Accessing password protected directories after Windows reinstall

[Byteguy]

I recently did a reinstall of Windows, leaving the file system
intact. (XP Home)
After the reinstall, the old directories are not accessible, as they
were password protected before we did the reinstall.
How can I access those old directories so that we may recover data?
We do have the old username and password.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I recently did a reinstall of Windows, leaving the file system
intact. (XP Home)

After the reinstall, the old directories are not accessible, as they
were password protected before we did the reinstall.

How can I access those old directories so that we may recover data?
We do have the old username and password.

The directories are *not* password protected. What you are seeing is a
result of file and folder permissions - not password protection.

What you left out was the exact wording of the message that appears when you
try to access said old files/folders. I would bet that the owrds "Access
Denied" are in there in some form/arrangement. If you had included those
words in a search (like Google, etc) - you would have come up with the
following:

How to Take Ownership of a File or Folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308421

Read *carefully* - do not just skim the page and start following steps.
There is important information there dependent on the version of Windows XP

Luckily - you asked here - where that answer is probably given several times
a week at this point (used to be more frequent, but it's much like a sine
wave...)

So please - follow the advice given, regain access to your old files and
folders and I wish you well with your cleaned up installation. If you have
more queries - please come back and ask (try a Google search as well -
you'll be surprised how many people have likely experienced some of the same
things you have.)

 

[Byteguy]

The directories are *not* password protected.  What you are seeing is a
result of file and folder permissions - not password protection.

What you left out was the exact wording of the message that appears when you
try to access said old files/folders.  I would bet that the owrds "Access
Denied" are in there in some form/arrangement.  If you had included those
words in a search (like Google, etc) - you would have come up with the
following:

How to Take Ownership of a File or Folder in Windows XPhttp://support.microsoft.com/kb/308421

Read *carefully* - do not just skim the page and start following steps.
There is important information there dependent on the version of Windows XP

Luckily - you asked here - where that answer is probably given several times
a week at this point (used to be more frequent, but it's much like a sine
wave...)

So please - follow the advice given, regain access to your old files and
folders and I wish you well with your cleaned up installation.  If you have
more queries - please come back and ask (try a Google search as well -
you'll be surprised how many people have likely experienced some of the same
things you have.)

You're correct--I asked the question without (1) actually seeing the
error--it was read to me over the phone, and (2) assuming the problem
was files when it was actually permissions. I no doubt posed the
question in the wrong words, as I knew it was not uncommon but was
sort of befuddled when I got no returns on the question.

Thanks for helping, even though you no doubt have helped many with the
same problem before. Guess I was a bit tired tonight.

Art