Windows Cannot Access Specified Device, Path Or File. You May Not Have Appropriate Permission To Access It?

I get this message or one very similar whenever I try to access pretty much any program on my laptop. I can’t access the internet, my antivirus and anti-spyware software, I can’t defrag/restore/or clean up my disk, I can’t open up itunes, etc. etc. How can I fix this(preferably a free way)?

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One Response to “Windows Cannot Access Specified Device, Path Or File. You May Not Have Appropriate Permission To Access It?”

1. papercut says:

   September 20, 2009 at 4:55 pm

   Sounds like the Administrator of your computer (Parents) have restricted your use. If not……….
   Log on as an administrator
   You must be logged on to Windows as an administrator in order to change security permissions for a file or a folder. If the computer is your personal computer, you are likely already logged on with an administrator account.
   To take ownership of a file or a folder
   How to take ownership of a file
   You must have ownership of a protected file in order to access it. If another user has restricted access and you are the computer administrator, you can access the file by taking ownership.
   To take ownership of a file, follow these steps:
   1. Right-click the file that you want to take ownership of, and then click Properties.
   2. Click the Security tab, and then click OK on the Security message (if one appears).
   3. Click Advanced, and then click the Owner tab.
   4. In the Name list, click Administrator, or click the Administrators group, and then click OK.
   The administrator or the administrators group now owns the file.
   To change the permissions on the file that you now own, follow these steps:
   1. Click Add.
   2. In the Enter the object names to select (examples) list, type the user or group account that you want to have access to the file. For example, type Administrator.
   3. Click OK.
   4. In the Group or user names list, click the account that you want, and then select the check boxes of the permissions that you want to assign that user.
   5. When you are finished assigning permissions, click OK.
   6. You can now access the file.
   How to take ownership of a folder
   You must have ownership of a protected folder in order to access it. If another user has restricted access and you are the computer administrator, you can access the folder by taking ownership.
   To take ownership of a folder, follow these steps:
   1. Right-click the folder that you want to take ownership of, and then click Properties.
   2. Click the Security tab, and then click OK on the Security message (if one appears).
   3. Click Advanced, and then click the Owner tab.
   4. In the Name list, click your user name, or click Administrator if you are logged in as Administrator, or click the Administrators group. If you want to take ownership of the contents of the folder, select the Replace owner on subcontainers and objects check box.
   5. Click OK, and then click Yes when you receive the following message:
   You do not have permission to read the contents of directory folder name. Do you want to replace the directory permissions with permissions granting you Full Control?
   All permissions will be replaced if you click Yes.
   Note folder name is the name of the folder that you want to take ownership of.
   6. Click OK, and then reapply the permissions and security settings that you want for the folder and its contents.