*sigh* folder access problem...please read this...

[Arkane13131]

ok, i have a harddrive that for some reason would not boot, nor even let me access it within a dos softboot...so...i installed a new harddrive installed windows xp on it...and booted up just fine...then i shut down... installed that old harddrive, and it booted fine. i go into my computer and i go to documents and settings on that old harddrive and then i click on my former username....Access Denied....

oh, i can fix this i thought...so i boot into safemode log on as administrator and go to security tab and add my new username to the allowed access list...presto... i log back in and it works...only...just for that first folder...which is nothing more than a list of other folders....one of them being the desktop that im trying to access... so i slap myself in the forehead...i reboot into safemode...i go to the the unlocked folder and i try to set access again the same way...only for the desktop folder within it that i desperatly need to get to....and lo and behold...it will not let me add access for anyone O.O nor let me access it as the administrator (safemode and regular boot)....im perplexed...im using windows xp home edition... i need all my old files from there (written lyrics mostley...and my novel that i spent 6 months on x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x)

any suggestions?

 

[Arkane13131]

help me out ; ; preases!

 

[Fardringle]

In Windows Explorer:
Click on Tools at the top of the window and select Folder Options.
Click on the View tab, scroll to the bottom of the Advanced settings: frame and remove the check from the box next to "Use simple file sharing".
Click OK.
Browse to the folder you need to access (or even just use the root of the old hard drive) and right-click on the folder (or drive letter) and left-click on Properties.
Click on the Security tab, then click on the Advanced button.
Click on the Owner tab.
Select your current login ID from the list in the second frame.
Check the box labeled "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects".
Click OK.
Make sure your user name shows up in the top box under "Group or user names" and you have full control rights (click on your name and check the Full Control box in the bottom window), or if your account is a local admin, the group Administrators is fine.
Click OK.
Try to access the My Documents folder on the old hard drive again.

edit: Once you get access to your files again (especially that novel) PLEASE make a backup copy on a CD, floppy, USB drive, ect. so that you won't have to panic again if anything should ever happen to your hard drive again!

 

[Arkane13131]

that only works in windows xp professional. ; ; i tried it before the safemode thing

Edit: yeah should have backed up files on something...

any other ideas?

 

[Slikkster]

You are incorrect. This works in XP Home as well. You just need to do it as admin in safe mode. Read this:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=308421

Here's the salient line from the link above:

If you are running Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, you must start the computer in safe mode, and then log on with an account that has Administrative rights to have access to the Security tab.

 

[Arkane13131]

thank you, i was confuzzled! got it all taken care of now.