Desktop is not accessible. Access is Denied

Fresh Vista SP1 install. Minimum Asus drivers so the OS is not hogging at bootup and startup.

Pic 1: Desktop yesterday before I went to bed.
Pic 2: Desktop this morning when I turned it on. I've been trying for 2 months to get rid of this error. One of the reasons I tried XP. SP2 Vista did not fix it, I had the same. I guess...the only way to get rid of it is to open my window and throw the laptop out.
Pic 3: Event Viewer did not even record the problem. From 10:28 it jumps to 10:30. My snap was taken at 10:29.

 

Check the advanced permissions on the desktop to see which accounts have, and which do not have, appropriate access to the desktop - it's possible that the System user or one of the other built-in accounts the OS uses to keep things running may have been denied access permission to the desktop, and whatever's trying to make the specific access that triggers the denial may be running under an account without access permission.

Also, since the default event log didn't log that access denial event, you might have to set up a custom log to catch it.

 

Thanks. What do I do about the second error? The one where a new desktop is loaded and i get a small message on the right corner to check the event log. An event log which does not record in this case either. If it aint the error i posted a screenie of... it is the second one with a new desktop temporarily created.

 

That I don't know about, although it sounds suspicious to me.

I'm assuming that you've run very thorough antivirus scans, but have you done a check specifically for a rootkit?

I would suggest downloading Sysinternals' RootkitRevealer and letting it go through your system to see if it can find any evidence of a rootkit. On the plus side, even if it doesn't find a rootkit, since part of it's modus operandi is checking for registry inconsistencies, it may still flag inconsistent registry entries, one of which might be the cause of your problem.

Also, there's an MSTechnet thread I found while googling that sounds somewhat like your problem and contains some fixes that seem to have worked for some of the posters, so it might be worth a look; the thread in question is here: http://forums.microsoft.com/technet...8&siteid=17&sb=0&d=1&at=7&ft=11&tf=0&pageid=2

Finally, have you tried running _Vista startup repair? There's a basic MS FAQ about it here.

 

Tried those. I've been googling for 2 months this issue and no fix for me . One of the reasons I tried SP2 thinking it was fixed. But nope . Final version maybe?

 

So, you've already checked thoroughly for a rootkit, correct?

The next thing I can think of is to right-click on the desktop icon, open up the properties dialogue, and check to see what permissions are set on the desktop folder.

Also, you're going to want to check to see what the disk-specific (i.e., NTFS) permissions are, because those aren't the same as the OS access permissions, and one needs to consult both sets of permissions to get a full view of who is, and who isn't, allowed to access a particular file.

One tool that might prove useful is Sysinternals' AccessEnum, which will allow you to get a better idea of how your permissions are currently constructed. There's also a (free) article on using AccessEnum by Tom Olzak, CISSP which might help in narrowing down the focus of any use.

Keep in mind, the permission restriction that's tripping you up could be either on the folder itself, or in a registry key, so it might take some digging, but if you start with the permissions on the desktop folder itself and work out from there, you might find where the problem is occurring.

 

Wishmaker:

Isn't this an intermittent problem for you? If so, I doubt that the issue is with the permissions.

Shyster1:
If this is an intermittent problem, when it DOES occur wishmaker can't get to the desktop to even check the permissions. And when he can get to a point that he can check the permissions, the issue doesn't exist at that moment.

This is a very odd problem. I still have a gut feeling (and it is nothing more than that, just a gut feeling) that this issue is with a registry that is not being closed properly at system shutdown. Those issues are typically driver related.

Gary

 

Exactly! What driver??? I barely installed the Asus CD?? I cannot indentify this problem . 2 months of formats and it shows up every time. How can I chec the event log when it does not record?

Is it may yet? I wanna put SP2 to see if they fixed it

 

I'd start with the display driver as they always seem to cause me problems. Everytime I stray from the OEM supplied driver things start to get wierd. Can you do a logged start up and see if anything is failing? Might also be a bad display adapter.

 

I assume the sound card is not plugged in...

Did you plug it in and yoink it or yoink any other PC card or USB device wthout proper device shutdown? (Vista hates that)

Honestly, most of our XP machines have MANY more problems than our Vista boxes now with even just SP1 (XP SP3 has been a real pain).

