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Windows 10 Font Folder nightmare

I have an issue with Windows 10 that is driving me mental.. For whatever reason the fonts folder constantly blocks installations that require font installations.. Example Auto Desk Viewer hangs up on "Error Writing to file: C:\Windows\Fonts\arial.tff Verify that you have access to that directory" but it is also happening when I try to install Desi lite which is a label making program "Error Writing to file: C:\Windows\Fonts\DesiPictograms.tff Verify that you have access to that directory"

All of my users have local admin rights, I have tried installing using the domain admin account and the local admin account with same issue. When I originally upgraded to Office 16 word was also complaining about access denied when I would select a font..

When logged on as admin I tried to access the fonts folder permissions and I get "access denied"

Any ideas?

Share the output of
icacls c:\windows\fonts
It should be

c:\windows\fonts NT SERVICE\TrustedInstaller:(F)
                 NT SERVICE\TrustedInstaller:(CI)(IO)(F)
                 NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(M)
                 NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(OI)(CI)(IO)(F)
                 BUILTIN\Administrators:(M)
                 BUILTIN\Administrators:(OI)(CI)(IO)(F)
                 BUILTIN\Users:(RX)
                 BUILTIN\Users:(OI)(CI)(IO)(GR,GE)
                 CREATOR OWNER:(OI)(CI)(IO)(F)
                 APPLICATION PACKAGE AUTHORITY\ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES:(RX)
                 APPLICATION PACKAGE AUTHORITY\ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES:(OI)(CI)(IO)(GR,GE)
                 APPLICATION PACKAGE AUTHORITY\ALL RESTRICTED APPLICATION PACKAGES:(RX)
                 APPLICATION PACKAGE AUTHORITY\ALL RESTRICTED APPLICATION PACKAGES:(OI)(CI)(IO)(GR,GE)

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ASKER

C:\WINDOWS\system32>icacls c:\windows\fonts
c:\windows\fonts NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(RX)
BUILTIN\Administrators:(RX)
BUILTIN\Users:(RX)
NT SERVICE\TrustedInstaller:(F)
APPLICATION PACKAGE AUTHORITY\ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES:(RX)
APPLICATION PACKAGE AUTHORITY\ALL RESTRICTED APPLICATION PACKAGES:(RX)

Successfully processed 1 files; Failed processing 0 files

See? ACL is not what it should be. Reset it with icacls.
On a different PC, dump permissions of c:\windows\fonts with icacls and restore them on your pc.

ASKER

Okay how do I export that file and import into this pc?

Saving (folder for the ACLfile is d:, here - adjust accordingly)

icacls c:\windows\fonts /save d:\AclFile.txt

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Restoring:

icacls c:\windows\ /restore d:\AclFile.txt

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ASKER

Okay I get access denied?

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.17763.379]
(c) 2018 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>icacls c:\windows\ /restore c:\AclFile.txt
c:\windows\fonts: Access is denied.
Successfully processed 0 files; Failed processing 1 files

C:\WINDOWS\system32>

ASKER

currently logged in as local admin, not domain

Right click cmd.exe, select "run as administrator" and repeat.

Wait, I am sorry, this will not work. Please do a step in between: on the elevated command prompt, use takeown.exe on c:\windows\fonts, first.

ASKER

is it takeown.exe c:\windows\fonts? or does the command go different

takeown.exe /f c:\windows\fonts

ASKER

C:\WINDOWS\system32>takeown.exe /f c:\windows\fonts

SUCCESS: The file (or folder): "c:\windows\fonts" now owned by user "ACEWS01\HP USER".

C:\WINDOWS\system32>icacls c:\windows\ /restore c:\AclFile.txt
c:\windows\fonts: Access is denied.
Successfully processed 0 files; Failed processing 1 files

C:\WINDOWS\system32>icacls c:\windows\ /restore c:\AclFile.txt
c:\windows\fonts: Access is denied.
Successfully processed 0 files; Failed processing 1 files

C:\WINDOWS\system32>

still access denied

That is weird.
I wonder why it won't let you now that you are the owner. Let me think...

ASKER

Here is the core of my issue, everything I install to do with fonts folder fails.. However I can install fonts.. very weird.. see attachment
Untitled.png

ASKER

Seems I ran into this once before and the only way I could fix it was through the security tab on the fonts folder. But I can't remember how to enable to security tab, its hidden by default..

Please try

icacls d:\own /grant ACEWS01\HP USER:f

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If that is executed on an elevated command prompt and FAILS, this can only mean, we have a file system error and you will need to run

chkdsk /r c:

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and retry.

ASKER

C:\WINDOWS\system32>icacls c:\own /grant ACEWS01\HP USER:f
Invalid parameter "ACEWS01\HP"

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ASKER

C:\WINDOWS\system32>icacls c:\own /grant "ACEWS01\HP USER":f
c:\own: The system cannot find the file specified.
Successfully processed 0 files; Failed processing 1 files

okay I replaced own with \windows\font got same error.. shouldn't the parameter be folder?

LOL. Own was my test folder, forgot to change that. The foldername is fonts, not font.

ASKER

McKnife after disk chk last night the following command succeeded..

C:\Users\administrator.ANDREWENG>icacls c:\windows\fonts /grant "ACEWS01\HP USER":f
processed file: c:\windows\fonts
Successfully processed 1 files; Failed processing 0 files

C:\Users\administrator.ANDREWENG>

ASKER

however I just realized it says domain admin is owner, not hp user.. Didn't notice that before I ran the command

SOLUTION

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Possibly the ACLs are alright anyway, after running chkdsk. It might have fixed the corruption.

ASKER

No still get access denied trying to run the install.. see attachment .. Also folder icacls look the same as before

C:\Users\administrator.ANDREWENG>icacls c:\windows\fonts
c:\windows\fonts ACEWS01\HP USER:(F)
NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(RX)
BUILTIN\Administrators:(RX)
BUILTIN\Users:(RX)
NT SERVICE\TrustedInstaller:(F)
APPLICATION PACKAGE AUTHORITY\ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES:(RX)
APPLICATION PACKAGE AUTHORITY\ALL RESTRICTED APPLICATION PACKAGES:(RX)

when I run an import of a proper icacls I get this ..

C:\Users\administrator.ANDREWENG>icacls c:\windows\ /restore c:\AclFile.txt
c:\windows\fonts: Access is denied.
Successfully processed 0 files; Failed processing 1 files

Chk Dsk didn't change anything..

ARGGGG!!
Untitled.png

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

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ASKER

okay.. sorry.. logging out and logging into HP USER

ASKER

McKnife I want to give you a big hug!!!! Worked like a charm!!! However I didn't do it with the local user I followed the instructions to the "T" with the domain admin..

Thank you my Brudda!!

ASKER

Appreciate you hanging with me and helping me get through this windows 10 bug..

Very welcome.