An error message can occur when you launch FoodPharmacy^® on Windows Vista/Windows 7: "FoodPharmacy^® Cannot Start: Access to the path … is denied."

The instructions below describe how to fix this issue. This article is also relevant to Windows 7.

Symptoms
When you launch FoodPharmacy^® on some configurations of the Windows Vista operating system, you may receive an error message that resembles the following:
FoodPharmacy^® cannot start:
Access to the path "c:\Program Files\FoodPharmacy\e8c59258-0ac2-4286-8bd8-120ff4675d77.bak" is denied.

Cause
This error occurs because certain configurations of Windows Vista do not allow applications to write to subfolders of the Program Files folder. FoodPharmacy^® uses a subfolder of the Program Files folder to store patient and other data.

Workaround
Windows Vista has more restrictive security policies than previous versions of Windows. To work around this problem, either: exempt FoodPharmacy^® from these restrictions by running it "as Administrator," or relax Windows security policies by turning off "user account control."

To Run FoodPharmacy^® as Administrator
One alternative is to run FoodPharmacy^® with administrative privileges. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Show the Vista desktop by pressing the Windows Key and the "D" key simultaneously.
2. Right-Click on the "Diet Therapy 5.3" icon. You’ll be presented with a menu like this:
   
   
3. Select the "Properties" choice. You'll be presented with a dialog similar to this:
   
   
4. Click the "Advanced…" button. You’ll be presented with a dialog similar to this:
   
   
5. Check the "Run as administrator" checkbox and click OK.

After performing these steps, FoodPharmacy^® will be executed with sufficient privileges to modify files in its data folder. These steps will only affect this application. Depending on your Vista configuration, you may still be prompted with a User Account Control warning when executing FoodPharmacy™:
You can safely click "Allow" to allow FoodPharmacy^® to continue.

To disable User Account Control Alternatively, you can disable a Vista security feature called User Account Control. To disable User Account Control, follow these steps:

1. Launch Control Panel from the Windows Start Menu
2. Type "UAC" in Control Panel's Search Panel, and you'll see this task presented:
   
   
3. Select that task. You’ll be warned by Windows that you’re performing a sensitive operation, and then presented with this dialog:
   
   
4. Uncheck the checkbox, and click OK.

Note that disabling User Account Control relaxes Vista’s security rules for all programs, not just FoodPharmacy™. Although many Vista users are choosing to disable User Account Control, this option is not recommended by Microsoft.

Applies To

1. FoodPharmacy^® 6.0
2. FoodPharmacy^® 5.3
3. FoodPharmacy^® 5.2
4. FoodPharmacy^® 5.1
5. Windows Vista
6. Windows 7