Games missing from Vista Home Premium   

I recently purchased a laptop from Gateway, and although the Games folder is 
in the start menu...that folder has the icons for the games, but all the 
icons are the generic type, and if i click on ANY of them, i get an error 
message that says:

"Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You may not have 
the appropriate permissions to access the item."

ok, BUT I have only the one account on this computer, and of course its an 
Admin account.

Next, i went to Control Panel/Programs and Feature/Turn Windows features on 
or off...The box for GAMES is checked, and when i open up to see the 
subfeatures...ALL games are checked...

Next, i went to C:/program files/microsoft games

lo and behold, the folders for all the games are there, and the .exe/.dll/ 
and subfolder with the .mui is ALL THERE...when i try to dubclick on the .exe 
directly, i get the same message that i did when clicking the shortcut in 
Startbar (see above)

just what the heck can i do to restore those .exe files back into proper 
working order? I find it hard to believe that only the games files are 
corrupted...but is there some solution that you could provide me...i have 
exhausted my attempts to try and find them via the internet (for 
download)...but since the files ARE on my system..there "should" be a way to 
fix this weird problem...

thank you in advance for your time and attention...

date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:35:00 -0700   author:   Richard Winters

Re: Games missing from Vista Home Premium   

Weird problem, but here's a suggestion......

Go to the Program Files folder, right-click on Microsoft Games and 
select 'properties'.

Now select the security tab on the window that appears.

Near the top it will show various account types (creater, systam, 
administrators, users, trusted installer).
Highlighting each one will show below it the allowed actions for each of 
these types.

Highlight the 'administrators' one. 'full control' should be ticked 
(along with all but the bottom entry).

Now highlight the 'users' category. On my system it is the 'read and 
execute', 'list folder contents' and 'read' that are ticked.

If your's shows anything different, I would suggest clicking on the Edit 
button and changing it to see if that makes any difference.




Richard Winters wrote:
> I recently purchased a laptop from Gateway, and although the Games folder is 
> in the start menu...that folder has the icons for the games, but all the 
> icons are the generic type, and if i click on ANY of them, i get an error 
> message that says:
> 
> "Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You may not have 
> the appropriate permissions to access the item."
> 
> ok, BUT I have only the one account on this computer, and of course its an 
> Admin account.
> 
> Next, i went to Control Panel/Programs and Feature/Turn Windows features on 
> or off...The box for GAMES is checked, and when i open up to see the 
> subfeatures...ALL games are checked...
> 
> Next, i went to C:/program files/microsoft games
> 
> lo and behold, the folders for all the games are there, and the .exe/.dll/ 
> and subfolder with the .mui is ALL THERE...when i try to dubclick on the .exe 
> directly, i get the same message that i did when clicking the shortcut in 
> Startbar (see above)
> 
> just what the heck can i do to restore those .exe files back into proper 
> working order? I find it hard to believe that only the games files are 
> corrupted...but is there some solution that you could provide me...i have 
> exhausted my attempts to try and find them via the internet (for 
> download)...but since the files ARE on my system..there "should" be a way to 
> fix this weird problem...
> 
> thank you in advance for your time and attention...
> 
>

date: Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:28:07 +0100   author:   Lee Phillips

Re: Games missing from Vista Home Premium   

Well, my security info is exactly like yours for the games FOLDER (admin and 
users)

BUT i found out something really interesting by getting the properties of 
each individual .exe...in the security tab it shows:

SYSTEM: full allows
Administrator: full allows
Account Unknown(S-1-5-21-37263439913....etc)

ACCOUNT UNKNOWN....but no USERS in the security tab...what the heck?

