I keep getting a "permission denied" notice

[thucythucy]

when I try opening various Word files.

"Word cannot open the document. user does not have access privileges."

This is on my computer, trying to open filed that I created.

How does my computer deny me access to my own files? How can I fix this? And do I need to do this fix for each and every time this happens--happens quite often--or is there a way to fix this once and for all?

Not terribly computer literate here, so forgive me if I don't catch on right away.

If I can somehow fix this I can then move on to the "this file is corrupted" notices which are equally annoying.

Using a Windows 10 program, which I'm growing to hate.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. I have the Geek Squad with Best Buy, because I buy my computers from them.

Best money I ever spend (along with paying for a house-cleaning service every other week). Periodically annoying glitches happen with my computer, and the Geek Squad people can always solve the problem.

Most recently my printer wasn't wanting to print for me. About four or five different times over about three months I was on the line with Geek Squad, got it fixed, and then a week later it was again not printing. Most recently the GS person did some different stuff in the fix, and it's still willing to print several weeks later. So they may not always solve the problem the first time, but it can be solved.

I rather suspect your problem is a relatively trivial issue having to do with how some aspects of Word has been set up, or gotten corrupted. This is simply a wild guess, and you need an experienced professional to solve the problem.

I hope you can get it done.

Also, post this in Computer Help and Support, as the members there might well have good advice.

[thucythucy]

2. I think I'll need to pay someone as well.

Also, thanks for the tip about posting in computer support. "Community Help" I suppose is for most everything else.

Thanks again, and best wishes.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

3. I hope our Computer Support and Help is useful to you.

I will emphasize that the Geek Squad is amazing. I've been using them for years. The cost, to me, is relatively trivial given what I get.

[progree]

4. That's good, because I had a horrible horrible experience with them back in 2000 or thereabouts

Last edited Tue Mar 8, 2022, 10:14 AM - Edit history (1)

recovering some data from a hard drive. Back then they put it on CD's and didn't bother to check if the CD's were even readable or not after they were done. And they missed a folder. Also, there were, and are PC programs that, after a copy, will then compare contents byte by byte. They admitted they don't use anything like that. I made them do it over again, and it was done OK.

But that was back in 2000 when Robert Stephens, the founder was in charge. I've heard him as a frequent guest on some morning program for Minnesota Public Radio (MPR), Kind of a smooth talking asshole. I wrote to MPR over and over and over again about my experience with the Geek Squad, but they don't give a fuck about whether one loses 15 years of work or not. "Oh Mr. Geek, Oh Mr. Geek", the hostess used to chime, UGHHHH.

Hmm, a quick Google says he's still in charge... but Best Buy, another horror story ... is hopefully holding him to higher quality standards.

Anyway, no matter who does data recovery work, trust but verify.

[thucythucy]

5. Thank you for this advice.

And thank you all, this has all been most helpful.

[progree]

6. YW. BTW, I had the problem you are describing about 2 months ago --

I looked for some notes about it but couldn't find any, but I do remember this problem, very scary ... I thought how outrageous, I can't get into my own file (files?). Maybe it's ransomware, yikes.

But IIRC it cleared up with a shutdown and restart of Word, or more likely I rebooted. If I had to do something fancier than that, I would have logged it in a special place where I log computer issues.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

7. They've apparently changed a lot in 22 years.

I've been using them about the last ten or so and have had good results. It did take more fixes than it should have to make a lasting fix on my printer, but it's something I could not possibly have done on my own.