how to change permissions of windows 7 backup files
Hi AllI use an external drive to make a windows 7 backup from 2 pc's. When I try to use third party software treesize to caclulate space on it, it can not do it properly because files which were created on another pc are protected. Some files fail to change their permissions when I try to change folder permissions including files and folders in it.For instance, .vhd files are changed. .xml files resist to any change.Also, I was only able to change permissions to 'everyone' for read and read & execute. Other permissions were not changed.As I said: .xml files did not change at all.How I can go and change all files in folder by old good 'XP' way?Another question is next. I am annoyed by costant security prompts like: 'it requires Administrative permissions' or similar. Is there any settings which will stop these prompts. I am a member of administrators group on my pc.gene
November 18th, 2009 7:37am

Another question is next. I am annoyed by costant security prompts like: 'it requires Administrative permissions' or similar. Is there any settings which will stop these prompts. I am a member of administrators group on my pc. gene http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/975787ThanksRenjith
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November 18th, 2009 10:45am

Thank you so much. I find this feature so annoying. I am still using old software - word and others. This is another question which I do not want to discuss - why nothing is compatible with windows 7.Taking into consideration that me and millions others use Windows 7 personal edition these precautions are really bad architectural decision.gene
November 18th, 2009 4:14pm

These backup files are protected. You can see that the only certain users have permissions to access or modify it. On another computer these users are listed as a series user ID. Backup files are highly protected because they contain personal data. In some scenarios users would backup to a shared storage on network. We must pay attention on privacies protection. Therefore you are not able to change the permissions as your wish for this kind of files.Arthur Xie - MSFT
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November 20th, 2009 9:56am

Wait just one minute... These are MY files, and I decide who gets access. Who is MS to say I can not have access to my own files? I am stop the backup schedule, release my drive back to me, and now I need to copy those windows backup image folder, and restore some stuff to another machine. I can not copy these files to external hard drive. I suspect a permissions issue as access is denied. I try to take ownership, I try to change permissions. These are my files, and now MS has denied me accesss. Please let me know how I can transfer and access MY files. I am the administrator and I need my stuff!
October 14th, 2011 1:06pm

