creator v5.2' until 'Your Uninstaller 2008'.

I hope you understand, GMMan.

Posted 3 months ago #
watcher13

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ArahMan, the Windows add/remove program box has never worked very well. Even Bill Gates complained about it once.

Most of the folks here use this software, which even comes in a portable version which is just like the main version:

http://www.revouninstaller.com/

Revo not only detects what's on your computer, but does a better job of completely cleaning out old software than anything else we know. I use it on the most aggressive of it's settings, and it's quick and I've never had a problem with it. It has Spanish support, also.

Thanks for the fix-it link. I'll have to try that.

Posted 3 months ago #
notblocklox

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Just a word to FixIt: My computer has lost its voice. I checked whatever I found, but couldn't find anything. But then came FixIt. FixIt checked whatever it found (the same things I checked several times before) and as solution it advised me: Turn on the sound.

Posted 3 months ago #
Robert

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@Notblocklox

Maybe the default output device(playback device)has changed after installing a service pack.

To set the default device:

* Click Start, type Sound in the Start Search box, and then click Sound in the search results at the top of the Start menu.

* Click the Playback tab. There's should be a check mark next to the default device. The default device is Speakers.

* Click the right item ,then click Set Default.

Posted 3 months ago #
notblocklox

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Thanks, Robert, but (sorry) no thanks. Meanwhile I've got the sound back - all by my own! I'm sooooo proud. One step further on my way to be a nerd...- LOL

offtopiclox

Posted 3 months ago #
ArahMan7

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Hola Watcher13,

If Bill Gates said so, I can't complained either, can I? If Add/Remove Programs wanna have a big empty space in the middle, so be it. Only I wish I could be like NotBlockLox, I could solve it all by my own! Well, at least we shared the same happiness and very very proud to be a step or two further away from being a nerd, one step at a time!

Anyway, you got me Watcher13. I'm now officially became a Revo Man after ditching Your Uninstaller. I hope Revo is as good as YU, but alas it didn't come with Bahasa Melayu (my national language), ;-)

See you around Watcher13.

Greetings and lots of love from Malaysia.

Posted 3 months ago #
notblocklox

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ArahMan7, Revo is really a gem - but you should invest some reading. Look twice before giving okay for the deep clean. With my first try of Revo I deleted great parts of the registry - LOL
But Revo has a heart for noobs, it makes a restore point and has a good help documentation.

graylox

Posted 3 months ago #
ArahMan7

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Hola NotBlockLox,

Thanks for the head-ups. Don't want that to happen, do we? Regardless, should that happened, I know I could get back those missing registry by posting another SOS thread on this forum but it's so much better to follow our Moderator's to invest some reading.

And horey to Restore Point too!

Talk later. Got some reading to do.

Posted 3 months ago #

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