can't delete files in xp home

[PattiWagen]

I bought a new HP laptop that had been a floor model for several months. I
had transfered my old data files and, because of some registry or other
problems, had to do a system restore of the OS and programs. After that was
complete, I discovered that some of my files and folders were not accessible
to me. It was like they were created by another user. I went into safe
mode, and still could not read or delete them. I talked to HP, and they
said the only recourse was to reformat the drive and start over. That is
what I did, but it seems drastic. There should be some way administrator
has control over all the files on the computer. I just hope this doesn't
happen again!

 

[WTC]

had to do a system restore of the OS and programs. After that
was complete, I discovered that some of my files and folders
were not accessible to me.

You need to take ownership of the files or folders to access the
inaccessible files.

How to take ownership of a file or folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=308421

A related KB article,
How to set, view, change, or remove special permissions for files and
folders in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=308419

 

[PattiWagen]

I had tried this , but when I got to the security tab, all the owner
information was grayed out and I could not change anything. I tried
starting up as "administrator" as well as my administrative user account and
got the same result. This was an interesting exercise, and I ended up
formatting the disk and reinstalling everything. I just hope it doesn't
happen again.