Recover Document Files from Dead XP Boot Drive

[Guest]

I have just replaced my dead hard drive and loaded my new boot drive with XP
and office applications. I am able to read the dead drive through a
SATA-to-USB adapter. The cause of the drive failure appears to be bad sectors
that resulted the following paraphrased error message being returned during
the boot process: "Widows XP can not start because of missing or corrupted
system file". The Dell utilities showed multiple failures during the SATA
drive Read and SATA drive Verify tests.

The problem is this: the drive was configured with user account security. I
am able to see my own "Document & Settings" directory, but I can not open the
directory to copy the files. I know my password and I had administrator
authority.

The question is this: what is the method for getting around the security on
my own directory on the dead drive?.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I have just replaced my dead hard drive and loaded my new boot
drive with XP and office applications. I am able to read the dead
drive through a SATA-to-USB adapter. The cause of the drive failure
appears to be bad sectors that resulted the following paraphrased
error message being returned during the boot process: "Widows XP
can not start because of missing or corrupted system file". The
Dell utilities showed multiple failures during the SATA drive Read
and SATA drive Verify tests.

The problem is this: the drive was configured with user account
security. I am able to see my own "Document & Settings" directory,
but I can not open the directory to copy the files. I know my
password and I had administrator authority.

The question is this: what is the method for getting around the
security on my own directory on the dead drive?.

Do you get a message, something telling you what is wrong?
Would it happen to be 'access denied'?

How to Take Ownership of a File or Folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308421

Read *carefully* - do not just skim the page and start following steps.
There is important information there dependent on the version of Windows XP

 

[Patrick Keenan]

I have just replaced my dead hard drive and loaded my new boot drive with
XP
and office applications. I am able to read the dead drive through a
SATA-to-USB adapter. The cause of the drive failure appears to be bad
sectors
that resulted the following paraphrased error message being returned
during
the boot process: "Widows XP can not start because of missing or corrupted
system file". The Dell utilities showed multiple failures during the SATA
drive Read and SATA drive Verify tests.

The problem is this: the drive was configured with user account security.
I
am able to see my own "Document & Settings" directory, but I can not open
the
directory to copy the files. I know my password and I had administrator
authority.

The question is this: what is the method for getting around the security
on
my own directory on the dead drive?.

As noted, you just Take Ownership, and get the files. That's easy.

But if this is XP Pro and you also invoked encryption, you must next import
the account credentials you exported when you invoked encryption. If you
did invoke encryption and didn't back up the credentials, and cannot get the
XP install working again *as it was*, the data is gone.

HTH
-pk

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

On Sun, 5 Aug 2007 17:20:00 -0700, Mason Ainsworth <Mason

I have just replaced my dead hard drive and loaded my new boot drive with XP
and office applications. I am able to read the dead drive through a
SATA-to-USB adapter. The cause of the drive failure appears to be bad sectors
that resulted the following paraphrased error message being returned during
the boot process: "Widows XP can not start because of missing or corrupted
system file". The Dell utilities showed multiple failures during the SATA
drive Read and SATA drive Verify tests.

The problem is this: the drive was configured with user account security. I
am able to see my own "Document & Settings" directory, but I can not open the
directory to copy the files. I know my password and I had administrator
authority.

The question is this: what is the method for getting around the security on
my own directory on the dead drive?.

Take ownership:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308421