Windows 7 Standard User cannot access IE - how do I fix it?

Major Eazy

Major Eazy

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Google is unless. Every time I try asking it in various ways, the result often are unless. None of the suggestions from Google helps.

I've got Windows 7 Professional. I have Administrator account and I can access Internet Explorer 11 to get online. IE is on C: Drive. My User files is on D:

My two kids, they each have Standard Account, their User files are on E: and F: drives (on one HDD) but they are now unable to access IE. Whenever they try to click on IE, it throws up the typical "Windows cannot access the specific device, path, or file. You may not have the appropriated permissions to access the item."

But here's the catch: Kaspersky anti-virus is not blocking them, IE had not been moved, the shortcut is properly set up, Parent Controls is not being used to block them. As far as I can tell, none of those is denying the access.

Last time it was working fine then somehow got messed up.

All I can think of is the properties box, the security tab, permissions and all that, but that is very confusing. I've only had Windows 7 for about 9 months so far, and still have yet to master the security and permissions settings. Usually I prefer to leave it alone if it's working fine so far.

Is there any possibility that the permissions settings had been messed up? How do I compare the settings on my computer to what is supposed to be correct?

By the way, Restore didn't help either, I restored to last time I know they had access then found out it did not fix the problem.

Thanks for reading and hope to hear from you guys soon.
 
Maybe their shortcut link has got messed up, can you try creating a new shortcut to IE for them and see if that helps?
 
Install Chrome and let them use that.
 
Many here also like it, although it did give me a problem a few months ago.

Neil probably has the way of it and the C drive has somehow got restricted from them.
 
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gramps said:
Maybe their shortcut link has got messed up, can you try creating a new shortcut to IE for them and see if that helps?
Click to expand...

Mikesphotaes said:
Neil probably has the way of it and the C drive has somehow got restricted from them.
Click to expand...

petersmart said:
Have you checked to see that the drive letters haven't changed?.
Click to expand...

It is not the shortcut. That is the first thing I check same as when a machine stopped working, the first thing I would check is the plug, is it plugged in, switched on, fuse, and such. The shortcut is fine.

The kids can access other program files such as Word, Excel, Paint, etc., all of which are on drive C: the drive letter had not changed, and the shortcut is correctly set up.

@ Mikesphotaes: Drive C is not restricted to them otherwise they would not access Word, Excel, etc., but you are just about right about it, your suggest is food for thoughts, it could be the folders such as the IE folder or even the IE program itself that got restricted, not the whole drive C:, which I did not make any changes to. I'm aware of right click on the icon, click on properties, click on security tab, and modify or change permissions, but I can't tell if they're correctly set up or not.
 
In properties on the shortcut tab, click advanced and check to see if the box, "run as administrator" is checked, if so un-check. From the shortcut on there desktop that is.
 
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sbowler579 said:
In properties on the shortcut tab, click advanced and check to see if the box, "run as administrator" is checked, if so un-check. From the shortcut on there desktop that is.
Click to expand...

It's not checked.

Actually we should forget the shortcut, it's not the shortcut that's having problems. It's accessing the IE file itself that is the problem. In one of my kids' Standard Account, I navigate in Windows Explorer to the IE folder, and click on the IE file itself, and it still say Windows cannot access the specific device, path, or file. You may not have the appropriated permissions to access the item. It must be its own properties setting, its own security setting, permissions settings that must be messed up somehow, I don't think it's a case of shortcut problem.
 
neil_g said:
did the question about D: being restricted get answered?

if so check the shortcut for the working folder, is that set to d: for any reason.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry? What had that to do with it?

Windows itself and all application software (including Internet Explorer) are all on C:
My own user files, like my photos, documents, etc., are all on D: which the kids can't access.
The kids have their files on same HDD, portioned to E: and F: for their own user files.

In the past they can happily (by means of shortcut which leads to C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer) open IE and surf the Internet.

The fact that they are now unable to open IE had nothing to do with the shortcut, actually the shortcut got the correct drive letter and correct path.
 
The only other thing I can suggest is to uninstall IE, reboot and then reinstall it again.
 
Guys, guys, by the way, what the hell is this: Account Unknown (S-1-15-2-1) which I found in the properties box, security tab, advance button, and it's in the list of users allowed/denied?

Anyway: I right-click IE folder to bring up the properties box, should I use the Previous Versions tab and click on one of those listed there, which I know may be the last time it was working? Or do I just try to keep trying to sort out the security tab, advance button, and try to sort out the permissions settings?
 
When you mention you've only just got used to permissions etc, do you mean you've manually been changing them, or do you mean you're just starting to use the concept of non-admin users?
It's quite easy to break Windows by manually changing ownership or permissions of system files.

Have you done anything manually to their user accounts eg whilst setting their files to default to different drives?
 
landwomble said:
When you mention you've only just got used to permissions etc, do you mean you've manually been changing them, or do you mean you're just starting to use the concept of non-admin users?
It's quite easy to break Windows by manually changing ownership or permissions of system files.

Have you done anything manually to their user accounts eg whilst setting their files to default to different drives?
Click to expand...

No, I meant getting used to understanding how it works, but still have a lot to learn. I have learnt how to deny the kids access to my folders on D: drive which is my own drive. I would not dare to deny them access to any files on C: drive which is where all programs including IE is. I only use the Parent Control to deny them access to running some programs, but not the properties/security tab/advance settings and change permissions which to me is a bit complex.

I did not change IE's permissions setting at all in the run up to the problem happening. Actually I had a serious problem with iTunes, videos were playing only a black blank screen, result in attempting to fix it using System Restore, then finally updated iTunes.

It was only few days later that one of the kids complained "I can't get on the Internet." then the other one had same problem, both of them got the very same problem.

I'm still trying to fix it, it's been like about 2 or 3 weeks!

PS: about your last question, that was months an months ago, when I first installed and set up Windows, and sort it all out, getting it ready for use, I didn't manually do anything to their user accounts when I set their files to their default drives. It was working for months and months and months with no problems until after the iTunes problem.
 
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If you keep your data within your user profile then no one else can access it. It may seem drastic but I'd have backed up, flattened and reinstalled if I couldn't fix it quickly, it's usually faster in the long run...it does sound like permissions are screwed some how and that might not be trivial to fix otherwise
 
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