 

Agreed that it's intermittent, which as you say suggests that it's not an erroneously set permission (I was basically starting from somewhat known waters and navigating into the unknown from there). Or, less charitably, like the drunk trying to find his car keys under the street-lamp, "because that's where the light is."

What it does sound like is a hung profile - the sort of thing that User Profile Hive Cleaner aka UPHClean was designed to deal with in XP. UPHClean 1.6 doesn't run on _Vista; however, a half-way decent beta for UPHClean 2.0 is available here and that does run on _Vista. Depending on how adventurous Wishmaker feels like being, that might be something to download and test out - after making the obligatory backups, of course!

 

If it is a driver as we suspect, SP2 isn't going to fix it. Only a new driver is going to do that. Are you only looking at the system log? Try also looking in the application log and security log as well.

Gary

 

EXACTLY what I was thinking of. But I had no idea that UPHClean was available for Vista. This is most assuredly worth a shot!

Gary

 

STOP

UPhclean is built into Windows Vista...it's been renamed to User Profile Service

Do not install UPHclean beta 2 on top of vista.

First, a word of advice, don't start requests for help in the middle of a 20 page thread on Service Pack 2

Start a new thread.

That said, the folder you are talking about--does it actually exist on your computer (it should be empty if it exists)

C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\desktop

Do you have access to it...navigate via explorer and double click.

I think it is far more likely that we have an errant startup entry pointing to the folder.

If you START > RUN > MSCONFIG
go to the start up tab and click DISABLE ALL

Now reboot

Does the error every recur?

 

What you said here I've done over a month ago. Its still the same crap. Thanks for the input. I posted the issue here because I had the same issue with SP2 and because some of the advices were very professional and to the point. I opened a thread and apart from the usual, memtest and hd tune checks, I had no solutions.

 

Msconfig does not address every startup location. Consider AUTORUNS and look for a startup file that points to that directory

 

Incidentally, what happened when you looked in the

C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\desktop

folder

 

...What? Yes it does. If you add something to the startup directory on your start menu, it will automatically be added to your startup list in msconfig! The two startup methods are registry key and shortcut, both of which are managed and visible through msconfig.

 

When my profile loads the folder is empty. When it does not, it is full with files and folders.

 

I see no such folder at all. See attached.

Gary

 

See attached.

 

Wishmaker,

This is interesting. I don't understand why there should be such a big difference. I assume from your prior comments that this screen shot was done when the desktop issue didn't occur. Right?

Two things, can you post another image, this time with the systemprofile directory selected in the left pane?

Also, you said when the desktop issue occurs the systemprofile/desktop file is full of files. But how do you know that? I was under the impression, mistaken no doubt, that when the issue occurs you are unable to complete a login/boot process.

Gary

 

I am going to ask a moderator to move messages 177 through 200 (this one) to a new thread. (Skipping 180). The title of the new thread should be "Desktop is not accessible. Access is Denied"

If they do that would you go back to message #177 and edit out the bits about the desktop issue. We have wandered WAY off the original purpose of this thread. But I don't want the conversation to get lost. It is a good discussion.

Give the mods a bit to reply before we add to this part of the thread.

Thanks,
Gary

 

I will reply in the new thread.

 

The side track discussion has been moved to a new thread. If I missed some post or accidentally moved a post that wasn't suppose to be moved, report the post.

 

Gary,
Sorry for the long post but bear with me.
I turn on my laptop now and it works. My desktop loads and everything is fine. I use it and post on NRB. I turn it off and go to bed. During the shutdown procedure, the laptop is behaving normally and it does not take long to shut down. The next morning I turn it on. I swipe my finger/type password, see the message “loading desktop”, I have vista in Verbose mode, and it hangs there. After 2 months of having this problem I know in advance if my desktop will load. If it hangs my desktop will not load and I can have 2 errors:

1. C:\Windows\system32\config\systemprofile\Desktop is not accessible. Access is denied.
2. A new desktop is created and a small balloon appears in the bottom right corner saying my desktop could not be loaded and that I should check event viewer or contact my administrator.
Turning back to error 1. With the message on my screen, the wallpaper I have on my desktop loads and a few icons in my start menu load too. The rest is faulty and it does not work. Error, 2, however, everything is new and it is a new temp user created by Vista.

