Hi,
You will need to reinstall the software. No way around that.
To gain access to the files, you need to take ownership of them. Right-click
the folder, select properties. Go to the security tab and click advanced.
You can take control of the folders on the owner tab. For the security tab
to appear in a WinXP Pro system, you must disable simple file sharing in the
control panel/folder options/view tab. For a WinXP Home system, you must
restart in safe mode and logon as administrator. More details here:
HOW TO: Take Ownership of a File or Folder in Windows XP [Q308421]
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=308421
An additional note for WinXP Pro users: This procedure will not help you
recover data if the files are encrypted. All you will be able to do is
delete them. To recover encrypted files you will need the original
encryption certificate or a Recovery Agent from the installation under which
they were encrypted. Without one of these, the files are not recoverable.
Next time, do a repair installation. Follow these steps to do a repair
install which should preserve your data, settings, and programs:
1. Insert the Windows XP CD into your computer's CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM
drive.
2. Restart your computer. If you have to, change the BIOS settings to start
from
the CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive, and then restart your computer again.
3. At the "Welcome to Setup" page, press ENTER.
4. Press F8 to accept the Licensing Agreement.
5. Use the arrow keys to select the installation of Windows XP that you want
to
repair, and then press R to start the automatic repair process.
6. When Setup is completed, activate Windows XP.
Note that you will need your Product Key for this procedure, so have it
handy before you begin.
--
Best of Luck,
Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Win9x
Windows isn't rocket science! That's my other hobby!
Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone
rstefano said:
I had to refresh windows XP (2nd time in 5 months). I have files out on
my C: drive but some are protected (even though I am an Administrator) and
others are accessible, but the registry, etc. have not been setup to access
the old program files that were out there prior to the refresh.
How do I gain permissions to my old files (I am the administrator!) and
is there a way to refresh the registry, etc. so that I don't have to remove
all of the folders in the program files and reload the many software
products back onto the system ?
