[SOLVED] Programs can't save to Documents folder - Briefly worked but then...

[RabbitsTachi]

I have a very upsetting issue. I have two games that try and fail to save to "Documents". Whenever I run either game I get an error message when I try to save.

I thought it was a permissions issue so I activated my administrator user and reinstalled both games through that account and THEY SAVED. Hurray! Then I turned on my computer the next day and they no longer work. Same save error messages. I didn't touch anything so I don't get it.

I'm tried everything. I'm at the end of my rope. ANY help would be gratefully received.

WIndows 10 Home 64-bit

 

[thatcakedontbake]

A couple of questions:

1. What exact error message are you getting?
2. Do you really need to save to "Documents"?
3. What games are those?
4. Are you using your non-administrator account to play?

 

[RabbitsTachi]

A couple of questions:

1. What exact error message are you getting?
2. Do you really need to save to "Documents"?
3. What games are those?
4. Are you using your non-administrator account to play?

Thank you for your reply. Fate/Stay Night and A dragon girl looks up at the endless sky


For Fate/Stay Night when I start the game I see the message "File cannot save [Cannot open or write-protected]". When I try to save I see the message "?????????????"


For A dragon girl when I try to save I see the message"Failed to save game data"


I would like to try saving somewhere else, but the games don't have the option of choosing save location in the menu. They save to Documents by default and I don't know how to change it.


I first had the problems on my non-administrator account so I switched to my administrator account and they worked once. After that, same problem as my non-admin account.

 

[thatcakedontbake]

Gotcha.

Easiest approach would be to always use Run as Admin everytime you play the game as it saves to Documents by default.

Long approach would be me asking you which directory the Documents shortcut links to when you're using your non-admin acct vs admin one.

This might still be a permission issue since you installed the game using the admin acct, and not your non-admin one unless I'm mistaken.

 

[RabbitsTachi]

Gotcha.

Easiest approach would be to always use Run as Admin everytime you play the game as it saves to Documents by default.

Long approach would be me asking you which directory the Documents shortcut links to when you're using your non-admin acct vs admin one.

This might still be a permission issue since you installed the game using the admin acct, and not your non-admin one unless I'm mistaken.

Through the right click menu? Yes, tried that, no effect.

I installed and played them on both admin acct and non-admin accts. No effect except for the first time I installed to the admin account.

How do I do the long approach?

 

[thatcakedontbake]

Through the right click menu? Yes, tried that, no effect.

I installed and played them on both admin acct and non-admin accts. No effect except for the first time I installed to the admin account.

How do I do the long approach?

When you're logged in using your non-admin account, right click the Documents shortcut then click Properties. You should see the location there. Afterwards, try using your admin account and do the same thing. Ideally you'd want to check if your non-admin account has Read/Write permissions on where your game is trying to write save files into.

So you mean when you tried to play using the admin account past the first time, you couldn't save anymore?

 

[RabbitsTachi]

When you're logged in using your non-admin account, right click the Documents shortcut then click Properties. You should see the location there. Afterwards, try using your admin account and do the same thing. Ideally you'd want to check if your non-admin account has Read/Write permissions on where your game is trying to write save files into.

https://imgur.com/a/fEhnLZo

View: https://imgur.com/a/fEhnLZo


Both folders have full permissions. The only difference is that the non-admin Documents is a system folder, the admin account is not.

So you mean when you tried to play using the admin account past the first time, you couldn't save anymore?

Yes, it only worked once. The first time I installed to the admin account. Then I rebooted and it stopped working.

Is there a way to force programs to save elsewhere? Like the desktop? I was looking at Symbolic Links but I think that is something else.

 

[Colif]

All win 10 folders are set to read only by default - mentioning that here to stop you trying to turn that off. It sounds like permissions as you or games you are running should have full access to the documents folder and any files in them.

I had a problem similar to this when I upgraded to win 10 (4 years ago) in that Onedrive seemed to have more control of my PC than I did, I couldn't save in any library folder. Have you tried any other type of file, like music or pictures? See if problem isn't just the games.

Maybe you should have installed game using non admin account to begin with.

 

[RabbitsTachi]

All win 10 folders are set to read only by default - mentioning that here to stop you trying to turn that off. It sounds like permissions as you or games you are running should have full access to the documents folder and any files in them.

I had a problem similar to this when I upgraded to win 10 (4 years ago) in that Onedrive seemed to have more control of my PC than I did, I couldn't save in any library folder. Have you tried any other type of file, like music or pictures? See if problem isn't just the games.

Maybe you should have installed game using non admin account to begin with.

Ok, I could save a picture and a word document.

I tried to save a video and got "File not found. Check the filename and try again." But I got that error message saving to any folder such as Music, Pictures etc. so it looks like that is a separate issue.

I did install to the non-admin account. After it didn't work there, I tried the admin account and it worked only once.

 

[Colif]

Try this for that last error

Turn off Controlled Folder Access:

• Select Start > Settings .
• Choose Update & security > Windows Defender.
• Select Open Windows Defender Security Center.
• Select Virus & threat protection, and then choose Virus & threat protection settings.
• Under Controlled folder access, turn it on or off.

Link

that "could" fix the other problem as well. Windows being over protective.

have you tried setting up one drive? What i did to fix it on my PC was set up one drive and suddenly PC gave me full access to folders (it took me a while to find this solution and I had new folders made all over PC as I was doing a course at time and needed to keep working while my pc refused to let me save anything).

many of the changes involve permissions but that seems wrong if the same thing happens on 2 different users.

a few possible fixes - https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...s-folder/b3857a15-5cb6-4819-94ae-cee0128a9178

 

[RabbitsTachi]

Try this for that last error


Link

that "could" fix the other problem as well. Windows being over protective.

have you tried setting up one drive? What i did to fix it on my PC was set up one drive and suddenly PC gave me full access to folders (it took me a while to find this solution and I had new folders made all over PC as I was doing a course at time and needed to keep working while my pc refused to let me save anything).

many of the changes involve permissions but that seems wrong if the same thing happens on 2 different users.

a few possible fixes - https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...s-folder/b3857a15-5cb6-4819-94ae-cee0128a9178

Still can't save a copy of videos in another folder. I get this error

https://imgur.com/a/SeDr5kh

View: https://imgur.com/a/SeDr5kh
.

But my programs save to Documents! They even work on my non-admin account! It was anti-ransomware protection the entire time!

Thank you so so much!