Wait just one minute... These are MY files, and I decide who gets access. Who is MS to say I can not have access to my own files? I am stop the backup schedule, release my drive back to me, and now I need to copy those windows backup image folder, and restore some stuff to another machine. I can not copy these files to external hard drive. I suspect a permissions issue as access is denied. I try to take ownership, I try to change permissions. These are my files, and now MS has denied me accesss. Please let me know how I can transfer and access MY files. I am the administrator and I need my stuff! Your frustration is palpable, even where I am sitting on the far side of this planet. You must login as administrator. Then right click the backup folder (s). Click Properties. Click Advanced. Click the Owner tab. Click edit. If your Administrator ID is not there, put it there, using the approach defined in these instructions. Highlight your ID and click Apply. Click OK for every dialog until you return to your highlighted folder in Explorer. Right click the backup folder again. Click Advanced. Click Change Permissions. Note the Include check box. The more chaotic your Windows installation is, the more detritus will be given active and often ultimately conflicting permissions will be established. Where possible, DO NOT Include. Now click Add. Click Advanced. Click Find Now. Slect the Permission receptacle that you require. Note, by observing how Windows sets permissions without chaotic thrid party intrusions. For example, you may notice that on your C drive Windows prefers to start with Authicated Users with "Modify" permissions. It is easy to create Modify of any other standard Permission class setting. You can use this reference. How to set, biew, change, or remove special permissions. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308419 When you hace selected your chosen Permission class setting from Find Now, Click OK. Again, click OK and you will select all but 3 possible chexk boxes for the Modify class setting. You can see what fields to select from the Knowledge Base article linked above. Windows system preferences are important. Follow the Permission patterns for internal, external and OS drive items. Note that special WMP classes are applied to media files. While patterning consistent Permissions, do not remove WMP and other important class settings obviously specific to your computing environment. Here si an example system's Permissions ... SSD c-drive user folders and files SYSTEM - Username - Administrators - Users SATA data drives folders and files Authenticated Users - SYSTEM - Administration - Users Media folders and files add: WMPNetworkSvc Sadly, Windows does not provide public users access to useful Permission tools used to configure special Permissions like WMP. But I have found that removing such from other backup systems, like Norton 360 and Seagate, to name two of many, works fine, as ,ong as the SSD or SATA patterns are maintained. In fact, Consstent patterns go a long way to correct incompatibilities that can increment and crash otherwise decent system equipment. Most importantly, try to interfere as little as possible with consistent settings. This may be difficult if you are using cuting edge hardware, or aged hardware. For example, today PC owners may be enticed to install their Operating Systems on one of the extremely fast new Intel Solid State Drives. SSD's are small volume devices, so a larger SATA drive is required for data storage. It is likely that the new high speed device will conflict with the older slow device, and Permission corruption will result. For example, numeric Registry identity keys, used to attach system behaviors to Users, will replace Users as the listed Owner, and then deny User access to files, folders and drives. This will then progress to the point where Windows begins to issue Error 0x8007045D with a KB link to indicate that the OS is tryiing to access data on a SATA drive that is too small! This is also known as a "Shrink Volume" error. You see, SSD's don't need to waste energy spinning, so they process data about 4,000 times as fast as your old SATA drives. So far, Intel is sizing the SSD volume in a way that makes SATA use unavoidable for most commercial systems. So you see, it is very important to keep your system permissions tidy and consistent. When you install new software and hardware, always check your Permissions. Be aware that when Permissions will not propagate from root to child folders (or any other anomally), that this is a good time to reformat your drive, and reset some confilcting Permissions. Concerning Windows Backup Permissions, it is certain that they are in symetry with system incompatibilities. By all means, if you have system problems, edit your Backup Permission Owner and Class Settings. Make them look more like similar hardware that is not wasted by incompatibility. A fresh Windows installation on newly formatted equipment prior to third party installations is the best indicator. Please note that I am not a Microsoft Support Proefssional, which is where your concerns can be most fully addressed. I am a disabled person who happens to enjoy computing, and all the challenges that computing brings to our lives. Third party assistance can also help, but if Windows is facing Shrink Volume or other similar issues, only Microsoft can help you, and your world ... to adapt to emerging technology. Hope this helps. /mark
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November 6th, 2011 5:35pm

