Accessing Windows XP files on a previous hard drive from Windows 7

[bals]

I am trying to access files and pictures on a now external hard drive and not had very much success. Gives me Access denied errors or from pictures gives me "Windows Photo Viewer can't open this picture because you don't have the correct permissions to access the file location"
I tried

cacls f:\*.* /T /G Everyone:F

where f:\ is the drive in question but to no results. This is the common answer I see on google.

On an individual file I can right click > properties > security > continue > add > username (valid (forget if it is the current username or the username of that computer). And then that individual file works. Can I somehow do that on all files? It seems to work on individual files, but not on folders or the entire drive as a whole.

[stalkerzzzz]

I created a hierarchy of folders and files and used that command and it worked for me, It changed the permissions for all the folders and files in it.

[bals]

Could you explain what you did to create the hierarchy of folders and files? I feel this is my main problem since I access individual files when "On an individual file I can right click > properties > security > continue > add > username (valid (forget if it is the current username or the username of that computer). And then that individual file works."

Just can't do it over entire folders or the entire driver as I wish I could.

[KOMO1211]

changing the sec level of the parent folder often pushes the change down into the child folders. if you put all your material into one folder or even a folder within a folder and right click >properties>security:group or user names, add your current username. then highlight it select advanced and change the allow/deny settings and set full control. once applied i believe this should apply throughout the folder.

of course my admin classes are years behind me now and i dont work on these types of things lol. possible that you could also make adjustments in the control panel>admin tools>local secutrity policy. also could try copy/paste to your win7 hard drive but this may also result in the access denied error.

[Yohassakura]

Surely you can just boot to the XP and copy things over from there, or just boot and give everyone permission on there, so you should have an easier time accessing the files.

[stalkerzzzz]

Could you explain what you did to create the hierarchy of folders and files? I feel this is my main problem since I access individual files when "On an individual file I can right click > properties > security > continue > add > username (valid (forget if it is the current username or the username of that computer). And then that individual file works."

Just can't do it over entire folders or the entire driver as I wish I could.

I just created a folder and pasted some files in it and then created another folder inside of it and pasted some more files in the newly created folder. I opened a command prompt in the first folder, used the command and it worked just fine.

[bals]

I just created a folder and pasted some files in it and then created another folder inside of it and pasted some more files in the newly created folder. I opened a command prompt in the first folder, used the command and it worked just fine.

The folders are very large but i'll try. to copy them over to something new.

changing the sec level of the parent folder often pushes the change down into the child folders. if you put all your material into one folder or even a folder within a folder and right click >properties>security:group or user names, add your current username. then highlight it select advanced and change the allow/deny settings and set full control. once applied i believe this should apply throughout the folder.

That is what I think I am doing but anytime I go above an individual file it does not work for some reason! I have 1000+ images on this hard drive and don't want to do them one at a time.

Surely you can just boot to the XP and copy things over from there, or just boot and give everyone permission on there, so you should have an easier time accessing the files.

the XP drive was not on this particular computer hardware so there can be lots of issues not to mention the copy of XP in question was not legit

thanks for all the help<3

[Keex]

In the security tab of the main folder, select advance and check the option: "Replace all security/access entries for subitems with inheritable ones of this object" (free translation, since I'm using another language). If you do this every item in all subfolders have the same permission settings of the top folder.

[chazus]

Click on the F Drive > Properties > Security Tab > Advanced > Owner Tab > Edit > Click Administrators (assuming you are admin) > Check "Replace owner on subcontainer and objects" > Click OK .... Let it do its thing. May take a while.

[Yohassakura]

the XP drive was not on this particular computer hardware so there can be lots of issues not to mention the copy of XP in question was not legit

thanks for all the help<3

If you're worried about that then you could just boot from a linux live disk to completely bypass windows security

[Vile]

Yup, what Chazus mentioned - you need to "take ownership" of it, and if you do it from the top level folder itself it will work for the sub-contents.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nithzd6wBzo
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308421

[chazus]

you need to "take ownership" of it, and if you do it from the top level folder itself it will work for the sub-contents.

Yeah, this will also give you access to password protected accounts (given they are not encrypted, which they usually arent)

I've done this with literally thousands of drives over the years, when people upgrade computers or need data backups.

[bals]

Click on the F Drive > Properties > Security Tab > Advanced > Owner Tab > Edit > Click Administrators (assuming you are admin) > Check "Replace owner on subcontainer and objects" > Click OK .... Let it do its thing. May take a while.

I let it go on for a long time and it seemed like it would work. I restarted my computer and nothing helping. Still the same access problems.
I used Vile's video's linked above as well but to no avail.

I'm really drunk right now so my brain isn't just working good. I'll provide some updates today/tomorrow.
thanks for all the helps! i'll provide updates tomorrow!

[chazus]

Did you actually let it finish? Depending on the size of drive/amount of data, it could take more than an hour.

[bals]

Did you actually let it finish? Depending on the size of drive/amount of data, it could take more than an hour.

Yes, I watched some tv while it was going on. Still is giving me the same error at the end. I can post some click by click responses if you'd like. Just gonna take me a couple minutes.

---------- Post added 2013-05-12 at 04:12 AM ----------

this is the step by step: http://i.imgur.com/AGtsLLK.png
Like I said, pretty drunk so could have missed something! let me know what it is!
really shoddy blacking out of names.

[Demoness]

Try this:

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windo...menu-in-vista/

Don't worry, it is legit. I use it on my own systems because I sometimes have to dock and retrieve info from people's hard drives that have dead laptops that want to keep data for their new one.