"Lee Phillips" wrote:

> Weird problem, but here's a suggestion......
> 
> Go to the Program Files folder, right-click on Microsoft Games and 
> select 'properties'.
> 
> Now select the security tab on the window that appears.
> 
> Near the top it will show various account types (creater, systam, 
> administrators, users, trusted installer).
> Highlighting each one will show below it the allowed actions for each of 
> these types.
> 
> Highlight the 'administrators' one. 'full control' should be ticked 
> (along with all but the bottom entry).
> 
> Now highlight the 'users' category. On my system it is the 'read and 
> execute', 'list folder contents' and 'read' that are ticked.
> 
> If your's shows anything different, I would suggest clicking on the Edit 
> button and changing it to see if that makes any difference.
>

date: Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:52:04 -0700   author:   Richard Winters

Re: Games missing from Vista Home Premium   

I've just checked the settings on the individual .exe's on mine and 
they're exactly the same as the main games folder (i.e. it doesn't show 
an 'account unknown' anywhere).
So it looks like you've found the cause of the problem - though I've no 
idea why/how it's happened in the first place.

Two other suggestions.....

If you create a second user account, maybe it'll let you access the 
games on that account? If so, and you haven't spent too much time 
setting up the original account, it might be simplest just to start 
again and get rid of the original once you've got things set up as you want.

or

In the 'add or remove features of windows' section you mentioned 
earlier. If you untick the games option to remove the files, then go 
back in and tick it to put them back on, I wonder if it'll correct 
itself? (warning - I've not tried this myself but there's a possibility 
it might ask for a vista installation disc to put the files on back on).

If neither of those work, it sounds like it's an issue with the way that 
  Gateway have set up the laptop and a call to their support may be 
required.


Richard Winters wrote:
> Well, my security info is exactly like yours for the games FOLDER (admin and 
> users)
> 
> BUT i found out something really interesting by getting the properties of 
> each individual .exe...in the security tab it shows:
> 
> SYSTEM: full allows
> Administrator: full allows
> Account Unknown(S-1-5-21-37263439913....etc)
> 
> ACCOUNT UNKNOWN....but no USERS in the security tab...what the heck?
> 
> "Lee Phillips" wrote:
> 
>> Weird problem, but here's a suggestion......
>>
>> Go to the Program Files folder, right-click on Microsoft Games and 
>> select 'properties'.
>>
>> Now select the security tab on the window that appears.
>>
>> Near the top it will show various account types (creater, systam, 
>> administrators, users, trusted installer).
>> Highlighting each one will show below it the allowed actions for each of 
>> these types.
>>
>> Highlight the 'administrators' one. 'full control' should be ticked 
>> (along with all but the bottom entry).
>>
>> Now highlight the 'users' category. On my system it is the 'read and 
>> execute', 'list folder contents' and 'read' that are ticked.
>>
>> If your's shows anything different, I would suggest clicking on the Edit 
>> button and changing it to see if that makes any difference.
>>
>

date: Wed, 25 Jun 2008 22:33:48 +0100   author:   Lee Phillips

Re: Games missing from Vista Home Premium   

"Lee Phillips" wrote:

> I've just checked the settings on the individual .exe's on mine and 
> they're exactly the same as the main games folder (i.e. it doesn't show 
> an 'account unknown' anywhere).
> So it looks like you've found the cause of the problem - though I've no 
> idea why/how it's happened in the first place.
> 
> Two other suggestions.....
> 
> If you create a second user account, maybe it'll let you access the 
> games on that account? If so, and you haven't spent too much time 
> setting up the original account, it might be simplest just to start 
> again and get rid of the original once you've got things set up as you want.


Yeah, i thought of that, so i created a new account with full Admin 
access...no effect


> 
> or
> 
> In the 'add or remove features of windows' section you mentioned 
> earlier. If you untick the games option to remove the files, then go 
> back in and tick it to put them back on, I wonder if it'll correct 
> itself? (warning - I've not tried this myself but there's a possibility 
> it might ask for a vista installation disc to put the files on back on).

Tried that as well...it didn't ask for a disk when i re-checked them..


> 
> If neither of those work, it sounds like it's an issue with the way that 
>   Gateway have set up the laptop and a call to their support may be 
> required.
> 

Ya, seems strange that their OEM has this little "feature" ..lol...how much 
to you want to bet they are going to make me do a full wipe and reinstall 
Vista....? It didn't notice anyone else with this problem, so i guess i 
happened to get a bad install

grrr.....thanks for your imput

date: Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:02:01 -0700   author:   Richard Winters