Accessing User

[Guest]

I have multiple systems running XP Professional (all registered). Last week,
my older system crashed completely due to harware issues.
Although all my information was backed-up, some of the recent one is still
on that older hard drive and I cannot access by connecting it as a slave
drive (password protection).
When I tried putting it as a primary, I am force to repair the Windows XP,
which is done completely.
The problem is that once I log on as the user, the system is asking me to
register, which I cannot do on-line. Calling Microsoft has not help since
the number they are giving me does not work either. I have used both the
automated and tech person with the same result. If I don't register, the
system logs me off once again.
So the question is:
How can I log in and recover this data?

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

I have multiple systems running XP Professional (all registered).
Last week, my older system crashed completely due to harware issues.
Although all my information was backed-up, some of the recent one is
still on that older hard drive and I cannot access by connecting it
as a slave drive (password protection).

I presume you mean, you used NTFS format on this drive, and you're getting
"access denied" ? IF so, no biggie - just take ownership. See
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=308421 for help.

If you mean, you used EFS, you may be SOL if you don't have a backup of your
system state or a backup of your encryption key/cert.

When I tried putting it as a primary, I am force to repair the
Windows XP, which is done completely.
The problem is that once I log on as the user, the system is asking
me to register, which I cannot do on-line. Calling Microsoft has not
help since the number they are giving me does not work either. I
have used both the automated and tech person with the same result.
If I don't register, the system logs me off once again.
So the question is:
How can I log in and recover this data?

May not be necessary - see above. Don't know why the phone number doesn't
work - I've used it before successfully.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for your answer, however I should've explained myself better.
I am running NTF (and I did have some experience with EFS in the past) but I
cannot take ownership because I can't even get that far.
Using the hard drive as a slave drive, I'm not allow to even select that user.
Using the hard drive as a master, I was forced to repair my XP OS. Once it
reaches the users I can select the user I need but after typing the password
windows goes into a screen asking me to register. For some reason network is
disabled (although I'm not going in safe mode) and I need to call MS. The
number given me by Microsoft to run the program doesn't work but I get the
"reboot the system and it should work).

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

Thanks for your answer, however I should've explained myself better.
I am running NTF (and I did have some experience with EFS in the
past) but I cannot take ownership because I can't even get that far.
Using the hard drive as a slave drive, I'm not allow to even select
that user. Using the hard drive as a master, I was forced to repair
my XP OS. Once it reaches the users I can select the user I need but
after typing the password windows goes into a screen asking me to
register. For some reason network is disabled (although I'm not
going in safe mode) and I need to call MS. The number given me by
Microsoft to run the program doesn't work but I get the "reboot the
system and it should work).

If you have the disk as a slave drive, you don't have to activate Windows XP
on it. The Windows installation on the master drive is the only installation
of Windows that matters - the slave drive version of Windows isn't running.
You should be able to navigate through Explorer to the slave drive, take
ownership of the data folder(s), copy them to the master drive/back them up
wherever you want. Then, if you wish to re-use the old drive, you can put it
back in as a master & reinstall from scratch. Although you should be able to
call MS to activate - I've never had any problem doing that. You do not
need to register.

 

[Guest]

I think taking ownership will be the only option so I'll try that; THANKS!
It's actually activation what the system was requiring. I couldn't access
the files as a slave so i tried it as the master drive and, after repairing
XP it asked me to activate but there's nothing that I or Microsoft could come
up to pass the activation screen (The 3 numbers they told me to try did not
work).
Again, thanks...