Wait just one minute... These are MY files, and I decide who gets access. Who is MS to say I can not have access to my own files? I am stop the backup schedule, release my drive back to me, and now I need to copy those windows backup image folder, and restore some stuff to another machine. I can not copy these files to external hard drive. I suspect a permissions issue as access is denied. I try to take ownership, I try to change permissions. These are my files, and now MS has denied me accesss. Please let me know how I can transfer and access MY files. I am the administrator and I need my stuff! Your frustration is palpable, even where I am sitting on the far side of this planet. You must login as administrator. Then right click the backup folder (s). Click Properties. Click Advanced. Click the Owner tab. Click edit. If your Administrator ID is not there, put it there, using the approach defined in these instructions. Highlight your ID and click Apply. Click OK for every dialog until you return to your highlighted folder in Explorer. Right click the backup folder again. Click Advanced. Click Change Permissions. Note the Include check box. The more chaotic your Windows installation is, the more detritus will be given active and often ultimately conflicting permissions will be established. Where possible, DO NOT Include. Now click Add. Click Advanced. Click Find Now. Slect the Permission receptacle that you require. Note, by observing how Windows sets permissions without chaotic thrid party intrusions. For example, you may notice that on your C drive Windows prefers to start with Authicated Users with "Modify" permissions. It is easy to create Modify of any other standard Permission class setting. You can use this reference. How to set, biew, change, or remove special permissions. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308419 When you hace selected your chosen Permission class setting from Find Now, Click OK. Again, click OK and you will select all but 3 possible chexk boxes for the Modify class setting. You can see what fields to select from the Knowledge Base article linked above. Windows system preferences are important. Follow the Permission patterns for internal, external and OS drive items. Note that special WMP classes are applied to media files. While patterning consistent Permissions, do not remove WMP and other important class settings obviously specific to your computing environment. Here si an example system's Permissions ... SSD c-drive user folders and files SYSTEM - Username - Administrators - Users SATA data drives folders and files Authenticated Users - SYSTEM - Administration - Users Media folders and files add: WMPNetworkSvc Sadly, Windows does not provide public users access to useful Permission tools used to configure special Permissions like WMP. But I have found that removing such from other backup systems, like Norton 360 and Seagate, to name two of many, works fine, as ,ong as the SSD or SATA patterns are maintained. In fact, Consstent patterns go a long way to correct incompatibilities that can increment and crash otherwise decent system equipment. Most importantly, try to interfere as little as possible with consistent settings. This may be difficult if you are using cuting edge hardware, or aged hardware. For example, today PC owners may be enticed to install their Operating Systems on one of the extremely fast new Intel Solid State Drives. SSD's are small volume devices, so a larger SATA drive is required for data storage. It is likely that the new high speed device will conflict with the older slow device, and Permission corruption will result. For example, numeric Registry identity keys, used to attach system behaviors to Users, will replace Users as the listed Owner, and then deny User access to files, folders and drives. This will then progress to the point where Windows begins to issue Error 0x8007045D with a KB link to indicate that the OS is tryiing to access data on a SATA drive that is too small! This is also known as a "Shrink Volume" error. You see, SSD's don't need to waste energy spinning, so they process data about 4,000 times as fast as your old SATA drives. So far, Intel is sizing the SSD volume in a way that makes SATA use unavoidable for most commercial systems. So you see, it is very important to keep your system permissions tidy and consistent. When you install new software and hardware, always check your Permissions. Be aware that when Permissions will not propagate from root to child folders (or any other anomally), that this is a good time to reformat your drive, and reset some confilcting Permissions. Concerning Windows Backup Permissions, it is certain that they are in symetry with system incompatibilities. By all means, if you have system problems, edit your Backup Permission Owner and Class Settings. Make them look more like similar hardware that is not wasted by incompatibility. A fresh Windows installation on newly formatted equipment prior to third party installations is the best indicator. Please note that I am not a Microsoft Support Proefssional, which is where your concerns can be most fully addressed. I am a disabled person who happens to enjoy computing, and all the challenges that computing brings to our lives. Third party assistance can also help, but if Windows is facing Shrink Volume or other similar issues, only Microsoft can help you, and your world ... to adapt to emerging technology. Hope this helps. /mark
November 7th, 2011 1:32am

Where is this place you call Riverleaf? It sounds peaceful :)
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November 7th, 2011 12:02pm

Greeting, Wonder Only Wonder and others, I have a similar story. Due to certain circumstances, I had to reinstall my Win 7 Pro 64-bit from the scratch, so I have backed-up files on an external USB drive (via network, as my Netgear router has USB port for it). OK, after having fresh Windows in, I try to retrieve the backed-up files (NOT the image, I simply backed up all users files) and I got... yes, you guessed it: "Windows was not able to find any backup sets on \\Archive\. Please select a different location" [Archive is my ext drive name] I tried to change permissions of the whole backup folder (where those users files sit), according to your guidelines above, but it would not allow me to change permissions on my own network drive (?), so I hooked it up directly to the restored PC, but then backup was not able to find it either (same error message). Then I have copied my backed-up folder to the restored PC and then was able to give me, administrator, a full permission to the folder and its content, but it did not help much - Windows backup does end up with the same error message... It is getting frustrating - all my important data is out there in those packages (I can see them under those multiple zip files...)... Isn't it ironic that Microsoft is developing Windows for almost three decades now, has almost a monopolistic position in the PC OS market and they could not come around with such a simple thing like backing up the files to be retrievable not just to the very same Windows installation, but also to a new/fresh (re)install, and yet make it smooth? ANY help or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. With regards, Tooreck
December 15th, 2011 2:25pm

We find that the file must be named "WindowsImageBackup" changing the file name to make sence, like adding a date to it, will cause the program to not see it. Also, the file may need to be on the root of the drive, not in a subfolder so if you map x: to \\devicename\archive you may be able to see it. We were able to successfully restore an image from a network share this week, so it should work for you.
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December 15th, 2011 5:25pm

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