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Windows permissions issue - Complete reinstallation - Error 2/79

If you're experiencing issues with our software, for example:

  • Receiving Error 2/79, "Access denied", or a similar error.
  • You're unable to save or access hand histories, player notes, etc.

It can mean that our software doesn't have the appropriate Windows permissions. A complete reinstallation of our software should fix the issue.

Here's what to do:

Make a backup copy of your settings and player notes files (if applicable) first. Their filenames are:

  • Settings file: user.ini or user
  • Player notes: notes.user.xml (where 'user' is your username)

The player notes file is only present if you've saved notes or labels on other players at the poker tables. If you don't take notes on players, just save a copy of your settings file.

Step 1: Back up user files

To do this, open our software (if possible) and follow these steps:

Help → Open My Settings Folder

Find the file(s) and copy them to a safe temporary location.

If you can't open the software, you'll need to manually navigate to the settings folder to locate the file(s).

  1. Press the Windows Key + R (at the same time).
  2. Type or copy/paste the text below into the area provided and press 'Enter':
    %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local
  3. Find and open our software's folder.
  4. Look for user.ini or user and notes.user.xml (where applicable).
  5. Copy the file(s) to a safe temporary location (the desktop is a good choice).

Once you've made a copy of those files, uninstall our software.

Step 2: Uninstall our software

Settings → Apps → Apps & Features

Use the search bar to find our software or scroll down the list, then choose our software and press the 'Uninstall' button.

Step 3: Delete program files

Next, delete all program files from our software's install directory. The default folder is C:\Program Files (x86)\PokerStars\

You'll also need to delete the settings files. To locate these files, open the settings folder, as described in Step 1. Once you've located the folder delete all the files contained within.

Step 4: User and software permissions

Make sure that you're logged into Windows using an account with Administrator rights.

Check that User Account Control (UAC) is enabled:

  1. Search for 'UAC' in Windows search.
  2. Pick 'Change User Account Control Settings'.

If the slider bar is set to 'Default', move to the next step. If it is not, set it to 'Default', press 'OK', and restart your computer.

Step 5: Download our software

Download our software installer file from our website.

During installation, install into the default directory of C:\Program Files (x86)\

If you want to silence the UAC without turning it off, third-party programs can help you with this. You can find these tools through a Google search of UAC silent mode.

Step 6: Restore Files

Finally, be sure to restore the file(s) once reinstalled:

Help → Open My Settings Folder.

Close our software, then copy the file(s) back into the folder (if you're asked to overwrite any files, accept).

If the issue remains, security software may be interfering with our software. In this case, let us know the name and version of any security software you are running. In other words, firewalls, web filters, or virus scanners (e.g., Kaspersky, Norton Internet Security, etc.).

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