[MusicallyInspired]

Duke of Hazzard, on 30 March 2016 - 04:21 AM, said:

Never, and I mean NEVER, do this. Many of those interface apps (including the Start Menu) rely on folder junctions to work, and if you take ownership of them the junctions are broken. There's a reason those files are owned by SYSTEM or TrustedInstaller.

It sucks that you can't do it but it's how it is.

But it worked FINE before all this! I could write to root C until my heart was content. Something changed.

Do you know what folders need to be owned by what?

Quote

If you don't tamper with it, it runs just fine.

I've never had a problem customizing any other version of Windows (besides ME). I dislike Microsoft's "hands off, you lowly dirty customer you" approach. And everyone's for that matter (game developers, movie studios).

[Duke of Hazzard]

MusicallyInspired, on 30 March 2016 - 04:38 AM, said:

But it worked FINE before all this! I could write to root C until my heart was content. Something changed.

Do you know what folders need to be owned by what?

I don't know if it's a valid fix, but there's a tool called Windows Repair that can restore permissions to system files. It worked for me when I had such problem, but these automated tools should be handled with caution.

What I've seen from looking at the files is that interface shortcuts such as Desktop and folders related to the Start Menu need to be owned by either SYSTEM or TrustedInstaller (don't remember which). But you need to do more than that to fix them, you need to repair the junctions as well. That's why it may be better to use an automated tool to do the dirty work.

MusicallyInspired, on 30 March 2016 - 04:38 AM, said:

I've never had a problem customizing any other version of Windows (besides ME). I dislike Microsoft's "hands off, you lowly dirty customer you" approach. And everyone's for that matter (game developers, movie studios).

I also dislike it. Unfortunately the usual tools aren't working in the newer updates. I can't make my gaming box as cool as I want because MS hates us. So I'm not trying anything until the customization tools start to keep up.

That being said, when it comes to core functionality I usually leave it as is because it just works (most of the time).

[MusicallyInspired]

At any rate, I tried using DISM in conjunction with my ISO but it didn't work. Couldn't find sources. I'll try to download another one and try again.

[Forge]

Taking ownership of the Windows folder and all its sub-folders in bulk probably wasn't a good idea. It wasn't with windows 7, 8, vista, or XP either, so this isn't a 10 specific issue. It's just more catastrophic for the function of the system than previous releases.
Manhandling the User Account Folder is usually enough to customize and manipulate your system - plus if you break something, then it's only the account that's broke.

MusicallyInspired, on 30 March 2016 - 05:15 AM, said:

At any rate, I tried using DISM in conjunction with my ISO but it didn't work. Couldn't find sources. I'll try to download another one and try again.

Most windows 10 ISOs don't have the file needed to run the dism command, that's why i linked you to the one that does at Tech Bench.

[MusicallyInspired]

After running Windows Repair and fixing the permissions, the Win10 apps work again. I suppose I shall stick to custom folders. It just seems so wrong. I'm so used to way back in the DOS days putting whatever I wanted in C. The OS folder was the only folder I wouldn't touch. Bah. Anyway. Thanks for the help, all. I'll see if I can figure out a way to write to C without screwing up the ownership again.

[Inspector Lagomorf]

MusicallyInspired, on 30 March 2016 - 09:19 AM, said:

After running Windows Repair and fixing the permissions, the Win10 apps work again. I suppose I shall stick to custom folders. It just seems so wrong. I'm so used to way back in the DOS days putting whatever I wanted in C. The OS folder was the only folder I wouldn't touch. Bah. Anyway. Thanks for the help, all. I'll see if I can figure out a way to write to C without screwing up the ownership again.

I actually think it's a good habit to encourage, not dumping all of one's files in the root directory. It encourages being more organized with your files and folders. Still, for power users, I can see how this is an unnecessary quirk (especially when it demands administrator privilege escalation and you ARE the administrator).

[Duke of Hazzard]

MusicallyInspired, on 30 March 2016 - 09:19 AM, said:

After running Windows Repair and fixing the permissions, the Win10 apps work again. I suppose I shall stick to custom folders. It just seems so wrong. I'm so used to way back in the DOS days putting whatever I wanted in C. The OS folder was the only folder I wouldn't touch. Bah. Anyway. Thanks for the help, all. I'll see if I can figure out a way to write to C without screwing up the ownership again.

Me too.

I've got a warning when Windows 8.1 required admin permission to store files in C, though.

In a way Windows followed Linux since Linux explicitly forbids you from writing to the root folder unless you're blessed with sudopowers. Only the account folders are freely writable, much like on Windows after Vista.

What you can do is write to C but take ownership only of your own files.

[MusicallyInspired]

Ok, so not entirely fixed. The Start menu and all taskbar "apps" work, but actual app entries do not. Things like Calculator, the Store, etc. They all exit immediately upon opening. I use Calculator frequently so it's really ticking me off. I ran:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $Env:SystemRoot\WinStore\AppxManifest.xml

which actually showed up some red errors this time, and when it was done it still wouldn't work and now my apps read like this:

@{Microsoft.WindowsCalculator_10.1601.49020.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe?ms-resource://Microsoft. WindowsCalculator/Resources/AppName}

...and still close immediately upon opening.

The only fixes I can find suggest taking ownership of certain system folders.....

