Messed with file security, now "access denied", how to recover?

[Guest]

Hi,

on a friend's Win XP Pro (SP2), I basically performed the following actions:

- copied her files from "my documents" to a folder in "C:"
- deleted her account "miri"
- created a new account with the name "miri"
- copied her files from the folder in "C:" to new "my documents" folder

obviously the previous "owner" identity is not identical to the new one with
the same name, fair enough. now, I went into the admin account, and on the
"security" tab of the "properties" for "miri's documents" tried to grant her
access rights. instead I apparently managed to lose all the rights for
_anyone_ so now even admin can't access her docs anymore. when opening
"miri's documents" (or any file in it for that matter), or even when trying
to switch to the "security" tab again in the "properties" dialog, i get
"access denied".

is there any fundamental place where i can reset the whole security
information (must be stored in the file allocation table of sorts)? i can't
even backup them to another device at the moment as I even get "access
denied" when trying, in the command box, to changedir to "miri's documents".

Help greatly appreciated!
Best regards,
Phil

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Access is Denied" Error Message When You Try to Open a Folder
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;810881

How to take ownership of a file or folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308421

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| Hi,
|
| on a friend's Win XP Pro (SP2), I basically performed the following actions:
|
| - copied her files from "my documents" to a folder in "C:"
| - deleted her account "miri"
| - created a new account with the name "miri"
| - copied her files from the folder in "C:" to new "my documents" folder
|
| obviously the previous "owner" identity is not identical to the new one with
| the same name, fair enough. now, I went into the admin account, and on the
| "security" tab of the "properties" for "miri's documents" tried to grant her
| access rights. instead I apparently managed to lose all the rights for
| _anyone_ so now even admin can't access her docs anymore. when opening
| "miri's documents" (or any file in it for that matter), or even when trying
| to switch to the "security" tab again in the "properties" dialog, i get
| "access denied".
|
| is there any fundamental place where i can reset the whole security
| information (must be stored in the file allocation table of sorts)? i can't
| even backup them to another device at the moment as I even get "access
| denied" when trying, in the command box, to changedir to "miri's documents".
|
| Help greatly appreciated!
| Best regards,
| Phil

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi Phil,

Please see this link on "taking ownership" of a folder:
http://rickrogers.org/fixes.htm#Taking_ownership

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org