How Do I Get Access To My Email Again?

Have used Bitdefender on Win 7 for many years with no problems. Ran a complete scan which identified one critical threat and suggested turning on a specific setting as a solution. I had Bitdefender change that setting, the system required a reboot, and since then I have been unable to access my email client (The Bat). When I attempt to load the app, I get an error "Failed to create working directory c:\Program Files (x86)\The Bat!\Mail\". All folders related to email are flagged read only, and even as the only user (and administrator) I cannot change those attributes. I have thousands of emails I can no longer access. Any help appreciated, as I am unable to subscribe to Bitdefender software support.