Cannot copy folder from external USB drive

[Squiggly1]

I backed up my failing computer's documents & settings data to an external USB drive. I completely reinstalled a (new) version of XP Home Edition on the computer. Now when I try to copy and paste the folder from by USB drive to my C drive I instantly get an error message "Cannot copy file". I tried unchecking "read only" for the folder and all of it's contents. That didn't work. In fact after I click "OK" and view the folder properties, "read only" is back to the checked state again. I suspect this is something to do with NTFS permissions or something. When booting with an Ubuntu live CD I can't even VIEW the drive, as it's saying that the USB drive is "locked". What is the workaround to copy it off my external drive back to my new C drive?

 

[LookinAround]

See if this MS KB on how to take ownership of files resolves your problem. (You must have Admin privileges)

 

[hellokitty[hk]]

Is the USB drive physically locked? Like one of those "lock" switches on sandisks...
If you are copying it, all you would need to do is read, and I think that read only box is always check, everything on my computer is read only, not that I can't write or modify.

 

[Squiggly1]

I took a closer look. Everything copies fine except MicroSoft Word files with long file names. I am not even able to copy from Volume D to Volume C. Right clicking these stubborn files doesn't even show the copy option. Strange! I read about cancopy.net but the site is shut down. Perhaps there's another software out there that allows you to copy files with long file names?

UPDATE: Apparently this is related to a bug with Windows. After doing some reading I think the solution is to use the command prompt's XCOPY command. Since DOS ignores long files (by renaming them to short names) it just goes ahead a copies. What a pain in the **** it has been to zero in on this problem! I've spent hours trying to figure this one out.

 

[LookinAround]

Thanks for that update! :grinthumb

Had a chance to learn something new myself from it!!