[Forge]

you may have to try again that Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

download the windows 10 ISO form Tech Bench:
https://www.microsof...nload/techbench

mount the iso
Run:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /source:WIM:F:\Sources\Install.wim:1 /LimitAccess

(where F: would be the location the ISO is mounted - change it to what ever your drive letter is)

here's a troubleshooter for windows 10 apps

http://windows.micro...or-windows-apps

[Duke of Hazzard]

Forge, on 31 March 2016 - 09:09 PM, said:

you may have to try again that Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

download the windows 10 ISO form Tech Bench:
https://www.microsof...nload/techbench

mount the iso
Run:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /source:WIM:F:\Sources\Install.wim:1 /LimitAccess

(where F: would be the location the ISO is mounted - change it to what ever your drive letter is)

here's a troubleshooter for windows 10 apps

http://windows.micro...or-windows-apps

Will this require to redownload the updates? I also need to fix some junk on my machine.

[Forge]

don't know. probably depends on which and how many system files it has to replace & if those files have updates post the date of the ISO

[Striker]

The only times I really hear much issue with Windows 10 is either about the telemetry stuff, or catastrophic crashes and issues that are almost invariably due to a bad hard disk/RAM, or because they were doing things they aren't supposed to. (Such as far-reaching edits to the registry, unnecessary fucking with drive permissions, not shutting down properly when updates are queued, installing W10 on unsupported hardware, installing on a drive with a fucked up/unrepaired filesystem, not formatting an NTFS drive before a fresh install so permissions can properly reset, etc.)

[TerminX]

At this point you would probably spend less time and effort fixing things by doing an "upgrade" from your current version of Windows to the same version.

[Striker]

TerminX, on 01 April 2016 - 12:25 PM, said:

At this point you would probably spend less time and effort fixing things by doing an "upgrade" from your current version of Windows to the same version.

That usually works out well for me. In-place upgrade usually refreshes the whole OS to a stable state, albeit at the expense of losing some updates and settings.

[Forge]

TerminX, on 01 April 2016 - 12:25 PM, said:

At this point you would probably spend less time and effort fixing things by doing an "upgrade" from your current version of Windows to the same version.

maybe.
after all the time messing with it, ultimately it would have been quicker to do an in place upgrade.
but it'd be nice to actually know what is wrong and how to fix it so if there are any future similar issues, the fix is known instead of having to deal with the side-effects of an upgrade or refresh

[TerminX]

It sounds like what's wrong is that everything has been buttfucked by taking ownership of all the system files. If the information above about NTFS junction points being screwed up by the ownership changes is true I doubt it's something that is going to be easily fixed by hand in any sane amount of time.

[Forge]

indubitably.
went in raw and dry

if i'm following right, most of the (surface) issues have been repaired and the only problem right now seems to be the apps (store) are not working.

who knows what turd will pop to the surface later on, but maybe he'll get lucky and the system will work right

[MusicallyInspired]

Yeah, everything that matters to me is working. I don't use apps except for Calculator, and that's the one app that works fine. I'll fix it properly at some point when it becomes enough of a nuisance.

[Forge]

all i can say is to back everything up while it's still working right - just in case

[MusicallyInspired]

I've already made a couple restore points. But I've got an external expansion drive that I run most of my stuff off of anyway. Just a few Steam games and installed programs is all I'd have to put back on.

[Inspector Lagomorf]

For all the complaints and outrages I've heard about Windows 10, I've been on it for a handful of months now, on my work and home PCs, without any problems.

I haven't tried to tinker with it with third party software or shells, so maybe that's why?

[MusicallyInspired]

Neither have I. I've only tried to take ownership of files and folders in root C and screwed the whole thing up. Some apps work again but I cannot get the Win 10 store to work at all. Not that I need it, but other things might be screwing up behind the scenes. Actually, they are. The DAW software I use all the sudden has unregistered plugins and I don't have permission to register them. That's a major reason for an overhaul right there. I just don't feel like reinstalling everything right now...

[MusicallyInspired]

So today I reset my installation of Windows 10 to fix all the stupid ownership/app problems I was having. Everything solved. Except that now the option to rollback to Windows 7 is gone (because it basically reinstalled Windows from scratch instead of upgrading). But whatever. I haven't had any reason to go back anyway. Interestingly, I've had some problems with Facebook for a while now where nothing would load. I could reach the website but only already-cached content would load and it wouldn't do anything. Every other device in the house worked fine with FB. Must have been some kind of spyware.

[Forge]

MusicallyInspired, on 06 May 2016 - 01:40 PM, said:

Every other device in the house worked fine with FB. Must have been some kind of spyware.

clean machine. you need to install the facebook spyware in order for it to work.

[Forge]

[Kathy]

Wow, good one!

[LkMax]

Gotta love that recycled joke.

[MusicallyInspired]

Ok so my Facebook problem hasn't gone away. It only happens on my Desktop on the same network as everything else, which runs Facebook fine. That main page loads but the actual content (beyond what I already have cached) simply will not load. I have to hard refresh multiple times and then just wait for it to finally get anything new. Sometimes it'll get something new...like 1 new item and then the rest loads forever. I can't even check my notifications or chats. It's like connection to Facebook specifically is slow or interrupted somehow. What is the cause of this? Anybody run into this problem before? I just did an OS reset, this shouldn't be happening. It worked for a while and then started up again.

[Forge]

when you ask a generic question, you're going to get generic answers - like install firefox or some other web browser. Because it sounds like a browser / firewall problem, not an OS or connection problem.

[MusicallyInspired]

Happens on every browser. I'm already using Firefox. And it only started after we got our internet upgraded to a higher tier LTE network. There are no firewalls in place in Windows or in the router. I can't access the modem without credentials that the ISP won't provide me (employee service only, I guess).