"Access is denied" warning message when trying to view C:\Users\All Users\Desktop

Question

When I try to access C:\Users\All Users\Desktop, it gives me "Access is denied", even though I'm using an administrator account.

So what I did was I right click the folder >> Properties >> Security.

I clicked the "Edit" button:

I clicked "Add...":

I typed in DIT-NB0952772\common (which is me). I clicked "OK":

I clicked "OK":

There's an error, and I clicked "Cancel":

The same screen appeared again, same error message. I clicked "Cancel" again:

Which gives me this:

It tells me to "apply the correct change immediately to achieve a consistent state",

But how do I fix this error ?

What's the correct change I should be applying to correct the errors above, and to achieve a consistent state ?

Answer 1

You'll need to take ownership of the folder and change the permissions to allow you to traverse the folder.

Another way to do this? My preferred method for exploring any file system without changing its state:

Explore your file system using a bootableCD.

Answer 2

You should be using C:\Users\Public\Desktop.

C:\Users\All Users\Desktop is just there for compatibility purposes and if any pre-vista program attempts to write to it, vista will re-direct to the new location.

Answer 3

I agree with surfasb's point. If you just want to view the contents of the folder, you don't have to change the permissions.

You can simply run a third party file manager (like total commander) tool as Administrator and you should be able to see the contents directly. Most will also allow you to open the Windows properties dialogue to change the permissions. Since you'll be running as Administrator, you'll not see any access denied messages.

If you don't have a third party file manager, you can run a archiving tool like WinRAR or 7-zip as admin and they should also allow you to view the contents of the folders and give you the Windows context menu somewhere.