[Otach]

Hello, I'm currently moving a bunch of files from one Hard Drive to another, and most of my VITAL, VITAL files are under my user profile folder on the Hard Drive I can't use.

IE: C:/Documents and Settings/User

My "User" folder cannot be acessed from my other HD!! And I also cannot start windows on the Hard Drive with the vital files on it (which is why I'm transferring files in the first place)

How can I access that locked folder from my useable Hard Drive?

[gerryf]

I assume you had the second drive in a previous system, and moved it to this new system...for whatever reason.

Was the original system WIndows XP Pro? And this new one is windows xp....home or pro?

[Otach]

No, same system, Windows XP Home. I had problems acessing the old HD (I can't log in or anything at all) so I installed a new Windows XP home on a new hd, and am transferring files from my old HD onto my new HD.

[gerryf]

Oh...ok...would have been easier the other way.....

OK, here is what I think is happening...In windows XP, files and folders are secured by what is known as an Access Control List.

Each person's profile is protected by the ACL

In windows xp prop, to gain control of such files you take ownership. In Home....never had to do this in home.....don't have a xp home system handy

Let's try the easy way...I have been told that the ACL function is not present in safe mode, so try that first, otherwise we need to use some commandline tools and I need to check if they are relevent in Home.....

So, reboot in safe mode and I will take a looksee

[gerryf]

Ahh, found something faster than I thought

Start the computer in safe mode, and then log on with an account that has Administrative rights....administrator will for sure (obviously)

If you did not set administrator account password, the password is blank (just hit enter with nothing in box)

Select the Documents and Settings folder on the other drive (right click), choose PROPERTIES

You will see a tab you have not seen before called SECURITY,

Click Advanced, and then click the Owner tab
.
In the Name list, click your user name (or click the add button and add your user account name), or click Administrator if you are logged in as Administrator, or click the Administrators group.

To take ownership of the contents of that folder, select the Replace owner on subcontainers and objects check box.

Click OK, and then click Yes when it asks you if you want to replace the directory permissions with permissions granting you Full Control

You shoudl be able to copy/move files at will, now

[dave123]

Hello Gerry,

I suffered much the same problem outlined here and your advice worked perfectly for me. Thus i felt obliged to register and express my gratitute.

You are a legend!!!

Thanks,

Dave

[gerryf]

Glad to have helped....I always wanted to be a legend, but I can never seem to get beyond myth