How to access a user folder to retrieve files from another system?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jon Boyes
  • Start date Start date
J

Jon Boyes

Due to a motherboard failure on an old PC, I have just bought a new system.
Old and new system are both Win XP Pro.

I want to recover data from the hard drive on my old PC (specifically my
Outlook Express Folders & settings plus IE favourites). Normally of course I
would do this with the files and settings transfer wizard but I just have
the hard drive from my old PC to work with.

I have installed the old drive in the new PC and if I try to open my old
user folder from the Documents and settings folder I get the 'access is
denied' message.

I also tried booting to the old drive (in safe mode as obviously the OS
would have all the old motherboard drivers etc installed) but the system
crashed with a blue stop error.

So is there anyway I can access my old files and settings from the old hard
drive?

Thanks.
 
Jon Boyes said:
Due to a motherboard failure on an old PC, I have just bought
a new system. Old and new system are both Win XP Pro.

I want to recover data from the hard drive on my old PC
(specifically my Outlook Express Folders & settings plus IE
favourites). Normally of course I would do this with the
files and settings transfer wizard but I just have the hard
drive from my old PC to work with.

I have installed the old drive in the new PC and if I try to
open my old user folder from the Documents and settings
folder I get the 'access is denied' message.

I also tried booting to the old drive (in safe mode as
obviously the OS would have all the old motherboard drivers
etc installed) but the system crashed with a blue stop error.

So is there anyway I can access my old files and settings
from the old hard drive?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

With the hard drive from the old computer installed as a slave
drive on your new computer you need to disable Simple File
Sharing and take ownership of the files. Take a look at these
articles for more info:

"Access is Denied" Error Message When You Try to Open a Folder
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/810881

How to take ownership of a file or folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308421

Good luck

Nepatsfan
 
With the hard drive from the old computer installed as a slave drive on
your new computer you need to disable Simple File Sharing and take
ownership of the files. Take a look at these articles for more info:
Click to expand...
Thanks.
Jon
 
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