Can't access my own user directory after re-installing XP

  • Thread starter Thread starter Danis
  • Start date Start date
D

Danis

Okay - I know this sounds dumb, but a few months ago I re-
installed XP (home) over my existing installation as it
just locked on startup. Now, my user profile was
called "Danis". When I re-set up the new XP I specified a
different name (my first name and my last name). So now
under "douments and settings" I see my old profile and
the new one. But I can't access my old files. Windows
tells me "access denied". Now - as it is my profile, I
know the password and everything, and I'd like to access
my old files. Is there any way I can persuade Windows to
ask me the password and then let me access my old files?
Or is everything lost for ever? I tried setting up a user
called "Danis" and it opened a separate set of folders -
still no access to my old files.

Would appreciate help. There are some photos of my kids
I'd like to get back. Nothing essential, but there are a
few gigabytes of images with sentimental value.

Cheers, Danis
 
You and your account are not the same to the OS.
So, your old profile, to the OS, is not your profile,
it is the account of your old account.
Problem is, when you blew away the old OS install
you killed off all of its accounts. So, the profile is
now no ones, it belongs to no existing account.

You only need to take ownership over it so that it will
have an owner that can control permissions to it.

Take Ownership see Help and Support, or
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=308421
 
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