How to bypass administrator permissions on my own system

[tom.locastro]

I have a cloned copy of an older XP system on a removable drive that
had several user groups. I recently reinstalled XP SP2 on my main
computer and now the removable drive no longer allows me access to the
administrator accounts my documents folders. How can I bypass the file
folder permissions so that I may retrieve my old data?

 

[Nepatsfan]

In

I have a cloned copy of an older XP system on a removable
drive that
had several user groups. I recently reinstalled XP SP2 on my
main
computer and now the removable drive no longer allows me
access to the
administrator accounts my documents folders. How can I bypass
the file
folder permissions so that I may retrieve my old data?

You need to disable Simple File Sharing and take ownership of
the files. Take a look at these articles for more info:

How to disable simplified sharing and set permissions on a
shared folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307874/

How to take ownership of a file or folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308421

"Access is Denied" Error Message When You Try to Open a Folder
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/810881

Note: If you are running Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, you
must start the computer in safe mode, and then log on with an
account that has Administrative rights to have access to the
Security tab. To start in Safe Mode, reboot your computer and
start tapping the F8 key as soon as you see anything displayed
on the screen. Keep hitting F8 until the Advanced Startup
Options menu appears. Use the up and down arrow keys on your
keyboard to select Safe Mode. Hit Enter.

Good luck

Nepatsfan

 

[tom.locastro]

In


You need to disable Simple File Sharing and take ownership of
the files. Take a look at these articles for more info:

How to disable simplified sharing and set permissions on a
shared folder in Windows XPhttp://support.microsoft.com/kb/307874/

How to take ownership of a file or folder in Windows XPhttp://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308421

"Access is Denied" Error Message When You Try to Open a Folderhttp://support.microsoft.com/kb/810881

Note: If you are running Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, you
must start the computer in safe mode, and then log on with an
account that has Administrative rights to have access to the
Security tab. To start in Safe Mode, reboot your computer and
start tapping the F8 key as soon as you see anything displayed
on the screen. Keep hitting F8 until the Advanced Startup
Options menu appears. Use the up and down arrow keys on your
keyboard to select Safe Mode. Hit Enter.

Good luck

Nepatsfan

My newer version of XP on my C drive has no user groups but the
removable drive does and no longer recognizes me as the administrator.
By booting in safe mode, doesn't that only affect the newly installed
OS and does nothing for the removable drive? How is that going to help
bypass the administrator file permissions on the removable drive?

 

[Tx2]

My newer version of XP on my C drive has no user groups but the
removable drive does and no longer recognizes me as the administrator.
By booting in safe mode, doesn't that only affect the newly installed
OS and does nothing for the removable drive? How is that going to help
bypass the administrator file permissions on the removable drive?

Have you actually tried the suggestion? Questions are answered far more
easily when the outcome of a previous suggestion is known.

 

[tom.locastro]

Have you actually tried the suggestion? Questions are answered far more
easily when the outcome of a previous suggestion is known.

Fair enough! I am at work and I am trying to understand the logic
without trying the functions. I saw in the link provided that you must
have an administrator access to disable the use simple file sharing on
primary accounts and therefore I am under the assumption that it would
not let you. I will do as instructed once home and report back.
Thanks~

 

[Nepatsfan]

In

My newer version of XP on my C drive has no user groups but
the
removable drive does and no longer recognizes me as the
administrator.
By booting in safe mode, doesn't that only affect the newly
installed
OS and does nothing for the removable drive? How is that
going to help
bypass the administrator file permissions on the removable
drive?

I probably should have asked this question earlier but what
exactly do you mean by "removable drive"? How are you accessing
it from your current XP installation? How is it connected to
your main computer? Is it formatted NTFS?

As for your questions, here's what taking ownership involves.

Unless the files were encrypted, being denied access to folders
on a drive formatted NTFS is usually a permissions issue. Often
it's simply a matter of giving your account Full Control
permissions to the folder. This gets complicated if the files
are from a different XP installation. You need to take
ownership of the folders before you can assign your account FC
permissions.

To take ownership and change NTFS permissions, you need to
access the Security tab of the folders properties sheet. In
Windows XP Professional or Media Center Edition this is
accomplished by disabling Simple File Sharing in the Control
Panel -> Folder Options applet. In XP Home Edition, you need to
boot the computer into Safe Mode to gain access to the Security
tab. XP Home does not provide a way to disable Simple File
Sharing.

Post back if you have any other questions.

Good luck

Nepatsfan

 

[tom.locastro]

In







I probably should have asked this question earlier but what
exactly do you mean by "removable drive"? How are you accessing
it from your current XP installation? How is it connected to
your main computer? Is it formatted NTFS?

As for your questions, here's what taking ownership involves.

Unless the files were encrypted, being denied access to folders
on a drive formatted NTFS is usually a permissions issue. Often
it's simply a matter of giving your account Full Control
permissions to the folder. This gets complicated if the files
are from a different XP installation. You need to take
ownership of the folders before you can assign your account FC
permissions.

To take ownership and change NTFS permissions, you need to
access the Security tab of the folders properties sheet. In
Windows XP Professional or Media Center Edition this is
accomplished by disabling Simple File Sharing in the Control
Panel -> Folder Options applet. In XP Home Edition, you need to
boot the computer into Safe Mode to gain access to the Security
tab. XP Home does not provide a way to disable Simple File
Sharing.

