All User Accounts have been locked out of the computer

Today I tried to move all of my files off the desktop and put them in a folder on the C:. After I did that (now my music and podcasts don't work), I tried to create a user account (STORM) so that I could not log in as Admin anymore. I changed the folder Permissions to Deny the Admin Account from accessing my personal files (I thought that was in order to protect personal stuff from hackers), so that only the non-administrator STORM user could access these personal files. Now, as either User (STORM and Admin), I am denied access to the C: folder. I can't change ANYTHING as either user. I can't even download anything off the Internet (like Forefox). Worse, I "don't have permission" to access the reinstallation CD (after I insert disk) that came with my Dell Inspiron laptop.



What can I do? Thank you.

 

Right-click the folder/drive you want to access, select "Properties> tab
Security> make sure that you are listed. If not, add your user and give
yourself all permissions.
If that's not allowed/possible, click Advanced. In the tab Owner, click Edit
and select your user to take ownership over the folder/file.

 

I tried to do all of that, but, as STORM or as Admin, I can't change ANYTHING. I keep getting messages saying that I don't have permission or that the path to the C: can't be found. I can't make any change of any kind. My laptop is just a paperweight right now. I can't even reinstall Vista and start over--the laptop says that I can't access the CD drive.

 

I just took some photos of the error messages I've been getting, but I can't even download photos onto my laptop--"I don't have permission."



Is there a way I can physically erase my whole laptop--the computer won't let me access the disk drive, then attempt to reinstall the OS? Right now my laptop is completely useless.

 

When I try to go into Control Panel or Administrator Tools, I can't open anything up. If I click on, say, Add or Remove User Accounts, nothing happens. No window opens. If I click on Administrative Tools----->System Configuration, I get this message:



C:\Windows\System 32\msconfig.exe

The parameter is incorrect.



It's as if my laptop cannot even find the C: anymore...

 

Can I take the laptop apart? Is there a reset switch inside? Thank you!

 

I tried to perform a Factory Image Restore from the Recovery D:, but Access is Denied (from all User accounts).

 

Well, I ended up restoring my system to the original factory settings in Safe Mode. Everything seems fine now, except starting out with nothing in iTunes, no bookmarks and having to personalize how the system runs.



I hope this also cleaned out possible viruses. I've recently had problems since installing AVG Anti-virus and something called TuneUp...

 

Now that I've restored all the settings I like, my laptop doesn't recognize it's CD drive and I occasionally get a frozen white screen, upon which I have to push the Power button and restart the computer. My wireless card isn't working either. I can't turn my wireless on--the button isn't active. I don't know what's wrong. Is there a free program online that can repair registries? Thank you.

 

Cnet/download.com has has several good freeware registry cleaners but be careful! Usually they do just what they should do but sometimes reg. cleaner/repair utilities can muck things up. Most give you an option to save the current registry to a file somwhere so you can restore it if needed,do so just in case.

 

Thank you. I was able to regain wireless capability by disabling the Bios Hotkeys upon an F2 startup.



But my laptop still does not recognize the CD drive. And the Sonic Solutions DLA driver is now incompatable with something--my laptop is disabling it upon startup.



Is restoring the system to factory settings the same as reinstalling the OS and wiping everything clean?

 

I found a fix (or, at least i don't get the Driver Incompatibility error message anymore) for the Sonic Solutions DLA driver on the Internet.



I've heard Leo Laporte mention many times that the only way to guarantee the removal of a virus or other malware is to reinstall the OS. My understanding of this process is that doing this would erase everything off the hard drive. Is this the same as restoring the computer to factory settings (I think I did this through System Tools)? I very much want to know if I wiped my hard drive clean.



So now, after learning a hell of a lot about my laptop through an emergency situation, I've created a non-admin. User that I log into, instead of logging in as Admin. all the time. It sure seems to take forever to regain all the personal settings that one likes to have when using the computer!

 

No,your drive is not wiped "clean" but good enough for your purposes i think. I can't speak for anyone else but the little kowledge i have i learned by trial and error mostly. Ahhh i still remember the day i got my first root kit attack what a time that was.