I am the Administrator but get access denied frequently

I have recently reinstalled Windows and I am the Administrator of the system, the only user in fact.
After some recent Windows Updates (which included some Net Framework stuff they seem to think is important) I was denied access to something, so I checked the Users via Control Panel to find a new user named ASP.NET Machine A...
I did not create this account so can only think it is Microsoft thinking they are smarter than me (they may be) and I deleted the account. Both before and after this I have been denied access to various things I want to do, the most recent was being denied access to Nero to make a data disk, and being denied access to Acrobat to make a pdf of the error message, so it is attached in Word.
I have been through a whole bunch of AV checking with Neal on the HijackThis section of the forum, including a mega scan with Dr Web, so I am confident the machine is clean.
As I am the administrator I can't see why I keep getting denied access to programs and it is getting a bit beyond a joke.
Any suggestions on how I can access my own computer would be appreciated.
System is Win XP SP3 Home.
At least the smilies are fun around here, cos right now I feel like driving a over the thing.

ASP.NET is a necessary account setup by .NET Framework.

You need this account. You could try a reinstall .Net Framework or all Windows Updates.

You could also uninstall .NET Framework and then reinstall etc.

Anyway you have removed a vital account that needs to be reinstalled.

If you have a System Restore to a Clean Place after your work with Neal you might try that.


Beyond this here is another page:

How to take ownership of a file or a folder in Windows XP

Hi Jephree,
Nice to see your very minimalist moniker.
Would the update that created the User Acccount be .NET Framework ASP.NET?
Given that I feel the stuff I did with Neal was only concluded last night, when the I posted the negative result from Dr Web, and this update was installed on the 29th June I think that deleting it and visiting Windows Update might be the best path.
I will wait for your opinion before I do anything, there were a number of NET framework items in that download and if I remove only one I could be making more trouble for myself, so please let me know what you think.
I could remove the whole lot if it makes things easier, 1st of the month and a zero count for my download quota, why not?

Hi xero,

I am not sure I follow your situation completely but if you deleted the ASP.NET account you need to reinstall it.

This is in general a result of installing .NET Framework. The current version is 3.0 but you need all previous versions as well starting with 1.1.

.NET Framework is a developers tool. Most software still runs on 1.1.

If you had installed software that required an update it would have prompted you to update.


But you need to re-establish that user account: ASP.NET

All versions of .NET Framework can be seen in the Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs.

If you uninstall here they should show up again in Windows Updates. If not under the Express option at least under the Custom tab.

Hello again Jephree,
I appear to be snookered here.
I have tried a couple of restore points from 29 June, and they won't work. That was the date of my most recent reinstall.
All the NET Framework stuff says it cannot be removed via Add/Remove.
I reinstalled Windows 4 times in June, I would prefer an option that doesn't start the whole thing again. It is not Windows itself, that is only an hour or so, it is all the reinstallation of apps and data that make me wonder if the world is still going on out there. The night of 28th/29th was a very windy and stormy one, many people had damage to rooves and cars due to falling trees, and many areas had power out for hours. It was mid afternoon before I went outside and discovered half the dividing fence with the neighbours was horizontal!
I can start in Safe mode and take ownership of files, but that will not re establish the ASP.Net user account.
If, hypothetically, I reinstall Windows, how do I do it so I don't have these access issues?
And, hypothetically, if I reinstall Windows, can I download the Net Framework stuff in another form? I keep a folder on another drive called Installers, it has everything from VLC media player to some large apps, I have Net Framework 1.1 in there, and I have SP3 in there as well, (my CD is SP2) which saves time and download quota when I do a reinstall.

.net framework V 3.5 SP 1, V 3.0, V 2.0, & V 1.1 manual downloads. You do not need the SDKs unless Unless you program in a .net language. If jephree says that a reinstall of the .net framework will give you back your access then I believe him mainly because I've never heard of this situation and I didn't know what this account did.

Hi townsbg
Thanks for the links, appreciate the pointer very much.
Now if our Jephree can just tell me how to recreate that user account, short of a reinstall ...

Progress, for lack of a better word, report.
I have downloaded the dotnetfx files, and attempted to repair the installation. 3.5 and 3.0 went well but 2.0 encountered some sort of problem and I have not been able to recreate the ASP.NET User account.
In safe mode (as Administrator) I have been right through Program Files security tabs, and granted myself (as a user) full access to all installed applications.
For all that effort I am still unable to create a pdf from Word, and Nero denies me access. Interestingly it appeared that Nero was going to burn my disc in Safe Mode, I progressed as far as adding the files, which is further than I got in normal mode.
It appears I may need to reinstall, oh joy.
I will only do this if someone can point out what I did wrong last time.
For the record I installed from the XP disc, then installed SP3, and dotnetfx1.1 from my own extra HDD. Having had so much fun with malware recently I installed a firewall and AV software at this point, before going on line to Windows Update for a heapin' helpin' of their latest. (I know this is not the ideal order but I defragged later, just did not want to be on line without protection, its a cold harsh world pout there) How I managed to subsequently install so many apps in such a way as to deny myself access to them is a complete mystery, I only found the ASP.NET user file when I was searching for solutions as to why I was being denied access, I guess it was installed following one of my visits to Windows Update.
I may be eligible for the Guiness Book of Records the way I am going, do Windows Updates give out frequent flyers, or have some other loyalty program?
I am now going to slam the door on my head a few times, the fun just keeps on happening around here.
And just to put the icing on the cake Malwarebytes has denied me access, I don't recall breaking a mirror ...

Here's some more information. Unless you do ASP/.NET application development, you don't need that account - which should have been removed with .NET SP1.1

Windows XP Common Issues > What is the ASP.NET Machine Account?
ASP.NET Machine Account
Feedback on this Web Site : The Official Microsoft ASP.NET Site

__________________
Bill (AFE7Ret)
Freedom is NOT Free!

Heat is the bane of all electronics!
─────────────────────

Please help us help you.

Hi Digerati,
Thanks for that info. I don't even know what ASP stands for so there is probably little chance I will be using that account, even if it was there.
The real problem here though is all these things giving me "access denied" messages.
I really did nothing unusual this installation except installing security apps before I went online. Especially considering all the fun I have had with malware recently that only seemed like common sense, and I can't see it contributing to the "access denied" problems. But I can't go into safe mode every time I want to burn a CD.