Recover My Documents

[Guest]

Due to a virus, I was forced to reinstall Windows XP. Through another hard
drive I was able to save My Documents under a different folder name so the
new install wouldn't write over them. Now however, since I had a password on
my account I can't access any of them. I tried using the same account name,
moving the folder back and restoring the folder name but was still denied
access. Any ideas?

 

[Guest]

You will find a full description of what to do at:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308421&Product=winxp#appliesto#appliesto

Have fun

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Take Ownership, #9 on this link:
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/adsecurity.htm

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

This is generally caused by folder permissions / SID change. Take ownership of the folders and then copy the data. See: http://www.winxptutor.com/ownership.htm

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://windowsxp.mvps.org


Due to a virus, I was forced to reinstall Windows XP. Through another hard
drive I was able to save My Documents under a different folder name so the
new install wouldn't write over them. Now however, since I had a password on
my account I can't access any of them. I tried using the same account name,
moving the folder back and restoring the folder name but was still denied
access. Any ideas?

 

[Miss Perspicacia Tick]

This is generally caused by folder permissions / SID change. Take
ownership of the folders and then copy the data. See:
http://www.winxptutor.com/ownership.htm

The advice you have been given is all well and good, however if you have
/encrypted/ the data, it's as good as gone because Windows generates a new
key on each installation. Unless you back up the key, you cannot restore
your data.

 

[Test User]

Due to a virus, I was forced to reinstall Windows XP. Through another hard
drive I was able to save My Documents under a different folder name so the
new install wouldn't write over them. Now however, since I had a password on
my account I can't access any of them. I tried using the same account name,
moving the folder back and restoring the folder name but was still denied
access. Any ideas?

You added a password. Did you also encrypt the data? If so, did you back
up the account credentials?

If you encrypted and did not back up the credentials, I'm afraid that you
can consider the data permanently and irretrievably lost.

If you encrypted and DID back up the credentials, simply import them to the
"new" account.

Unfortunately, Microsoft made it very easy to invoke encryption, but didn't
do a lot towards making it VERY clear that it is VERY easy to permanently
lose access to the data if you don't back up the credentials.

HTH
-pk