Help!!! Recovering Lost Files After NON-Destructive Format!!!

[Guest]

Hi, My name is Dan

I had used many different users on Windows XP and did the non-destructive format! The files, for the users, are still on my hard drive (located in: C:\Documents and Settings\.....) but the users do not apear on the login screen! I tryed going in to the directory "C:\Documents and Settings\.....", but while I could still use the users, I had taken certain folders, went into their "Properties", clicked the "Sharing" tab, and checked "Make this folder private"! So...Now, if I go into those folders without being logged onto that user (which I cannot logon to) it will say ".....Access is denied!" I have the passwords for the users! Is there anyway you can help me find a way to get access to those files
Please E-Mail Me: (e-mail address removed)

Please and Thank You
Dan

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I had used many different users on Windows XP and did the
non-destructive format! The files, for the users, are still on my
hard drive (located in: C:\Documents and Settings\.....) but the
users do not appear on the login screen! I tried going in to the
directory "C:\Documents and Settings\.....", but while I could still
use the users, I had taken certain folders, went into their
"Properties", clicked the "Sharing" tab, and checked "Make this
folder private"! So...Now, if I go into those folders without being
logged onto that user (which I cannot logon to) it will say
".....Access is denied!" I have the passwords for the users! Is
there anyway you can help me find a way to get access to those files?
Please E-Mail Me: !

1) There is no such thing as a non-destructive format. Non-destructive
install (repair installation), sure. But if you formatted, you erased
everything by definition.

2) I hope juno has great anti-spam utilities.. You will be getting lots more
on this account. Publishing your email address "un-munged" in a newsgroup
that is replicated all over the world thousands of times a day almost
insures a virus/trojan/email address collecting application will get your
address and start sending you spam. Do not open the attachments, the emails
are not from Microsoft.

3) To answer your question:
Log in as an administrative user. Take ownership of the file/folder that
you want access to.

To take ownership of a file or folder:

1.. Open Windows Explorer, and then locate the file or folder you want to
take ownership of.
2.. Right-click the file or folder, click Properties, and then click the
Security tab.
3.. Click Advanced, and then click the Owner tab.
4.. In the Change owner to box, click the new owner.
5.. (Optional) To change the owner of all subcontainers and objects within
the tree, select the Replace owner on subcontainers and objects check box

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=308421

Good Luck.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I had used many different users on Windows XP and did the
non-destructive format! The files, for the users, are still
on my > hard drive (located in: C:\Documents and Settings\.....)
but the > users do not appear on the login screen! I tried
going in to the > directory "C:\Documents and Settings\.....",
but while I could still > use the users, I had taken certain
folders, went into their > "Properties", clicked the "Sharing"
tab, and checked "Make this > folder private"! So...Now, if I
go into those folders without being > logged onto that user
(which I cannot logon to) it will say > ".....Access is denied!"
I have the passwords for the users! Is > there anyway you can
help me find a way to get access to those files?
Please E-Mail Me: !

1) There is no such thing as a non-destructive format.
Non-destructive install (repair installation), sure. But if you
formatted, you erased everything by definition.

2) I hope juno has great anti-spam utilities.. You will be
getting lots more on this account. Publishing your email
address "un-munged" in a newsgroup that is replicated all over
the world thousands of times a day almost insures a
virus/trojan/email address collecting application will get your
address and start sending you spam. Do not open the
attachments, the emails are not from Microsoft.

3) To answer your question:
Log in as an administrative user. Take ownership of the
file/folder that you want access to.
To take ownership of a file or folder:
1.. Open Windows Explorer, and then locate the file or folder
you want to take ownership of.
2.. Right-click the file or folder, click Properties, and then
click the Security tab.
3.. Click Advanced, and then click the Owner tab.
4.. In the Change owner to box, click the new owner.
5.. (Optional) To change the owner of all subcontainers and
objects within the tree, select the Replace owner on
subcontainers and objects check box

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=308421

Good Luck.

I have an HP and when you boot it up you can press F10 and do a
NON-Destructive Format. So There is a such thing. And that is
not my real e-mail address. When I tried what you said, There was no
security tab.

Non-Destructive Format is an oxymoron. If HP phrased it that way, they need
to fire their English translators. What you did was a repair installation
from their hidden partition. Formatting a drive erases all data from it, by
definition. Depending on the level (high or low) will determine just how
destructive it is. High-Level formatting is usually considered easily
recoverable destruction while low-level formatting is much more destructive.
This is why there are tools out there that do DoD Low-Level formatting to
help insure data is not recoverable from a format.

Even if it is not your "real" email, you obviously check it, so my warning
about the spam stands. =)

As for your "No Security Tab" dilemma, Two options there:

Option 1 (XP Professional):
1. Click Start, and then click My Computer.
2. On the Tools menu, click Folder Options, and then click the View tab.
3. In the Advanced Settings section, clear the Use simple file sharing
(Recommended) check box.
4. Click OK.
5. Check for the security tab again...

Option 2 (XP Home):
You may have to boot into Safe Mode (I think) and log on as administrator
to get the tab in XP Home.