Win XP User's Directories

[astrolabe]

I have a hard drive which will not boot but has valuable data stored in a couple of user Document & Settings. Unfortunately they are password protected and deny access... How do you open them to access the data stored therein ?? We know the passwords. The directories won't even be copied

Help please !!

Tom

 

[Ididmyc600]

I have a hard drive which will not boot but has valuable data stored in a couple of user Document & Settings. Unfortunately they are password protected and deny access... How do you open them to access the data stored therein ?? We know the passwords. The directories won't even be copied

Help please !!

Tom

Assuming that you now have the HD slaved into another machine (you dont say so I assume), you now have to remove the security rights from the drive, by right clicking the drive >Properties and going into the security tab.

Remove the users which will appear as S-3445693932-4349454 or similar, these are the old SIDS of the users as they were on the old machine, and add the users account you are know using.

You may need to go as far as taking ownership of the drive in its entirety, this is done by clicking the "advanced" tab and going to the "Owner" tab, make sure you tick the box marked "replace owner on subcontainers and objects" this may take a while so go make a cup of tea.

Lastly and perhaps worst case, the folders have been encrypted, in which case there is no recovery unless you can get the drive to boot in the original machine.

Regards

 

[astrolabe]

Further Question

Hi

You assume correctly - I have it hung of my machine running win 2k Pro. The HD concerned is XP Home ediition. Unfortunately the MB got killed by a thunderstorm - fried the video section if not more. The lady owner concerned just wants the data off it.

As a friend I said I'd see what I could do. She doesn't know if it's encrypted!!

Will 2k be able to control it or do I need to use XP?

Tom

 

[astrolabe]

OK

Yes you can use win 2k at least as far as looking at the directory of the user. Unfortunately this drive won't let me go any further.

is there any way I can get the drivers off my win2k system and install them blind on the XP drive so it will boot properly. Currently the disk will start booting , but blows out even in safe mode!