Hard drive problem

[creative]

evening gents.

 

After my last thread of building a new computer I am now up and running on it!

 

only I have a slight problem..... the original 40gig Ide hard drive from the old pc is the problem. Before I dismantled the old system windows froze during putting all my files to cd, so had to reset via the reset button. All fine, the prompt stating windows didn't shutdown blah blah blah shows and asks what mode I want to boot in. now the problem is no matter which one I try it attempts to boot into windows and then shuts down. I tried using the boot with command option and it shows what files its looking for and halfway through shuts down.

 

No problem I thought. loaded windows onto the new hard drive and have that running now. installed the IDE hard drive so I can access the user folders and documents but it states access is denied under each user profile folders. This is due to the profiles being passworded on the old hard drive.

 

so my question is how can I get into the old hard drive? I have tried using the windows disk to recover the drive but that doesn't/hasn't worked. I have tried copy and pasting the new version of windows files onto the old drive but it still wont boot up past the windows did not shutdown properly prompt still.

 

This drive will be formatted anyway so im not bothered about the O/S, its more the data I need off it before I can format it and set the HDD's to how I want:sos:

 

cheers folks

[stevie_b]

Hmm, tricky one that. I assume your fubar'ed hard disk was formatted using NTFS? If it was FAT32 it opens up a few more possibilities, but even that might not help you.

 

Try taking ownership of the folders, as described here:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070808130018AAGK1zP

 

edit: I don't think one of the suggestions on that weblink (creating new profiles with the same username and password as the old ones) will work: try this with extreme caution!

[MrRalphMan]

Can you not connect the old drive as a slave on the new pc?

[creative]

Hmm, tricky one that. I assume your fubar'ed hard disk was formatted using NTFS? If it was FAT32 it opens up a few more possibilities, but even that might not help you.

 

Try taking ownership of the folders, as described here:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070808130018AAGK1zP

 

edit: I don't think one of the suggestions on that weblink (creating new profiles with the same username and password as the old ones) will work: try this with extreme caution!

 

yup its NTFS

 

tried all suggested and the permission option seems to be a ME option so rules that out.

Tried the same password and that doesn't work.

tried replacing the password data but cant write to the disc

 

the harddrive is set as a slave at the moment and I can get to all the windows files etc. I just cant get into the user profiles as they were password protected and its these files I want.

 

I will try using a PE boot disc (such as BARTPE) but cant until I get to work and can burn one off as I dont have a cd-r burner attached to this one yet.

 

What files does windows boot off? It seems to be off the config file in system32 folder and I have found a manual way of resetting the boot file via dos but I need to print off the destructions before I do that but its looking like the only way so far to get a new boot file on it....

 

grrrrrrrrrrr

On another note... this PC is awesome!

[carl0s]

Passwords have nothing to do with ACLs (Access Control Lists - NTFS permissions).

You just need to take ownership and give yourself permissions on the folders.

 

It's not a password issue. It's the NTFS permissions (ACLs).

 

Right-click folder, properties -> security -> advanced -> owner -> highlight Administrators (local machine) -> tick "replace on subcontainers" -> OK.

 

Then still on security tab -> Add -> Everyone -> OK Full Control -> OK

 

It's nothing to do with passwords, however the situation was likely created by you saying yes to "Do you want to protect the users files/folders from access by other users" when you set a password on the account.

[carl0s]

You need to be sure you don't have Simple Filesharing enabled, else the Security tab might not display.

 

Also Home edition doesn't display the security tab from what I remember.

 

So, hoping you're on XP Professional. My computer -> Tools menu -> Folder Options -> View -> bottom of list untick "Simple File sharing".

 

If it's home edition you'll probably need to use xcacls or cacls from a command prompt, or that better opensource alternative, can't remember its name.

[carl0s]

Actually, that chaps idea of just enabling "inherit from parent" like what Stevie_B pointed to looks like a good straight-forward idea, but you'll still probably need to take ownership first.

[stevie_b]

You just need to take ownership and give yourself permissions on the folders.

 

That's what I meant, but carl0s expressed it clearer!

 

Taking ownership and giving yourself read/write permissions are usually two different steps.

[creative]

Passwords have nothing to do with ACLs (Access Control Lists - NTFS permissions).

You just need to take ownership and give yourself permissions on the folders.

 

It's not a password issue. It's the NTFS permissions (ACLs).

 

Right-click folder, properties -> security -> advanced -> owner -> highlight Administrators (local machine) -> tick "replace on subcontainers" -> OK.

 

Then still on security tab -> Add -> Everyone -> OK Full Control -> OK

 

It's nothing to do with passwords, however the situation was likely created by you saying yes to "Do you want to protect the users files/folders from access by other users" when you set a password on the account.

 

you my friend... are indeed a legend!!

 

this is why I dont work with software!

 

I'm in and I thank you!

[carl0s]

Lol, I'm glad you're in!