As you can see from the shot attached a few pages back, the laptop boots with a broken desktop. Moreover, I mentioned earlier in my post that some things work and some don’t. I managed to open windows explorer and look in the path the error was occurring. The path was, C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\desktop, and it had files and folders. This was the max I could do. The starmenu was giving me a message that it was not loaded properly. Control panel was minimal.

You are correct. After 2-3 reboots my desktop is loaded. If however it is not, I have to wait for the second error to tune in. The error where my OS creates a temp desktop for me.

In any case, rebooting 4-5 times fixes the problem. It also helps to go to safemode and back.

The shot you requested is attached. You will see that the desktop folder is empty because my profile is loaded successfully. Next time it fails I will try to cap the folder with the broken desktop.


This is torturing me for two months. It is very embarrassing when I have a presentation and my laptop does this thing .

 

I use the drivers provided by Asus.

 

The error appears whether the sound card is plugged in or not. I can boot with my EX54 Audigy fine and the next day boot without and have the problems I mentioned. It is very random.

 

Actually the screenshot I wanted to see was one with the systemprofile directory selected in the left pane. What you showed was one with the desktop folder selected and highlighted. I want to see the contents of the systemprofile directory. Specifically the date and time stamps associated with the files and folders in "systemprofile".

Gary

 

My bad...had a busy day.

 

Wishmaker,

Take a look at this:

https://forums.symantec.com/syment/board/message?board.id=102&thread.id=1943

I compared your screenshot with mine. The date and timestamps on mine are ancient, most over a year old! Yours are all today. I don't think Vista is creating this folder of its own accord. From the link above it appears this is the result of some app running as a "local system".

What services do you have that are running using "local system"? One of these puppies is what is hanging you up.

I am still digging.

Gary

 

There you go. My non microsoft services.





I have NFS Undercover so the Pnk service is from there. The errors appeared long before I bought the game. So that process is not relevant. Moreover, spmgr.exe is a management software for Sony/ASUS notebooks.

 

That list doesn't tell which ones run as "local system". You need to look at them using "Services" under Start|Programs|Admin tools.

Gary

 

If you are brave enough, you might consider turning off all the Symantec stuff. (I hate their antivirus suite, it is a HOG.) Years ago I swore by Symantec, now I swear at it.

Disconnect your internet connection. (The problem will occur without a conection, right?) Disable all symantec stuff. Reboot a few times to se if the issue recurs.

Gary

 

I am finding a few more references to Symantec and this particular error.

Gary

 

I just gotta say, this is quite instructive; thanks for the hard work, Gary/ScuderiaConchiglia/StableShell.

 

I will take off all the Symantec Services. I rebooted 20 times today and my desktop loaded with no problem. This makes me even more pissed . I want the error to pop up so I can dig deeper. It does not . Talk about Murphy's laws .

 

symatec corporate works for me no issues. on xp, vista and even win7 beta.

 

On what make and model of system?

 

Were these 20 times AFTER you took off all Symantec Services?

Gary

 

No one is suggesting that this issue occurs for EVERYONE running Symantec. But if you do a Google investigation of this specific error message, several things point to Symnantec as being a possible source.

The corporate version is much less of a resource hog than the "consumer" version. One of my biggest complaints is how much it embedded itself into the OS. So much so that even when you use the typical way to uninstall it, traces of it remain behind. This issue is so pervasive that Symantec had to actually create a separate stand alone uninstaller application.

Gary

 

...twitch... ...wink... ...fidget... ...twitch... ...blink blink blink...

Stable? Who me?

...twitch... ...wink... ...fidget... ...twitch... ...blink blink blink...


Gary

 

Hee, hee - I know the feeling!

 

Any progress on this?

Gary

 

My desktop works. I've no errors yet .

 

Was this a result of disabling the Norton stuff? Or just divine provenience?

Gary

 

The latter. Since I raised the issue, my desktop did not do any kinky stuff. I am waiting for a hit and miss so I can investigate further.

 

Well keep us, or at least me ...big ol' grin... posted!

Gary

 

Will do. I will try to migrate to x64 and change the AV .

 

I migrated to x64. Kept Symantec tho. I noticed that Vista 64 behaves differently than x86. I had the error but this time it was different. During the logon procedure Vista gave me a message could not log on, and logged off. It brought me back to the log on menu. I tried again and it logged me in no problem. So Vista 64 does not load a broken desktop like Vista x86. I had the error 3 times and decided to format and install a different AV. I am using BitDefender now.

We'll see ....