Accessing "restricted" folder - my account - HELP?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

Here's the story... My laptop crashed, said NTOSKRNL.EXE was corrupted.
Tried to go into repair console, got that problem fixed but it told me that
the \system directory was corrupted. After a long while, I ended up
re-installing XP Home in a non-standard directory. It works fine. ALL I
want to do is copy my old files onto an external HD so I can reformat the
laptop and start over.
The problem: My files are in the "access controled" folders of c:\documents
and settings. Is there a way that I (as the sole user of the computer, the
owner, the administrator, and knowledgable of all passwords on any accounts
on the computer) can access the information locked in the "User A" directory
from the old, corrupted version of XP? I can't get the old version of XP to
run, so I have to access windows explorer from the new XP version. Is there
any way to access this info to copy it to a CD? Safe Mode maybe? Registry
work? Like I said, I know the passwords and the loggin, so it's not like I'm
trying to do something shifty and steal someone else's info.
The other possibility I've thought of, but am hesitant to try, is to
reinstall XP in the main directory (c:\windows\). I know this will erase the
info in the "windows" directory, but I'm concerned about it deleting all the
info from that user account in the documents and settings folder.
Any comments, suggestions, or ideas would be most helpful! Thanks in advance.
 
Here's the story... My laptop crashed, said NTOSKRNL.EXE was corrupted.
Tried to go into repair console, got that problem fixed but it told me that
the \system directory was corrupted. After a long while, I ended up
re-installing XP Home in a non-standard directory. It works fine. ALL I
want to do is copy my old files onto an external HD so I can reformat the
laptop and start over.
The problem: My files are in the "access controled" folders of c:\documents
and settings. Is there a way that I (as the sole user of the computer, the
owner, the administrator, and knowledgable of all passwords on any accounts
on the computer) can access the information locked in the "User A" directory
from the old, corrupted version of XP? I can't get the old version of XP to
run, so I have to access windows explorer from the new XP version. Is there
any way to access this info to copy it to a CD? Safe Mode maybe? Registry
work? Like I said, I know the passwords and the loggin, so it's not like I'm
trying to do something shifty and steal someone else's info.
The other possibility I've thought of, but am hesitant to try, is to
reinstall XP in the main directory (c:\windows\). I know this will erase the
info in the "windows" directory, but I'm concerned about it deleting all the
info from that user account in the documents and settings folder.
Any comments, suggestions, or ideas would be most helpful! Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

While logged on to your new XP install, use Windows Explorer to navigate to
the folders with your old files. Then take ownership and copy them to your
new account.

How To Take Ownership of a File or Folder
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308421
 
Sharon F,
You are a god(dess) and I thank you for your help. Much appreciated, and
now I do not have to throw my laptop off a cliff in frustration!
Thank you again.
 
Sharon F,
You are a god(dess) and I thank you for your help. Much appreciated, and
now I do not have to throw my laptop off a cliff in frustration!
Thank you again.
Click to expand...

You're most welcome!
 
Sharon,

I have the same problem. I have had to reinstall windows because of a system
problem. When the new windows was installed, it showed my old folder where I
kept music and plenty of excel spreadsheets for records but it has yet to
allow me to look into that account again.

This is starting to get very very frustrating!!!

I have tried clicking on the folder I wish to take ownership of by right
clicking on the file. But there is no 'security' tab??? So any ideas????

please could you or anyone help???

Thanks
 
Sharon,

I have the same problem. I have had to reinstall windows because of a system
problem. When the new windows was installed, it showed my old folder where I
kept music and plenty of excel spreadsheets for records but it has yet to
allow me to look into that account again.

This is starting to get very very frustrating!!!

I have tried clicking on the folder I wish to take ownership of by right
clicking on the file. But there is no 'security' tab??? So any ideas????

please could you or anyone help???

Thanks
Click to expand...

If you have XP Pro, turn off simple file sharing in Folder Options> View.
Then do the "take ownership" steps.

If you have XP Home, you'll need to start in Safe Mode. Log on using the
account named "Administrator" (usually the password is blank on systems
where XP has been preinstalled). Then do the "take ownership" steps.
 
I hope that my post rings some type of bell so that it might gain attention -
as this is February 2007.

I too had to reinstall to Windows XP Home Edition to a directory different
than my original Windows directory. I am unable to access a subdirectory
under "Documents and Settings".

I booted to "Safe Mode" > signed as "Administrator" > checked every tab at
one time or another to end up inheriting permission from the "CREATOR OWNER".

None of the security boxes under CREATOR OWNER were checked. When I check
"Full Control" and "Apply" all of the boxes unchecked themselves. While I can
inherit all of the security permissions from the Owner - I end up with
nothing since the Owner himself has no permission selected and I am unable to
give him permission at this time or allow him to inherit permissions from the
CREATOR OWNER who has no permission

I have been backing-up the entire Documents and Settings directory. My logs
show that my backups skipped the very subdirectory I need the most. The
subdirectory contains part of a book that I have been writting.

How have I been able to write to the subdirectory containing my book but not
been able to back it up?

Two "backups" on CD-ROMs contain the Name of my subdirectory. Using Explorer
I get "access denied" when I double click on the directory on the CD-ROM
backups. I am unable to copy the subdirectory to the harddrive from the CD.
Right clicking and then clicking on the "Properties Tab" shows 0 files of 0
size. I get the same thing when I right click on the original subdirectory on
my hard disk.

In the past few days since my second Windows installation, I have gotten the
same 0 files 0 size on some of the folders on my harddrive. When I claimed
ownership of these folders, I found that they were not empty. The two
differences in those cases being one folder was on my harddrive and the other
is on a CD-ROM and 2) the fact that I am unable to give the CREATOR OWNER
full permission on the security tab in safe mode.

You have a good chance to hide from this post since it is a reply to an old
posting. I hope that you will not do that - but. My big question is how do I
assign permission to a CREATOR OWNER who has none of the permission boxes
checked under the security tab?

Why is in impossible to disable "simple file sharing" in the Home edition
(used at home by one person) and allow it in the Professional edition? Is
this also true for Vista?
 
Back
Top