I run windows7 and I use simbrief as my flight planner.  I download the flightplan and try to save it in fsx/pmdg/flighplans/777.  and it tells me I don't have admin rights to save a file here.  What do I need to do to get admin rights to save a flight plan here.  I am logged in as administrator

You should be logged in as a "User" and your FSX Program Files folder should have the permissions "Write" and "Modify" added to the "Users Group" on that FSX Program Files folder.

 

 

I am logged in as administrator

 

That's only part of the battle. If you Google it, you'll get a bunch more tutorials on the various things you can do to fix this issue.

 

Here's a brief run down, though:

To do this, navigate to the Microsoft Games folder on your drive and:

Right click on the Flight Simulator X folder:

Select Properties

Select the Security tab at the top

Click on the Users account in the Group box

In the Permissions box, check the box Full Control

Click OK

This grants you (a User - Tron reference?) and the programs you use in that folder admin rights to the folder. Essentially, what is happening is the computer is writing the changes (your key assignments) to a 'ghost' (Compatibility Files) folder, which the PMDG Options panel ignores the next time you run it. Using admin rights writes those changes to the actual file, not a file in a 'ghost' folder. As a quick note, if you have problems with any other program (especially when it comes to settings not saving, etc), you should grant admin rights to the program's location first before trying other things. UAC has its place in Windows, but it ends up being a bear if you don't know how to keep it in check.

I don't like nanny states and I don't like nanny software... UAC is off on my machine.  Sure, I have to be diligent and not open emails from suspicious sources and not install anything I don't trust but I consider that 'normal' and UAC just gets in the way.

 

However, if you are new to Windows security and permissions then it is best to keep UAC turned on.  Be sure you follow the recommendations in the Introduction document that is included with the product and you'll not have a problem.

The OP is logged in as an Administrator yet cannot save to some folder, proving that making oneself an admin is not the answer to these issues. Ignoring security built into Windows is just a problem waiting to happen. If Windows security is a problem, and normal user accounts and UAC "just gets in the way", it is because the security is mis-understood by that user. As a Windows developer, I've never encountered problems. Admin accounts don't help much, but setting the proper permissions for the Users Group is generally all that is needed. All the required permissions are in place apart from Write and Modify, and when Modify is checked, so is Write automatically checked with it, so one only need check Modify for the Users Group on a folder - choosing Full Control is actually not correct but will work effectively.

Also this happend when you have FSX installesd in C:/Program Files x86. As the PMDG itself and all other modern add-on for FSX nowdays says, in Introduction manual, at page 22 you can read:

 

"Do not install FSX into the default installation directory: When installing FSX, do not install the simulator into the default directory that it offers. Instead, customize the directory to something different. (Example: C:\FSX) This will eliminate problems that many users experience resulting from various Windows protection and permission issues forced upon programs placed in the Program Files and Program Files (x86) directories."

I hope you already do this....

 

 

The OP is logged in as an Administrator yet cannot save to some folder, proving that making oneself an admin is not the answer to these issues.

 

Yes and no...

 

Logging in as an admin does not give your user account admin rights to the Program Files folders. With UAC on, it's a fact that any and all user accounts must provide admin level permission - even if temporary when it prompts you - in certain instances.

 

 

 

Admin accounts don't help much, but setting the proper permissions for the Users Group is generally all that is needed.

 

This is exactly what I told him to do...

 

 

 

All the required permissions are in place apart from Write and Modify, and when Modify is checked, so is Write automatically checked with it, so one only need check Modify for the Users Group on a folder - choosing Full Control is actually not correct but will work effectively.

 

...except that full control takes care of all of that in a single click.

 

Sure, following the security principle of least privilege, you want to give the account the minimum amount of control to accomplish the task at hand. We're talking about personal computers here, though, so that really doesn't come into play for 99% of the people reading this.

 

 

Sure, following the security principle of least privilege, you want to give the account the minimum amount of control to accomplish the task at hand. We're talking about personal computers here, though, so that really doesn't come into play for 99% of the people reading this.

 

Thank you, I bit my tongue at the "as a Windows developer" statement used to establish credibility.  I've been writing computer programs since CP/M-80 but I'm no expert (at anything LOL).

...except that full control takes care of all of that in a single click.

 

Sure, following the security principle of least privilege, you want to give the account the minimum amount of control to accomplish the task at hand. We're talking about personal computers here, though, so that really doesn't come into play for 99% of the people reading this.

Hehe, and so is checking Modify is just one single click

 

I see no harm in extolling the proper way to do things.

 

I bit my tongue at the "as a Windows developer" statement used to establish credibility

My products establish the credibility, words are just words.

 

 

Also this happend when you have FSX installesd in C:/Program Files x86. As the PMDG itself and all other modern add-on for FSX nowdays says, in Introduction manual, at page 22 you can read:

 

"Do not install FSX into the default installation directory: When installing FSX, do not install the simulator into the default directory that it offers. Instead, customize the directory to something different. (Example: C:\FSX) This will eliminate problems that many users experience resulting from various Windows protection and permission issues forced upon programs placed in the Program Files and Program Files (x86) directories."

I hope you already do this....

I understand why PMDG say this. However, all their installer needed to do is install the Read/Write stuff in a location away from Program Files, or set permissions on their folder. In my experience supporting FSX, this causes a lot of pain for those that don't know a lot about the PC. Leaving folk to work stuff out for themselves creates *just these kind of support calls*. QED.

Just a heads up with the advent of FSX-SE. With the case of FX-SE, the SteamApps folder already has the proper permissions for Read/Write, so there's no need to relocate the FSX-SE folder to circumvent permissions issues. However FSX-SE introduced a new problem with the "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\FSX" folder (C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\FSX-SE in a dual install with FSX). Regular FSX installs provide permission for authenticated users on that folder, however FSX-SE does not. So we have the FSX-SE executable elevating to Admin privileges when the sim is started, so that the Scenery.cfg and other files are accessible. It would be simpler for the installer to add Write and Modify permissions to the Users Group on that folder and avoid the invoke Admin statement from the manifest. It's a good idea to do this manually on an FSX-SE installation. The plethora of addons, scenery, and so on for FSX can hide malware. I would think by now that nefarious parties are well aware of the way security is flagrantly ignored on many FSX installations.

 

Those insisting on making a new folder for P3D, FSX, or FSX-SE, should note that this still does not circumvent all permissions issues, since that folder merely inherits the permissions of the User. This can lead to other mysterious problems further down the line with networking and installations of some addons. Let alone if that account becomes corrupted and the User starts another. In a discussion recently it was noted that although another folder was made for FSX, they had to "take ownership" of that folder to get some addons to work. The problem boils down again to the same thing, only the Users Group needed the correct permissions, not the User...

Thanks Kyle. Done what you said and all works fine

and all works fine

So applying the permissions solved it for you then eh? It's unfortunate though, nearly every day a problem like this comes up in a forum somewhere.

 

I'll just say to those guys with admin accounts, etc. It's best to be a regular user. For example, when a setup.exe is used to install software, a good one would check itself for malware before *elevating to admin privileges*. So if you are already admin or you start it "Run as Admin" then the payload is already released before the program gets a chance to quit.

 

As a developer, because consequently I do a lot with a PC, I've not found Windows security to get in the way. Not a remark intended to "establish credibility", Dan, that's just mis-representing good information I feel is worth pressing.

Uh.  Whut?

 

no...

 

No.

 

Not just no... but...  wow..  No.

Uh.  Whut?

 

no...

 

No.

 

Not just no... but...  wow..  No.

:Applause: LOL!!!