Is root directory a protected data area?
 

Is the root directory of the windows/system drive a protected area in
Vista or Win7?

I have an early recollection of that being the case, or at least of
having trouble updating files there, but I can't find it online.

All I can find on this is "In short, UAC monitors a list of
“protected” folders and registry locations (\Program Files, \Program
Files (x86), \Windows, and HKLM\Software); any time an application
attempts to write to one of those locations, it redirects the attempt
to the user’s “virtual store”." - See more at:
http://www.blackbaudknowhow.com/tech....ORUyWKRR.dpuf

Is root directory a protected data area?
 

On 2016-04-10 13:48, Micky wrote:

Is the root directory of the windows/system drive a protected area in
Vista or Win7?

Only if UAC is enabled, then all you can do on the root of C:\ is to
create folders (not files). If UAC is turned off, or if you log on using
the built-in Administrator account, then you can create files in the root.

I have an early recollection of that being the case, or at least of
having trouble updating files there, but I can't find it online.

[snip]

Regards,

--
! _\|/_ Sylvain /
! (o o) Member:David-Suzuki-Fdn/EFF/Red+Cross/SPCA/Planetary-Society-
oO-( )-Oo Giddyup, Beverly! -Picard

Is root directory a protected data area?
 

On Sun, 10 Apr 2016 13:51:29 -0400, B00ze wrote:

On 2016-04-10 13:48, Micky wrote:

Is the root directory of the windows/system drive a protected area in
Vista or Win7?

Only if UAC is enabled, then all you can do on the root of C:\ is to
create folders (not files). If UAC is turned off, or if you log on using
the built-in Administrator account, then you can create files in the root.

Thanks for the quick response. That's what I thought but I couldn't
find it on the web. I only found that one list which was apparently
wrong.

So, if you were me and you had UAC turned off, would you put backup
logs in your root directory, as I used to do, or for any reason would
you not? One conceivable reason: Would you allow for some unlikely
time in the future when I turned UAC on again and then lost my first
set of logs afterwards, and maybe was so confused I didn't know why?

I have an early recollection of that being the case, or at least of
having trouble updating files there, but I can't find it online.

[snip]

Regards,

Is root directory a protected data area?
 

Micky wrote:
Is the root directory of the windows/system drive a protected area in
Vista or Win7?

I have an early recollection of that being the case, or at least of
having trouble updating files there, but I can't find it online.

All I can find on this is "In short, UAC monitors a list of
“protected” folders and registry locations (\Program Files, \Program
Files (x86), \Windows, and HKLM\Software); any time an application
attempts to write to one of those locations, it redirects the attempt
to the user’s “virtual store”." - See more at:
http://www.blackbaudknowhow.com/tech....ORUyWKRR.dpuf

It's recommended not to write there.

And you'll eventually find an OS that
stops you from writing there.

*******

The main reason most people write to C: ?

1) Start a Print to File.

2) A dialog box pops up, asking for a path
for the output. However, it isn't the normal
navigation dialog with icons and partitions and
so on. It just has room to type in a path.

3) A user has to quickly think up a path to use,
by typing something like "C:\output.prn". If
Microsoft would fix their stupid print to file
setup so it used the larger dialog, users wouldn't
end up writing to the root of C: out of frustration.

Paul

Is root directory a protected data area?
 

On Sun, 10 Apr 2016 14:06:05 -0400, Paul wrote:

Micky wrote:
Is the root directory of the windows/system drive a protected area in
Vista or Win7?

I have an early recollection of that being the case, or at least of
having trouble updating files there, but I can't find it online.

All I can find on this is "In short, UAC monitors a list of
“protected” folders and registry locations (\Program Files, \Program
Files (x86), \Windows, and HKLM\Software); any time an application
attempts to write to one of those locations, it redirects the attempt
to the user’s “virtual store”." - See more at:
http://www.blackbaudknowhow.com/tech....ORUyWKRR.dpuf

It's recommended not to write there.

Okay.

And you'll eventually find an OS that
stops you from writing there.

Okay.

*******

The main reason most people write to C: ?

1) Start a Print to File.

2) A dialog box pops up, asking for a path
for the output. However, it isn't the normal
navigation dialog with icons and partitions and
so on. It just has room to type in a path.

3) A user has to quickly think up a path to use,
by typing something like "C:\output.prn". If
Microsoft would fix their stupid print to file
setup so it used the larger dialog, users wouldn't
end up writing to the root of C: out of frustration.

Paul

Yes, I think those all have applied to me.

Thanks.

Is root directory a protected data area?
 

On 2016-04-10 13:55, Micky wrote:

On Sun, 10 Apr 2016 13:51:29 -0400, B00ze wrote:

On 2016-04-10 13:48, Micky wrote:

Is the root directory of the windows/system drive a protected area in
Vista or Win7?

Only if UAC is enabled, then all you can do on the root of C:\ is to
create folders (not files). If UAC is turned off, or if you log on using
the built-in Administrator account, then you can create files in the root.

Thanks for the quick response. That's what I thought but I couldn't
find it on the web. I only found that one list which was apparently
wrong.

So, if you were me and you had UAC turned off, would you put backup
logs in your root directory, as I used to do, or for any reason would
you not? One conceivable reason: Would you allow for some unlikely
time in the future when I turned UAC on again and then lost my first
set of logs afterwards, and maybe was so confused I didn't know why?

Why not put them in a folder, this way all your logs are neatly stored
in one place? I have UAC disabled (it's useless) but I still use folders
to keep things on C:\ - As a general rule I don't put files in the root
of any drive; in the FAT days there was a limit to how many files you
could store in the root, but no limit inside folders...

Regards,

--
! _\|/_ Sylvain /
! (o o) Member:David-Suzuki-Fdn/EFF/Red+Cross/SPCA/Planetary-Society-
oO-( )-Oo You CAN trust the government ... ask the Indians!

Is root directory a protected data area?
 

On Sun, 10 Apr 2016 15:14:16 -0400, B00ze wrote:

On 2016-04-10 13:55, Micky wrote:

On Sun, 10 Apr 2016 13:51:29 -0400, B00ze wrote:

On 2016-04-10 13:48, Micky wrote:

Is the root directory of the windows/system drive a protected area in
Vista or Win7?

Only if UAC is enabled, then all you can do on the root of C:\ is to
create folders (not files). If UAC is turned off, or if you log on using
the built-in Administrator account, then you can create files in the root.

Thanks for the quick response. That's what I thought but I couldn't
find it on the web. I only found that one list which was apparently
wrong.

So, if you were me and you had UAC turned off, would you put backup
logs in your root directory, as I used to do, or for any reason would
you not? One conceivable reason: Would you allow for some unlikely
time in the future when I turned UAC on again and then lost my first
set of logs afterwards, and maybe was so confused I didn't know why?

Why not put them in a folder, this way all your logs are neatly stored

Okay.

in one place? I have UAC disabled (it's useless) but I still use folders
to keep things on C:\ - As a general rule I don't put files in the root
of any drive; in the FAT days there was a limit to how many files you
could store in the root, but no limit inside folders...

I know about that, but I've never gone over about 40 files in the
root. What I don't like is having many subdirectories one level
below the root. But I did it anyhow. I could have put the logs in
Data, but I don't back up logs so I made it Alogs so it would be at
the top and easy to find.

Thanks

Regards,