can't see files after removing hard disk

[wasted]

Hi

A friend's computer keeps shutting down sometimes after a few seconds,
sometimes a few minutes - it's an ageing Dell and she is going to replace
it, but wanted to get all her photos and documents off the hard disk (NO she
hadn't backed them up!!). It was so difficult trying to do it on her
computer that I removed the hard disk and have hooked it up to my own - I
can see the disk and all the programme files in Windows Explorer, but under
Documents and Settings I don't see her user name at all, and in "Default
User" the My Documents folder is empty. Also, My Pictures folder is nowhere
to be seen - yet it was there - I saw it fleetingly several times back on
the original machine.

The disk is NTFS formatted and has Win XP Home on it. I have Win XP Pro.

Any ideas why her stuff isn't visible and what i can do about it?

Thanks

 

[Shenan Stanley]

A friend's computer keeps shutting down sometimes after a few
seconds, sometimes a few minutes - it's an ageing Dell and she is
going to replace it, but wanted to get all her photos and documents
off the hard disk (NO she hadn't backed them up!!). It was so
difficult trying to do it on her computer that I removed the hard
disk and have hooked it up to my own - I can see the disk and all
the programme files in Windows Explorer, but under Documents and
Settings I don't see her user name at all, and in "Default User"
the My Documents folder is empty. Also, My Pictures folder is
nowhere to be seen - yet it was there - I saw it fleetingly several
times back on the original machine.
The disk is NTFS formatted and has Win XP Home on it. I have Win XP
Pro.
Any ideas why her stuff isn't visible and what i can do about it?

What names ARE seen under Documents and Settings?

 

[wasted]

Thanks for replying - but I found a way around - used the Bart bootable
disc, and from there could see everything.

In answer to your query I could see Adminstrator, Default User, All Users -
but none of them contained what i was after.

From Bart's disk I coud also see "Owner" - and there were all the files and
folders!!

Thanks again for bothering though. very kind.

 

[Mistoffolees]

Hi

A friend's computer keeps shutting down sometimes after a few seconds,
sometimes a few minutes - it's an ageing Dell and she is going to replace
it, but wanted to get all her photos and documents off the hard disk (NO she
hadn't backed them up!!). It was so difficult trying to do it on her
computer that I removed the hard disk and have hooked it up to my own - I
can see the disk and all the programme files in Windows Explorer, but under
Documents and Settings I don't see her user name at all, and in "Default
User" the My Documents folder is empty. Also, My Pictures folder is nowhere
to be seen - yet it was there - I saw it fleetingly several times back on
the original machine.

The disk is NTFS formatted and has Win XP Home on it. I have Win XP Pro.

Any ideas why her stuff isn't visible and what i can do about it?

Thanks

Too complex to troubleshoot via Internet. It might be better to just
remove the friend's hard drive from the computer, put it into an USB
or Firewire external drive enclosure or adapter and to access it.

 

[Doug Knox - [MS-MVP]]

Try taking owership of the contents of the Documents and Settings folder.
See Help and Support and search for "take ownership"

HOW TO: Take Ownership of a File or Folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=308421