WinXP mydocs folder locked

14th September 2003, 19:27

OK here goes:

I had a good rig up and running, and then my mobo got ****ed, bios completely corrupt (reason still unknown). Anyway the shop couldn't get me another one within 4 weeks so they were nice enough to let me choose another mobo, so I picked an Asus P4C800-E Deluxe, now as you can imagine, booting winxp wouldn't work on another mobo... so on my C drive I installed winxp in another folder to backup my data on that drive...

only my docs folder ... (Documents and Settings folder) is locked, access denied ... since it was created by another windows install in another directory.

Anyone got any smart tricks to get the data in there? creating the same user in the newer install just creates a folder user.windows1 instead of dir user

help me out guys

update

is reinstalling windows in c:\windows and then making a useraccount with the same login/pass as before a good option or the best way to **** it completely?

14th September 2003, 21:47

Quote:

Originally posted by Pirre

is reinstalling windows in c:\windows and then making a useraccount with the same login/pass as before a good option or the best way to **** it completely?

you can try the first thing, maybe boot in safe-mode or somthing like that

14th September 2003, 22:27

doesn't work, if i create an account with the same username/password he makes a mydocs folder like user."PC Name".xxxxxxx

so he won't let me in that directory...

14th September 2003, 22:29

going in dos etc ?

jmke · 14th September 2003, 23:01

Open explorer

go to c:\documents and settings

right click on the folder that you can't get into , select properties

choose tab SECURITY , click on ADVANCED,
choose tab OWNER, select your current administrator-username, check the box named "replace owner on..."

then click OK

TADA!

15th September 2003, 00:11

I know, but that's the whole point, it won't work.

If you install windows in c:\windows and you make your "My Documents" folder personal in WinXP (so that no other user can access it) and then your mobo is ****ed and you have a new mobo, you can't access that windows install.

Reinstalling windows in the same of another directory results in the same, you cannot access that directory, even if you use the same useraccount and password.

What does work is taking a backup of the folder you can't access, and then unpack the backup to another location and deselect "keep security settings/attributes" ...

Funny logic of Microsoft, but that way you can read every user's data on a pc, no matter if he has a personal folder or not...

jmke · 15th September 2003, 00:12

taking ownerchip always works (experience)
make sure you follow the steps I outlined in my previous post

15th September 2003, 00:40

true it also works, but you have to switch off simplified file sharing (default) first.

but yep it also worked

14th September 2003, 19:27	#1
Pirre Posts: n/a	WinXP mydocs folder locked OK here goes: I had a good rig up and running, and then my mobo got **ed, bios completely corrupt (reason still unknown). Anyway the shop couldn't get me another one within 4 weeks so they were nice enough to let me choose another mobo, so I picked an Asus P4C800-E Deluxe, now as you can imagine, booting winxp wouldn't work on another mobo... so on my C drive I installed winxp in another folder to backup my data on that drive... only my docs folder ... (Documents and Settings folder) is locked, access denied ... since it was created by another windows install in another directory. Anyone got any smart tricks to get the data in there? creating the same user in the newer install just creates a folder user.windows1 instead of dir user help me out guys update is reinstalling windows in c:\windows and then making a useraccount with the same login/pass as before a good option or the best way to ** it completely?

14th September 2003, 23:01	#5
jmke Madshrimp Join Date: May 2002 Location: 7090/Belgium Posts: 79,020	Open explorer go to c:\documents and settings right click on the folder that you can't get into , select properties choose tab SECURITY , click on ADVANCED, choose tab OWNER, select your current administrator-username, check the box named "replace owner on..." then click OK TADA! __________________

15th September 2003, 00:12	#7
jmke Madshrimp Join Date: May 2002 Location: 7090/Belgium Posts: 79,020	taking ownerchip always works (experience) make sure you follow the steps I outlined in my previous post __________________

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14th September 2003, 22:27	#3
Pirre Posts: n/a	doesn't work, if i create an account with the same username/password he makes a mydocs folder like user."PC Name".xxxxxxx so he won't let me in that directory...

14th September 2003, 22:29	#4
GorenBarry Posts: n/a	going in dos etc ?

15th September 2003, 00:11	#6
Pirre Posts: n/a	I know, but that's the whole point, it won't work. If you install windows in c:\windows and you make your "My Documents" folder personal in WinXP (so that no other user can access it) and then your mobo is ****ed and you have a new mobo, you can't access that windows install. Reinstalling windows in the same of another directory results in the same, you cannot access that directory, even if you use the same useraccount and password. What does work is taking a backup of the folder you can't access, and then unpack the backup to another location and deselect "keep security settings/attributes" ... Funny logic of Microsoft, but that way you can read every user's data on a pc, no matter if he has a personal folder or not...

15th September 2003, 00:40	#8
Pirre Posts: n/a	true it also works, but you have to switch off simplified file sharing (default) first. but yep it also worked