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[MrAngryFace]

Ok, this is for a friend of mine:

They have a compaq factory built PC with XP. A friend of theres had monkeyed with it at some point and well windows will no longer boot, period, even into safe mode.

Now having been able to install a second installation of XP in a new folder on the same partition, it was able to boot up on this new windows installation.

So far so good. The trick is this. The files on the old installation, because its XP are specific to that account. Correct? When trying to take those files from the old mydocuments folder into the new you are confronted with a access denied stfu message.

Now I assume the windows xp version that came with the comaq is Home edition, not sure if the new windows in the new folder is pro or home.

I have been told there might be a freeware app for recovering files in these situations. They already trying recovering/repairing the old installation and no luck. The files cant be wiped cause their family photos from past events.

Ideas?

 

[Shogmaster]

Well shit, I don't even know how you guys managed to "install" another copy of XP into the same partition.... I can't make heads or tails of what you guys did. Are you sure you didn't end up blanking out the old install?

And I know this is too late of an advaice in your friend's case, but for everyone else NEVER store your data in the my document folders unless you just have to share your computer with many other people and need to keep them private. It make retrival of data in situations like this a real pain in the ass. Infact, I'm gonna go farther than that and say please please please partition your HDDs so that you can keep your data in a seperate partition as Windows. This will make doing fresh installs not a big deal in such emergencies.

 

[yoopoo]

This most likely will not work but try anyway, open Firefox/Mozilla or Opera browser, type in the path to the my documents folder (ie: C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents) then click on the files and save them in another location.

 

[Tabris]

Just cut your losses and format. Create two partitions, one for OS and Programs, second for data (movies, music, pictures, documents).

After installing OS, set My Documents for that user to point to a folder on second partition (after formatting it of course). That way there's really no reason losing your profile will be a big deal.

 

[aoi tsuki]

You can't access files from an old XP install? News to me. i'd load a Linux-on-disc install, mount the drives, and move the necessary files from there. Not sure which distro will do this though.

And i've gotta agree with Shog on partitioning to keep data and system files separate. i don't know if there's a command line switch or script possible for this, but i wish they'd let you assign which internal folders at install.

 

[MrAngryFace]

I didnt do any of this, they did it and then called me over the phone, I dont know how accurate all of this info is.

This isnt my PC. I have a system partition seperate of everything else for reformating every 3 months.

 

[BugCatcher]

Try this: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=308421

Don't reformat.

 

[MrAngryFace]

Ill pass that along, thanks

 

[norinrad21]

Are they going to kill the friend?

 

[MrAngryFace]

done and done

My only concern is that if they got another Windows install going and are admin of THAT install, how are they going to get ownership of files on another install where they arent admin. Couldnt they just enter their login/pass or whatever? If they even had one.

 

[Lhadatt]

If it's XP Pro, do this from an admin account:

Open My Computer.
Tools > Folder Options > View > Uncheck "Use simple file sharing". Click OK.
Go to c:\Documents and Settings.
Right click on the user folder from the old install. Select Properties.
Click on the Security tab.
Click on Advanced.
Click on the Owner tab.
The owner should be designated to some oddball code. Assign it to the username that will be using the files (or the Administrators group if they'll be admins).
Click the "replace owner on subcontainers and objects" checkbox.
Click Apply.
Click OK.
On the main Security tab screen, make sure the user account they'll be using has full control. If not, add them or give them full control.
Click OK.

You should now be able to access those files.