Windows 7 won't let me save a file

So I have a new Win7. I wanted to add a new wallpaper, so found some on the web and saved. After that I went to that location, and... there was no such file! However, you can see it through my browser's save window.

Why is that?

 

In C:/Users I have two profiles:
MyUsername /with lock on icon/
Public
?
What does this lock mean?

 

I click on Properties of Program files, untick "read only", apply, everything goes ok. I click again on Properties, and it's read only still!

 

Like this?

lock icon next to my user name?? - Windows 7 Forums

 

well yes... but i can't save a file...

 

Did you try the solution given?

 

still. i can save a file, but i can't see it later...

 

Is the lock icon gone?

 

Well, there's never been one on Program Files.

 

Where exactly are you saving to?

 

Another option is to disable User Account Control, download the file again and see if the file appears where it should (maybe Windows is denying write access so the file is not even there at all).

Also check that the file path is correct. In other words if you want it saved to Documents, make sure that folder is selected when saving (and it is not being saved somewhere else, or under the Default or Public user accounts). Keep in mind that they can have file folders with the same names.

 

Are you trying to save something directly in a Program Files sub directory? If so UAC is redirecting the actual file to a different spot. It does this so each user can have their own set of "writable" files in a Program Files sub directory. Typically, such writable files are config files, ini files, saved games etc. These are the sorts of files you would want each user to have their own version of. Past versions of Windows (prior to Vista) didn't do this. So it was up to the application that was writing to a Program Files Sub Directory to keep separate versions of these sorts of files for each user. Most apps didn't, so if two folks shared the use of the machine the last saved game or the last config change was what got kept. This feature means ALL apps keep separate versions of these kinds of files for each user automatically, even if the programmer didn't plan for it. It is one of the nicer aspects of UAC under Vista and Win7. (BTW it does the same thing with portions of the registry.)

Now that long winded explanation has probably left you asking, OK where the hell ARE these files, right? Just look in C:\Users\User_name\AppData\Local\VirtualStore (replacing User_name with your own Win7 identity of course). There you will find program files directories for all of these per user (aka virtualized) files. I am betting the file you are looking for is there.

Gary

 

Thanks Scuderia, it's there! And thanks for the explanation.

Now, how can disbale this UAC? I am the only user of this computer, so I just want to have admin privileges everywhere it's possible.

 

O.k., two remarks here:

You have no business writing user files in the Program Files hierarchy. There's a reason Windows does not allow you to do this. If you want to save user files, use a location that is intended for this purpose. In this particular case, a folder in Public Pictures might have been appropriate. As an aside, the lock icon on folders means that the folder in question does not inherit its security properties from the parent folder. It does not necessarily mean that it does not give you access. Most importantly, do not mess around with folder security properties unless you know what you are doing. Second aside, the read-only property on folders is meaningless; simply leave it alone.

Finally, disabling UAC is a bad idea. It's there to protect you. This is true in spades for inexperienced users such as yourself. Having "admin privileges everywhere" essentially means eliminating all of the OS' security. From a security point of view, it turns your computer into a glorified DOS machine from the 1980s. And, no, anti-virus software is no substitute, at all.

 

Sir, calling me 'inexperienced' is, well, a lie. I grew up with Windows, and I want to do it what I want. I know how to protect my computer.

 

While I agree with your assessment of UAC, there are indeed times when writing files in the Program Files hierarchy is necessary. The case the OP made is a compelling one. The OP wants to add a wallpaper to the existing set. Lets assume that is being done in conjunction with the user of the random wallpaper picker in Vista and Win7. In that case you MUST add it to rest or move all of them somewhere else and pointing the randomizer there. But that's just one case. In most cases there is no good reason to be mucking about in the Program Files hierarchy, but there ARE exceptions. I've had a few myself over the life of Vista/Win7. Damn few but knowing about the virtualization allowed me to accomplish what I needed to do.

Gary

 

Don't do it. If YOU have admin rights everywhere then EVERY piece of code has that right as well. Not a good idea. The unix community has bashed us windows heads for years about this and rightly so. No unix machine is set up with admin rights. Those rights are used only when absolutely necessary.

This is just one more level of security and its NOT about protecting the machine from YOU, it is about protecting the machine from intrusion. A layered approach of a firewall, antivirus and minimal permissions regimen is the best practice for all computers.

If you turn off UAC every web page you view has full admin rights to your machine. Pretty freaking scary, no? UAC is your friend, reminding you that you are about to do something it knows only YOU should be doing and then allowing only YOU to do so.

Gary

 

Was not it the same on XP?

And thanks again.

 

You might want to be a bit more careful with your choice of words before insulting people. A "lie", by definition, implies deliberate representation of a fact known to the speaker. Obviously I don't know you, and all I had to go on were your remarks, which clearly reveal a lack of experience in the area in question. In that light, whether or not you know how to protect your computer may be debatable as well, and I'll leave it at that.

 

Sure was, from Win1.0 all the way thru Win XP the default install for a user was that they had full admin rights. It was stupid under Win1.0 and was under WinXP. It never should have been that way EVER. Nor should it be now.

Anyone in a corporate environment or elsewhere who knew anything about security (or came from a Unix background), immediately set up all users with non admin rights. It just is not safe practice, period. With users set up as non admin rights there have always been ways to perform a task with temporary elevated rights to admin ("Run As" was the way). That way it was obvious a user was actually doing so and not some piece of rogue code or active x component. Unix had this sort of thing and so did Windows. But very few folks ever used it. With UAC, now you don't need to jump thru any hoops, when it detects something is about to be done that needs admin rights it automatically pops up the screen saying in effect "Hey did you intend to do this or is someone's code trying to trick me into giving it control". Personally I like that a lot. I never run machines as an admin, and now I don't have to think, "hmmm do I need to do a Run As to do this task"? I just do the task and UAC reminds me that admin rights are required to complete it.

Gary

 

I usually only disable UAC for testing/troubleshooting anymore. The Windows 7 UAC seems to be more relaxed and less persistant than it was under Vista, with the latter denying me write access on more than one occasion.