No longer have permission to access MakeMKV

[emeebee]

Ok, I no, I no. I lagged back on 1.10.0 for a long time and didn't follow the upgrades as they came out. I just got a new disc and it doesn't seem to rip it. I figure, now's the time to upgrade to the latest and greatest. So I download it from the site here and install it. All seems to go fine. It completes but something is weird. I checked the boxes for run MakeMKV 1.10.5 and open the README file and nothing happens. So I try to launch the program manually. I get a message box telling me I don't have permission to access the file. Never had a problem before but maybe since I'm jumping from 1.10.0 to 1.10.5 maybe something changed. So I try to run it as admin. Nope. So I try to install 1.10.5 as admin, nope still can't access it. I go to the folder C:\MakMKV and it still says I don't have permission. At thew root level? That's where I've been installing apps since I learned that Windows7 UAC screws with stuff installed to the Program Files folders. So what happened? I went to the user/<username>/.MakeMKV folder to see if there are logs but no new log is there. I searched the forum and didn't find anyone else having the problem so I'm not sure what happens next. Maybe uninstall 1.10.5 and go back 1.10.0 and try upgrading again? Luckily I thought to copy my reg key out to a text file before upgrading this time. If it blows everything away at least I still have that and can try to run one of the intermediate upgrades between 1.10.0 and 1.10.5.

I'm a registered user and I'm running MakeMKV on a Windows 7 Home Premium x64 PC.

Thanks for any and all help. I really like my MakeMKV. I sure would like to get it back.

Mike

[brellyn]

I'd recommend using RevoUninstaller to remove MakeMKV before reinstalling it.

Let it install the app into the program files folder as usual. No issues with windows UAC with that process.

You might have to take ownership of that folder you created in the root directory or remove it in safe mode.

Any seasoned tech will tell you to never install anything in a folder off of C:\

[emeebee]

Well that's the rub. I used to always install in the Program Files folder but then it ended up that anything that needed to write to a folder in that folder would not have permissions. Everything I have read said ignore the program files folder and go to the root. So who do you listen to? I have had no issues since I started installing into the C:\ directory ... until now.

Anyway, I popped back in here to update. I tried to take control of the C:\MakeMKV folder and Windows would not let me. I then tried installing to a new directory C:\MakeMKV_ and what do you know? It worked. 1.10.5 is working fine now. I guess the old C:\MakeMKV folder got corrupted. I will try Safe mode to delete the folder but just wanted to pass on what worked. I know its not "according to the rules" but it worked.

Mike

[Woodstock]

You should always set your MakeMKV data directory (Preferences->General) to something OTHER THAN the program directory. This allows you full access to profiles and other things you want to save between versions.

I would recommend logging in as administrator, and remove the whole makemkv directory from C:\Program Files (x86), and run the install again. Or right click on Windows Explorer, and select "Run as administrator", if your user is attached to the Administrator group.

[emeebee]

Woodstock: I had already done that. [C:\Users\mike/.MakeMKV].

I did try to make changes by running as administrator and it still told me I didn't have permission. I will boot into Safe mode and try removing the directory. As I said in my original post I didn't install MakeMKV in the Program Files folder because of the previously mentioned problems with rights when I installed apps in there before. I 'know' that apps are supposed to be installed either in Program Files or Programs Files x86 folders. Some apps caused rights issues when I did that and after enough of them caused problems I followed advise from other users to install in the C:\ directory. Maybe the corruption was caused by having it installed there but I have been using MakeMKV in the C:\ directory for years. Maybe the next time I install I will try to go back to the Program Files directory but right now its working. I appreciate you folks offering suggestions but when you have issues and one group says do this and another group says do something different, who do you listen to? When I switched it to C:\MakeMKV and it worked and I no longer had problems (until now) I figured I had my answer.

Thank you, everyone, for your advice.
Mike

[brellyn]

... but when you have issues and one group says do this and another group says do something different, who do you listen to?

Easy answer. Always listen to me because I'm smarter than the average bear. Not true, but I couldn't turn down the opportunity to poke a little fun
Glad the problem is resolved for you. The issue with writing to C:\ started back in the days of using FAT16 as the default drive format which prevented more that 512 entries into C:\ due to a limited MBR. Customers would put everything into C:\ and would still have plenty of room left on the drive, but not be able to create any new directories and guess who they would call? So all of us old school techs still frown on using the root directory even though NTFS removed the problem long ago.

Sorry, my geek got loose there for a second. Good Luck!

[emeebee]

Thanks again, Brellyn. I know I asked for help and you offered help. It always irks me when people ask for help and then make a million excuses why the help isn't good. But you and I both know there are all sorts of skill levels out here and not everyone is an expert so you have to be careful who's word you accept. I found a solution that worked for me so its good for now. I would like to go back to doing things the way I used to do it with putting apps in the Program Files folder but then several get to be a real pain to troubleshoot out. The easy answer ends up being the one we go with. The next time I install a MakeMKV update I will try to walk it back to the Program Files folder and since I'm retired now I have meor time to chase all those goofy acting apps and find out how to get them to run in their proper place.

Thanks again to everyone that kindly offered help. It is appreciated even it may not seem like it.

Mike