msconfig -- Access Denied error

I have used msconfig in Windows XP SP-1. Three months ago, I installed
Windows XP SP-2, and I haven't tried to use the System Configuration Utility
since then.

Now if I select Diagnostic Startup or Selective Startup, I get this message:
"An Access Denied error was returned while attempting to change a service.
You may

need to log on using as an Administrator account to make the specified
changes."

The only account on the computer is mine, and it has administrator
privileges (for example, I can use System Restore). The computer is not on a
network, although

it is behind a router for the internet connection.

If I am supposed to log on with the original Adminstrator account, I don't
know how to do that. If I boot into Safe Mode, the Adminstrator account
appears, but I don't

think I should have to boot into Safe Mode in order to use msconfig. What
to do?

I am supposed to do a "clean boot" (Diagnostic Startup) to install the
current audio driver for my Audigy-2 sound card.

After a "clean boot," I am supposed to (1) delete Sound Blaster items from
Add/Remove and Device Manager, (2) "clean boot," (3) delete everything from
the

Temp, Windows\Temp, and Program Files\Creative\Sound Blaster, (4) empty the
Recycle Bin, (5) physically remove the sound card, (6) "clean boot" three
times to

clear any Windows drivers, (5) physically replace the sound card, and (6)
"clean boot" to install the current downloaded audio driver.

Then I am supposed to reset the System Configuration Utility to a Normal
Startup.

If I ignore the Access Denied error, the System Configuration Utility
appears to have booted into Diagnostic Startup, but then when I try to
install the

currentownloaded audio driver, I get "Existing drivers detected" and when I
click OK to uninstall, I get "Operation Failed."

I would prefer to be able to run msconfig and then select Diagnostic Startup
or Selective Startup, but if I can't fix this, then should I just do steps
1-6 in Safe Mode?

Prindaville wrote:

Here is a starting point.

An Access Denied error was returned while attempting to change a
service
http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=e... Search&meta=

zone alarm maybe causing the access problem as well. Try dis-abling
zone alarm.
I had ( had zone alarm pro but with recent updates it became more
and more difficult to perform normal internet access so have stopped
it. And my problems solved.
Maybe I should write to them as I have paid for a full year too.
extract:
I had this problem. ( msconfig access denied)
It went away if I didn't load Zone Alarm, so that was the problem. I
stopped it by turning off the "OS Firewall" in Zone Alarm: Go to
Program Control Main and press the first "Custom" button from the
top. Uncheck "Enable OS Firewall".
(With thanks to chiawaikian on the ZA forum - see
http://forum.zonelabs.org/zonelabs/b...11470#M114 70)