MO and DLCs; failed to access "access is denied (5)"

[CaptainError]

I have the three DLCs, for Skyrim, but when I try to use MO to load them I get the error:

"an error occurred: failed to access C:\Program Files (x86)\ The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim\data\DLC Name.esm (Access is denied. [5])"

Where DLC Name is either Dragonborn, Dawnguard, or HearthFires depending on which DLC I tried to have MO load. I haven't seen this issue anywhere else, so I posted here. I don't use any other external applications - such as BOSS - with Skyrim, only MO. My OS is Windows 7.

I am using MO in the first place because, even after reinstalling Skyrim, I am unable to change the load order of DLCs or mods in Data Files - the arrows are gone. I haven't found anything pertaining to that issue, either, so I feel that the issue may not solely be MO. I'm using MO in the hopes that I can bypass the Data Files load mechanism and play Skyrim with the DLCs and some of my favorite mods.

If this makes any difference, I technically am using a pirated version of Skyrim and its DLCs, but I have before and not encountered an issue like this. If it makes you feel any better, I did pay for my copies, unlike most. I hate Steam, so I pirated it and then sent the cash value of the games, plus a little extra, to Bethesda with a letter explaining what the money was for. If you're wondering why I didn't just buy a disc that doesn't run using Steam, that's because... well, let's just say that discs in my home have a bad reputation of being scratched or broken in half by rambunctious critters who like to murder CD cases.

 

I forgot to add in my first edit, but, yes, while this appears to be some sort of permissions issue, I am using an administrator's account. Running Mod Organizer specifically using the "Run as administrator" option does not fix the issue, either.

[DoubleYou]

Strange. Sounds like a file permissions issue. Have you tried to run as administrator?

[CaptainError]

I'm the only computer administrator, except for the default. I've never had a problem with permissions before this, either. Right-clicking and choosing the "Run as administrator" option doesn't change a thing.

[DoubleYou]

Can you run the DLCs outside Mod Organizer?

---

Reread OP. Make sure you have ...

[Launcher]
bEnableFileSelection=1

in your SkyrimPrefs.ini

 

If that doesn't work, let me ask, did Mod Organizer recognize the location of Skyrim upon start, or did you have to browse to select the folder?

[CaptainError]

No, I can't. For some reason, the load order through the Data Files has Skyrim.esm below all the DLCs. Because I can't move them, it crashes when I try to play the game.

I play using a lot of mods, and I prefer manual installs - I've already added that line to the correct .ini file.

As for Mod Organizer, the install went smoothly without errors, and it found the correct location of Skyrim on its own.

[GSDFan]

Go to settings, workaround tab and remove the check by "Force-enable game files" and click OK. Back in the main window press the refresh list button. When that is finished you will be able to move the core files.

[CaptainError]

The "Force-enable game files" option was already checked in my workaround settings.

[DoubleYou]

True. But GDSFan said to remove the check ;)

[CaptainError]

Oh, derp. xD

It still doesn't work, though. Skyrim.esm and Update.esm aren't greyed out and can be moved now, but I still get the error.

[DoubleYou]

Well, I'm sorry but I've run out of tricks. I can only assume that your pirated installation has a problem.

[CaptainError]

That's what I first thought, except that I've never run into this problem before. It's all quite odd, and I just can't seem to find a way of fixing it.

[Tannin]

It's still a permission issue though. ;)

 

On modern Windows administrator can not do everything so there is still the possibility of too restricted permissions.

1. Select the dlc files, right click on the selection than click Properties -> Security (tab) -> Advanced (button)

2. Go to Owner tab and check what the current owner is. If it's anything other than your user account, click "Edit..." and change the owner account to your user account.

3. No matter whether you changed anything on the owner tab, go to "Permissions", select your user account then click "Edit..." and give yourself "Full control".

 

I had to translate the menu names from german so I hope I got them all right, otherwise please try searching around a bit.

The short story is: It's possible that the acls (access permissions) on the files are borked, either referring to an owner that doesn't exist on your system or it simply doesn't allow access for the owner. Both is possible, you CAN strip the owner of a file of all access rights on windows.

[Bullkat]

Let me start off by saying that I am very new to modding and MO has made it easy, thank you for all the hard work.

 

I recently updated MO from 1.0.10 to 1.1.1 and ran into a similar problem.  I'm using Win 8.1.  My user account has admin rights while my son, who plays under his user account, is a standard user.  My copy of Skyrim is a retail, boxed Legendary edition working through Steam.

 

Under MO 1.0.10, when I would make changes to my mod list or to his, the changes would carry over to him when he logged on.  Any changes he made to his profile in MO would be visible to me as well.  There were no UAC issues at all.

 

After updating to MO 1.1.1, I was still able to open MO and make changes to all profiles without problems, but he would get "Access Denied" errors when opening MO.  The application was trying to delete the "*.txt" files in the MO profiles folder for all the profiles and Windows UAC was trapping it.  He would press cancel and would be unable to start MO. 

 

Last night I had time to look at things and checked on all the settings noted in this thread.  I set up the "/profiles" folder for him to have Full Control in permissions, changed the folder owner to "Everyone", and set MO to run as administrator.  I was able to start MO through his account, but found that the "*.txt" files in the profiles had indeed been deleted and re-created, and that the modlist and loadorder were completely wiped clean for all profiles.  When I logged out of his account and into mine, I found that all my settings were blank - no mods selected, load order defaulted to alphabetical.  I was also unable to move the mods to change the load order, I could only highlight them.

 

After several attempts with various changes to permissions, changes to folder ownership, re-installing MO 1.1.1, etc., I got the same results.

 

I then re-installed MO 1.0.10 to a new folder, copied over the mods, imported the saves from the profiles and started from scratch.  I set everything back to default Windows permissions settings.  Under MO 1.0.10, everything works fine.  It is not set up to run as administrator, the Windows folder UAC settings are the default, but we are able to both use MO and play without any problems.  MO 1.1.1 will still not work between user accounts however.

 

Were there changes in MO 1.1.1 that might account for this?

[CaptainError]

Thank you Tannin, but it still doesn't work properly. The owner is set to my account for the entire Skyrim directory, and specifically the DLCs. I even did it for Mod Organizer, but it still gives me the error.

[Kelmych]

I have the three DLCs' date=' for [i']Skyrim[/i], but when I try to use MO to load them I get the error:

"an error occurred: failed to access C:\Program Files (x86)\ The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim\data\DLC Name.esm (Access is denied. [5])"

Where DLC Name is either Dragonborn, Dawnguard, or HearthFires depending on which DLC I tried to have MO load. I haven't seen this issue anywhere else, so I posted here. I don't use any other external applications - such as BOSS - with Skyrim, only MO. 

 

 

Installing any game in a User Access Controlled (UAC) directory is often a source of access problems, and is typically never recommended for any computer game. It might not be the problem here, but one of the first recommendations when trying to fix access problems is to move (although moving is typically fairly difficult, by the way) or reinstall the game in a non-UAC directory. UAC directories include "Program Files", "Program Files (x86)", and "Users". We always suggest installing Steam and Skyrim (and other games and the utilities used with these games) in a non-UAC directory (e.g., in a new directory such as C:\Games). 

[CaptainError]

Interesting Kelmych, I hadn't heard of that before. That may very well be the problem, but the error isn't a huge problem and probably not worth the trouble of moving all the files somewhere else. Thank you.