Post back if you have any other questions.

Good luck

Nepatsfan- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I believe this is why I wrote back without trying it first. The
removable drive is just an external hard drive connected via USB. I
cloned my older XP Home Edition onto the hard drive and have since
reinstalled XP Home Edition on my c drive using a different Operating
System disk as I have lost the original. Therefore on the external
hard drive there is a different installation of XP Home Edition on it
and it is not a bootable copy as it is on a USB connection. When I go
to my computer via my current OS and click on my external drive letter
and go to the My Documents folder of the administrator account (cloned
XP Home Edition Version), I get the message access denied. So if I
boot up using safe mode, I will be booting in safe mode on the
resident hard drive and not the external drive and since XP Home does
not allow a disable to simple file sharing, how does the access to the
security tab work in this instance on an external drive?

 

[Jim]

My newer version of XP on my C drive has no user groups but the
removable drive does and no longer recognizes me as the administrator.
By booting in safe mode, doesn't that only affect the newly installed
OS and does nothing for the removable drive? How is that going to help
bypass the administrator file permissions on the removable drive?

You clearly do not understand that a username is merely an alias for a
Security ID. Now, when you installed a new version of XP on your C drive,
the installation created accounts with new Security IDs. Thus, these new
accounts cannot access the files on the removable drive because, even if the
names are identical, the security IDs are not. Hence, XP's file protection
mechanism will not permit access.
That is why you need to take ownership of the files and folders on the
removable drive.
Jim

 

[tom.locastro]

You clearly do not understand that a username is merely an alias for a
Security ID. Now, when you installed a new version of XP on your C drive,
the installation created accounts with new Security IDs. Thus, these new
accounts cannot access the files on the removable drive because, even if the
names are identical, the security IDs are not. Hence, XP's file protection
mechanism will not permit access.
That is why you need to take ownership of the files and folders on the
removable drive.
Jim- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Jim,
I do understand that two different security ID's are at stake.
What I am trying to understand is that XP Professional will allow the
disabling of simple file sharing and access to the security feature
but XP home will not (as I so far understand it to be). So that being
said; Is the safe mode reboot all that needs to be done to circumvent
not be allowed to access the security features after disabling the
simple file sharing? Or is it more than that because of the two
different installations and it is the XP Home edition?

 

[Nepatsfan]

In

I believe this is why I wrote back without trying it first.
The
removable drive is just an external hard drive connected via
USB. I
cloned my older XP Home Edition onto the hard drive and have
since
reinstalled XP Home Edition on my c drive using a different
Operating
System disk as I have lost the original. Therefore on the
external
hard drive there is a different installation of XP Home
Edition on it
and it is not a bootable copy as it is on a USB connection.
When I go
to my computer via my current OS and click on my external
drive letter
and go to the My Documents folder of the administrator
account (cloned
XP Home Edition Version), I get the message access denied.
So if I
boot up using safe mode, I will be booting in safe mode on
the
resident hard drive and not the external drive and since XP
Home does
not allow a disable to simple file sharing, how does the
access to the
security tab work in this instance on an external drive?

When you get home from work, reboot your current XP Home
Edition installation into Safe Mode.
Open My Computer.
Open your external USB hard drive.
Navigate to the old administrator's My Documents folder.
Right click on the folder and select Properties from the menu.
You should now see the Security tab displayed.
Click on the Security tab and hit the Advanced button.
In Advanced Security Settings, click on the Owner tab.
Change the current owner to the Administrators group.
You should now be able to give the Administrators group Full
Control permissions to this folder.

Good luck

Nepatsfan

 

[tom.locastro]

In







When you get home from work, reboot your current XP Home
Edition installation into Safe Mode.
Open My Computer.
Open your external USB hard drive.
Navigate to the old administrator's My Documents folder.
Right click on the folder and select Properties from the menu.
You should now see the Security tab displayed.
Click on the Security tab and hit the Advanced button.
In Advanced Security Settings, click on the Owner tab.
Change the current owner to the Administrators group.
You should now be able to give the Administrators group Full
Control permissions to this folder.

Good luck

Nepatsfan- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Nepatsfan,

Sorry to be a pain with all the questions. Everything worked out great
and just as your instructions said. Thanks for all your help, its your
help that drives the community forward.

Tom

 

[Nepatsfan]

In

Nepatsfan,

Sorry to be a pain with all the questions. Everything worked
out great
and just as your instructions said. Thanks for all your help,
its your
help that drives the community forward.

Tom

You're welcome. Glad to hear you were able to recover your
files.

Nepatsfan

 

[Jim]

Jim,
I do understand that two different security ID's are at stake.
What I am trying to understand is that XP Professional will allow the
disabling of simple file sharing and access to the security feature
but XP home will not (as I so far understand it to be). So that being
said; Is the safe mode reboot all that needs to be done to circumvent
not be allowed to access the security features after disabling the
simple file sharing? Or is it more than that because of the two
different installations and it is the XP Home edition?

Sorry, I can't answer any questions about XP Home as I only have Pro and MCE
here.
Jim