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The "Not Quite Amiga but still computer related category" => Alternative Operating Systems => Topic started by: ottomobiehl on November 14, 2003, 02:01:07 AM
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Ok ya'll. I just found a folder on my C: drive called System Volume Information. It is inaccessable, even when I am logged in as Admin. I found it by enabling system folders to be shown. Does anyone know what this folder is or what it does? Has anyone seen this before.
Why can't I access this folder with Admin. privalges?
Inquiring minds want to know.
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Thats where XP keeps all its System Restore information. I assume you are using NTFS, if that is the case, you will need to give yourself permission to access the folder. Are you using XP Pro or XP Home?
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adz wrote:
Thats where XP keeps all its System Restore information. I assume you are using NTFS, if that is the case, you will need to give yourself permission to access the folder. Are you using XP Pro or XP Home?
I am using Windows 2000 (win2k) and the drive is NTFS. Doesn't the administrator log-on give you the appropriate permission? Not that I want to go poking around in folder that are going to mess up my OS, but how does one give himself permission? :-?
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I'm not entirely sure. Perhaps a loose end as a result of MS attempting to fully implement journalling. I've gained access to the directory, there's a file inside called 'tracking.log'.
How to gain access to that dir:
Download a util from the MS / windows2000 site called 'xcacls'. It allows you to modify permissions from the command line. Use the /? switch to work out how to use the command, give your user the permissions you need :-)
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There is no default "Administrator" access to this folder, only "SYSTEM" has limited access, you will need to add "Administrator" to th ACL for this folder with at least read permissions.
Or the "Administrators" security group.
You can do this by right clicking on the folder and clicking the security tab, then click add, scroll through and find "Administrators", then click "OK" and your done.
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@ottomobiehl
To access “C:\System Volume Information” on NTFS and MS Windows XP(NT5.1) one can do the following;
1. Right button click to Properties on “System Volume Information” directory.
2. Click to “Security” Tab.
//On this tab, one can see that only the “SYSTEM” user can access this directory.
// We need to add the "Administrators" group or "Administrator" user into this.
3. Click on “add” button
4. Click on “advance” button
5. Click on “Find now” button
6. Click on “Administrators” or "Administrator" user.
7. Click on “Ok” button.
// IF WinXP(NT5.1) ~= Win2K (NT5.0), one should be able to access the system directory.
// A word of warning, this is a system directory i.e. it stores the system restore points.
// Standard disclaimers applies i.e. don’t blame me IF your computer blows up.
// You only play with hidden system settings IF you can restore Windows NT based system with ease.
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Apparently the indexing service stores it's log there according to computer management under Administration Tools. And I am under the impression that the indexing service is there to aid you when you do a search for a file or folder, etc.
Perhaps mikeymike could confirm this?
I stumbled on to this by dumb luck. :-D
EDIT-
Thanks to everyone who helped here. I don't think I need to be poking around in there as I may screw something up. I just look at it this way - I learned something new today :-)
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ottomobiehl wrote:
adz wrote:
Thats where XP keeps all its System Restore information. I assume you are using NTFS, if that is the case, you will need to give yourself permission to access the folder. Are you using XP Pro or XP Home?
I am using Windows 2000 (win2k) and the drive is NTFS. Doesn't the administrator log-on give you the appropriate permission? Not that I want to go poking around in folder that are going to mess up my OS, but how does one give himself permission? :-?
MS Windows NT is not quite Linux i.e. “root” (god mode) user. One must think the Microsoft way.
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Edit; Double post...
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MS Windows NT is not quite Linux i.e. “root” (god mode) user. One must think the Microsoft way.
:roflmao:
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Apparently the indexing service stores it's log there according to computer management under Administration Tools. And I am under the impression that the indexing service is there to aid you when you do a search for a file or folder, etc.
Perhaps mikeymike could confirm this?
As I said, I don't know for definite. You could be right. Where did you find this bit of info? It would explain why my tracking.log is quite small and hasn't been modified since april :-)
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You could be right. Where did you find this bit of info?
