Admin accounts can't access control panel - please help!

I have two user accounts on Vista Home Pro.
One is a standard, limited user account (password protected) and the other
is my admin account (obviously with admin privileges and password
protected).

I am not sure when this started happening but I am unable to launch control
panel under my admin account.
I get a pop-up of "Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or
file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item".
The title bar of this pop-up has "::{26EE0668-A00A-44D7-9371-BEB064C98683}"

I can only get to CP from my limited account. Then I am prompted to enter
the Admin account's password. At times even trying this fails with the same
error the first time I try to launch CP. Usually the second or third time I
launch CP it will actually launch.

Someone suggested I set up a new admin account and then, from that account,
rename the original Admin account's profile so that Windows would rebuild it
upon reboot. Well, I did manage to create a new admin account (using admin
privileges from my limited account) but even that new admin account can't
launch control panel.

Interestingly, after I set up the second admin account, when I try an admin
cp function from my limited account it does correctly show me a pop-up
showing me two admin users to choose for entering the admin password. So it
does know the two users as admin accounts.

I am at a loss as to what to do/try. Is there a way to repair the OS using
the original DVD (I didn't see any applicable repair options)

Any help is appreciated.
Thanks,
Walter

Take a look at this tutorial.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/12...e-disable.html

"Walter Cohen" wrote:

> I have two user accounts on Vista Home Pro.
> One is a standard, limited user account (password protected) and the other
> is my admin account (obviously with admin privileges and password
> protected).
>
> I am not sure when this started happening but I am unable to launch control
> panel under my admin account.
> I get a pop-up of "Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or
> file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item".
> The title bar of this pop-up has "::{26EE0668-A00A-44D7-9371-BEB064C98683}"
>
> I can only get to CP from my limited account. Then I am prompted to enter
> the Admin account's password. At times even trying this fails with the same
> error the first time I try to launch CP. Usually the second or third time I
> launch CP it will actually launch.
>
> Someone suggested I set up a new admin account and then, from that account,
> rename the original Admin account's profile so that Windows would rebuild it
> upon reboot. Well, I did manage to create a new admin account (using admin
> privileges from my limited account) but even that new admin account can't
> launch control panel.
>
> Interestingly, after I set up the second admin account, when I try an admin
> cp function from my limited account it does correctly show me a pop-up
> showing me two admin users to choose for entering the admin password. So it
> does know the two users as admin accounts.
>
> I am at a loss as to what to do/try. Is there a way to repair the OS using
> the original DVD (I didn't see any applicable repair options)
>
> Any help is appreciated.
> Thanks,
> Walter
>
>

This doesn't apply to me.
In my Home Pro version there is nothing in Policies other than the default
item (type of REG_SZ).
Same under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
So NoControlPanel is nowhere to be found.

Thanks.
Walter
"uvbogden" <> wrote in message
news:E6029BF9-98FC-4BF2-9626-...
> Take a look at this tutorial.
>
> http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/12...e-disable.html
>
> "Walter Cohen" wrote:
>
>> I have two user accounts on Vista Home Pro.
>> One is a standard, limited user account (password protected) and the
>> other
>> is my admin account (obviously with admin privileges and password
>> protected).
>>
>> I am not sure when this started happening but I am unable to launch
>> control
>> panel under my admin account.
>> I get a pop-up of "Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or
>> file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item".
>> The title bar of this pop-up has
>> "::{26EE0668-A00A-44D7-9371-BEB064C98683}"
>>
>> I can only get to CP from my limited account. Then I am prompted to
>> enter
>> the Admin account's password. At times even trying this fails with the
>> same
>> error the first time I try to launch CP. Usually the second or third
>> time I
>> launch CP it will actually launch.
>>
>> Someone suggested I set up a new admin account and then, from that
>> account,
>> rename the original Admin account's profile so that Windows would rebuild
>> it
>> upon reboot. Well, I did manage to create a new admin account (using
>> admin
>> privileges from my limited account) but even that new admin account can't
>> launch control panel.
>>
>> Interestingly, after I set up the second admin account, when I try an
>> admin
>> cp function from my limited account it does correctly show me a pop-up
>> showing me two admin users to choose for entering the admin password. So
>> it
>> does know the two users as admin accounts.
>>
>> I am at a loss as to what to do/try. Is there a way to repair the OS
>> using
>> the original DVD (I didn't see any applicable repair options)
>>
>> Any help is appreciated.
>> Thanks,
>> Walter
>>
>>

Interestingly, under StartMenu->StartMenu->CascadeControlPanel->Policy there
are two items: NoControlPanel and NoSetFolders. Each of these is really
empty - just has the default key name 'ab' type 'REGSZ'.
This is also the case under StartPanel.

Walter
"Walter Cohen" <> wrote in message
news:%...
> This doesn't apply to me.
> In my Home Pro version there is nothing in Policies other than the default
> item (type of REG_SZ).
> Same under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
> So NoControlPanel is nowhere to be found.
>
> Thanks.
> Walter
> "uvbogden" <> wrote in message
> news:E6029BF9-98FC-4BF2-9626-...
>> Take a look at this tutorial.
>>
>> http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/12...e-disable.html
>>
>> "Walter Cohen" wrote:
>>
>>> I have two user accounts on Vista Home Pro.
>>> One is a standard, limited user account (password protected) and the
>>> other
>>> is my admin account (obviously with admin privileges and password
>>> protected).
>>>
>>> I am not sure when this started happening but I am unable to launch
>>> control
>>> panel under my admin account.
>>> I get a pop-up of "Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or
>>> file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item".
>>> The title bar of this pop-up has
>>> "::{26EE0668-A00A-44D7-9371-BEB064C98683}"
>>>
>>> I can only get to CP from my limited account. Then I am prompted to
>>> enter
>>> the Admin account's password. At times even trying this fails with the
>>> same
>>> error the first time I try to launch CP. Usually the second or third
>>> time I
>>> launch CP it will actually launch.
>>>
>>> Someone suggested I set up a new admin account and then, from that
>>> account,
>>> rename the original Admin account's profile so that Windows would
>>> rebuild it
>>> upon reboot. Well, I did manage to create a new admin account (using
>>> admin
>>> privileges from my limited account) but even that new admin account
>>> can't
>>> launch control panel.
>>>
>>> Interestingly, after I set up the second admin account, when I try an
>>> admin
>>> cp function from my limited account it does correctly show me a pop-up
>>> showing me two admin users to choose for entering the admin password.
>>> So it
>>> does know the two users as admin accounts.
>>>
>>> I am at a loss as to what to do/try. Is there a way to repair the OS
>>> using
>>> the original DVD (I didn't see any applicable repair options)
>>>
>>> Any help is appreciated.
>>> Thanks,
>>> Walter
>>>
>>>
>