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Windows XP forum: Accessing password protected user docs from old hard drive

by: takenbi February 18, 2013 2:08 PM PST

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Accessing password protected user docs from old hard drive

by takenbi - 2/18/13 2:08 PM

My old desktop "died" (don't ask me what happened specifically - it just wouldn't boot), so I bought a new PC. Old one had Windows XP Media Center, new one has Windows 8 but I have an office computer with Windows XP pro.

I had pictures and documents in the in the "documents" folders for 3 users on the old hard drive. I successfully removed the old hard drive and now have it in a hard drive enclosures. I can access the files for the 2 users which did not require a password when using them on the old computer before it crashed. But I cannot access the document for the 3rd user, the only one which required a password when signing into windows on the old machine. I can see that user's folders, and can see that there are "picutres" "music" and "video" folders, but I cannot open them. I get an "access denied" message of some sort.

I've researched and it appears that I may have to "take ownership" of the old hard drive folder for the user name which had the password, but I'm not sure and when I tried using the instructions I found on the web, they don't match up with the screen/options and/or are not detailed enough to walk me through the process.

This has to be a common problem but I cannot find the right help.

Anyone????/


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Tell more such as is this EFS?

by R. Proffitt Moderator - 2/18/13 2:23 PM

In Reply to: Accessing password protected user docs from old hard drive by takenbi

More about that at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encrypting_File_System

The good news is this can be decrypted. And if it's just some word password, the same company I'll mention does that as well.

It is however possible that it's just the old user/ownership issue noted at http://forums.cnet.com/7723-7588_102-585156/how-do-i-fix-permissions-to-access-files/?tag=contentBody;threadListing

http://lostpassword.com will walk you through the Word and EFS recovery.
Bob


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Not encrypted - just windows xp user login password

by takenbi - 2/20/13 10:14 AM

In Reply to: Tell more such as is this EFS? by R. Proffitt Moderator

Sorry, I think I omitted that detail. No, I didn't do any encrypting. At least I don't think that's what it is. The barrier is that the Windows user profile with the data had a password to log in when using the computer. I had 3 or 4 "users" (1) "Administrator", (2) "Joe" (my name), (3) "Patty" (wife's name) and (4) "Guest."

The files are in the documents for "Joe" as user. When the computer worked, I would turn it on, select "Joe" as the user, and then had to type in my password to continue with the log in as Joe. I know the password, so it isn't a lost password issue. The former internal desktop pc hard drive is now in an enclosure and ready to be used as an external hard drive. My plan is to just get the data off the "Joe" user and then destroy the hard drive. I can access the data under "Patty" and "shared" file folders, just not those under "Joe." I get "Access Denie" message when I click on the "Joe" folder.


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Sounds like the old user/ownership issue then.

by R. Proffitt Moderator - 2/20/13 11:39 AM

In Reply to: Not encrypted - just windows xp user login password by takenbi

Read the supplied link about that.


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