In the control Panel under administrative tools there is an app called computer management. At the bottom of the tree, which is on the left, there is an unexpanded node called services and application. Expand the node and it will show you another unexpanded node called Indexing service. Here is where the info is kept. I hope this helps. :-D
Note expanding the indexing service node reveals two folders and a query search tool. Interesting. I haven't played with the query tool so I don't know what it does though it seems self explanatory. :-)
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I couldn't find this drawer on my Win2k box - I just reinstalled 2 days ago and thought this might be the reason.
I checked the Computer Management thing and found it in there.... on D: !! :-?
It doesn't actually exist yet because I haven't done anything but I was really surprised when the app said it would be on D:.
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Hmm, perhaps it's something to do with the fact that even the first time I installed Win2k, I uninstalled the Indexing Service. I don't see anything under the Indexing Service in Comp Managment that suggests that tracking.log has anything to do with it.
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Thats where XP keeps all its System Restore information.
It's also a folder that is responsible for "mystery space usage" meaning, because normally you have no rights to view this folder, you also don't have the rights to know how big it is, so when you add the size of all files on the drive it equals to less then the Windows displays (IE, you have a 50Gb drive, 30Gb is used, but when you list all the files you only have 24Gb in files, the other 6Gb is in use by folders the users have no acces to..)
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Thats where XP keeps all its System Restore information.
You might not have noticed, it's been mentioned already, this folder exists on Win2k. And I've already accessed it.
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mikeymike wrote:
Hmm, perhaps it's something to do with the fact that even the first time I installed Win2k, I uninstalled the Indexing Service. I don't see anything under the Indexing Service in Comp Managment that suggests that tracking.log has anything to do with it.
I was assuming the tracking log was part of the indexing service. Wasn't really sure about it. :-D
I was wondering if getting rid of the indexing service was going to free up system resources (ie. run a little bit quicker and free up HDD space) if I got rid of it or would it be negligable as far as performace go or does it matter one way or the other? I sometimes worry about removing something from an OS and it crippling my computer.
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I was wondering if getting rid of the indexing service was going to free up system resources (ie. run a little bit quicker and free up HDD space) if I got rid of it or would it be negligable as far as performace go or does it matter one way or the other? I sometimes worry about removing something from an OS and it crippling my computer.
It improves filesystem performance and lowers CPU load a bit. Every little counts :-)
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It improves filesystem performance and lowers CPU load a bit. Every little counts
Consider it gone.
:-D
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MS Windows NT is not quite Linux i.e. “root” (god mode) user. One must think the Microsoft way.
True. The Microsoft way is that the Administrator is just a special user who has all the usual privileges that other users may have, plus one extra privilege that only admins have: the right to take ownership of a file. Under Windows/NTFS, even an admin can not access a file he does not have permission to access, HOWEVER, he may still take ownership of it - at which point he can do anything he wants with it. That's the key to Windows' file system security. Once you understand that it's all quite simple after that. Well, not really, there's tons of extra crap piled on top of that, but that's the basic gist. :-)
- Mike
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Download a util from the MS / windows2000 site called 'xcacls'. It allows you to modify permissions from the command line. Use the /? switch to work out how to use the command, give your user the permissions you need
Or you could just right click on the directory, click on the Security tab, select the Add button, enter your userID (or the Admin's user ID, or who ever happens to be the owner of the directory, assuming your an admin), then give this new ID full control, and viola, full access! Now delete the directory and reboot, and then let us know if your system still works! :-)
Just kidding there, don't delete anything, in fact, don't even give yourself permission to look at it. The fact that even admins don't have access to this should be a good indicator all on it's own.
As an aside, I just converted two partitions from FAT32 to NTFS, and when it created that System Volume Information directories it gave them inherited permissions, which were full access to Everyone. Weird eh? Anyway, I fixed it so I can no longer accidentaly access it.
- Mike
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Just kidding there, don't delete anything, in fact, don't even give yourself permission to look at it.
Oops!
:-D
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Just kidding there, don't delete anything, in fact, don't even give yourself permission to look at it. The fact that even admins don't have access to this should be a good indicator all on it's own.
Erm no. My computer, I have full access to it. It isn't up to Microsoft to decide what files I can see or not "for my own good", because I trust them about as far as I can throw them. I'm surprised a virus that uses admin privs to hide itself in that directory hasn't been created yet.
Then there's NTFS streams, I'm surprised they haven't been used for hiding viruses yet either.