Disabling UAC will probably solve this.
UAC is intended to improve the security of Windows by stopping malicious applications from altering important system files.
To use a comparison, disabling UAC on windows is similar to working as the root user on linux at all times.

This page describes how to disable UAC:
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows- … ows-vista/

Hi,
Disabling UAC won't solve this; it will just raise the security risk factor on your computer up by about 92.7 percent. Keep UAC enabled. Never disable it unless you absolutely have to. And if games can't check for updates, the people who code the programs that check for updates need to learn to tell that program to ask windows for administrative privileges. If the updater is written into the game, run the game as administrator. But never, never disable UAC. Remember what the unix geeks say about running as root on LInux: It defeats the security model that's been in place for years. Applications are meant to be run with non-administrative security (or as mere mortals) so you have to elevate their privileges to modify the underlying system. For example you wouldn't want that recent crash of Rhythmbox to wipe out your entire /usr directory due to a bug. Or that vulnerability that was just posted in ProFTPD to allow an attacker to gain a ROOT shell.
Its just good practice on any operating system to run your applications on a user level and leave administrative tasks to the root user, and only on a per-need basis.
The same applies here. Head the above warning, people, as disabling UAC is very similar to running as root on Linux. That's why I posted that warning here. Just... don't do it.

I have been a windows user, and with uac and old stuff I have always disabled uac and it works.
I know vary well since I have used linux that I should really write everything into my user folder under sub folders for things.
However every time I get a new system or have to reformat the computer, its never the right time and I just put everything back how it was.
The same goes with imaging the hdd, I say I will do it but I never have, I have backups of everything about 3 coppies of each thing and critical stuff are on flash drives to but even so you guys are right.
Technically the newer programs should in theory be ok.
There are ways to get passed uac if your program is secured with the right certifficate.
I guess windows major issue has been that in the beginning no one thought about installing anything in user folders programs went to programs even though some system stuff goes there.
In linux all rograms go to your user account unless you want them to be system wide.

I've always run my UAC down to 0. Frigging annoying messages each time a program wants to run or change anything, nope, not tollerating it. Also I think nothing can be done about the program files thing, because if you go under properties and uncheck the read-only box it just comes back.

Hi,
At the original poster, you might have a look at this.

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows- … -in-vista/

It allows you to take ownership of folders, although obviously I would be careful of where you use it and how often. But it should work nicely for what you want to do.

As for turning UAC off being a security risk, I think that any serious malware knows how to circumvent UAC. It's a rudimentary defense. Hell, some malware even gets past top-rated antivirus solutions.

No disabling UAC will not solve the problem with access permissions on files and folders.

The reason is that file operations like reading, writing and executing depends on the user context.

In order to get unrestricted access to a file or folder one must first take ownership of it, and next grant oneself full access.

Well, the answer is not so simple, since one may theoretically have full access on a folder owned by another user or group, but to keep things simple, here is what you have to do:

1. Open an administrative command prompt.

(In Windows 8+ press Windows+X and activate Command prompt (admin).

2. From within the administrative command prompt you can take ownership and change access permissions:

Takeown /f xxx /r

The current user is granted ownership of the xxx mask.

In order to grant ownership to administrator add /a and or /user otheruser to grant ownership to another user.

icacls xxx /grant username:(oi)(ci)f /t

These commands are handy when you have lingering files and folders which are difficult to get rid of.

You can use everyone as user to grant everyone full permissions or administrator to grant permissions to administrator.

Note that programs are often run as the system user and adding the system user may sometimes be necessary.

Another possible trick is going into the context menu for the program (exe file) and check always run the program as administrator.