Windows Server 2008: Unable to create or edit new files.

Factual Questions
1

I hope someone can help me with this one, I’m stumped at the moment:

Platform: Windows 2008 Server (Web edition)
Account: Not local admin, but member of the local admins group.
Folder: c:\inetpub (but also seems to affect all folders outside my profile)

When I try to save changes to a file or do a save as I get an error message saying that the file could not be created.

It’s case 2 from this MS article, that deals with the hosts file: Can't modify the Hosts or Lmhosts file - Windows Server | Microsoft Learn

MS tells you to run your app as administrator and save from there, but that’s not practical long term.

The other way I have found is to create files in my profile, then drag them into the folder. Again, not practical for large amounts of files.

Anyone know a proper resolution to this? the local admins group has Full Control and ownership of the folder in question.

2

Have you checked your account’s effective permissions on the subfolder you’re trying to write to?

3

Just did… all access rights are enabled.

4

Are any access rights disabled?

Are you accessing the file locally or via a share?

5

No rights were disabled that I could see in the effective permissions window.
I’m accessing the folder locally.

6

So what happens when you use the actual administrator account? Vista has a special hidden account which manages these sort of things and I’m wondering if 2008 Server has the same. After all, they both share the same kernel.

7

When I use the actual Administrator account, everything works fine. I can create and edit files everywhere.

8

Eureka!

UAC. As soon as I turned it off and rebooted… no more problem. Turns out that MS in their wisdom disabled admin rights for admins by default.

That’s a special kind of genius, BillG.

Thanks for your suggestions Quartz and yoyodyne