Help Please - Accessing files on external HDD

raindog.promo

Hey folks,

I've just bought a new Laptop which runs windows vista premium.
My old laptop fell apart and used XP Home. I'm now using the old HDD as an external HDD but can't access the files stored in the my documents folder. I keep getting a

"you don't currently have permission to access this folder" click continue to get access to this folder.

I click continue and get a

You have been denied permission to access this folder. to gain access, you will need to use the security tab.

I go to security tab, I take ownership of the file. Then I go back to get access and I'm back at square one again, still unable to access the files.


Can anyone recommend what else I can do?
Thank you.

bnt

In addition to taking ownership, you need to give yourself the rights to read the files. At the top level under Security, add yourself to the list of users with full rights, with "all subdirectories" checked too.

BTW, XP/Vista systems lock files with a unique security ID - a number, not a name, so it doesn't help to create a user on the new machine with the old name.

Alanstrainor

Moved from Laptops.

watty

bnt wrote: »

BTW, XP/Vista systems lock files with a unique security ID - a number, not a name, so it doesn't help to create a user on the new machine with the old name.

True for NT since the beginning in 1993. Never DELETE accounts. Only disable them as a recreated account of the same name is a different account.
MS Knowledge Base.

raindog.promo

That worked a treat. Thank you.