Can't get to file properties or security and sharing

Double check if you have the ownership of those files/foders in the security/advanced tab.

So, right click on the folder, select "Sharing and Security", then "Advanced" and  then click on the "Ownership" tab.
There you should select the Administrators group to have the ownership and click on "Apply" (click on the checkbox that offers to apply this change to child objects as well), close the dialogs and right click again on the folder, enter "Sharing and Security". Now you should be able to see/modify the permissions there.

Bartholemieux--This may help
http://www.mydigitallife.info/2006/07/19/missing-or-no-security-tab-found-in-windows-xp-professional/
I was not sure how to interpret "nothing comes up".

pablovr,

I am not able to access the security area to check what the permissions are, as I stated, when I right click and go to properties or xhzring and security, nothing comes up, literally, the property window and the sharing and secrurity window don't appear the way they are supposed to.  I am an administrator on my own computer, as well as a domain administrator, so I don't believe it is a permissions issue.

jcimarron, I will look at the link, thank you.

jcimmaron,

The link was of no help.  I tried both suggestions in this link, to the point of making a new string in the Explorer key suggested in the article and still, nothing.  I am on a domain and I can access the properties of folders on network drives, but for folders on my own laptop, when I select either Properties or Sharing and Security from the "right click" shortcut menu, neither appears (nothing happens, it is as if I didn't click and select at all).

I sugges to install Spybot and search for malware:

http://www.spybot.com

Also you could try using this command:
sfc /scannow
It is for System File Checker, you will need the original Windows CD.

There isn't any malware on this computer (already ran it before hand).  

This isn't a computer wide problem, because I can obtain these properties if I log in as someone else (another network admin).  This seems to be unique to my proflie.  There is not spyware on the computer or viruses (I have used four different malware programs).  Any thoughts?