how do i get back user files after a reinstall help please

[jj]

i just reinstalled xp because had some serious issues and i can see my last
users folder under documents and settings but it wont let me access it
because i made the folder private, is there away around this??

thansk

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP Windows Shell/User\)]

This is a file ownership issue related to NTFS. Note, file ownership and
permissions supersede administrator rights. How you resolve it depends upon
which version of XP you are running.



XP-Home



Unfortunately, XP Home using NTFS is essentially hard wired for "Simple File
Sharing" at system level.

However, you can set XP Home permissions in Safe Mode. Reboot, and start
hitting F8, a menu should eventually appear and one of the
options is Safe Mode. Select it. Note, it will ask for the administrator's
password. This is not your administrator account, rather it is the
machine's administrator account for which users are asked to create a
password during setup.

If you created no such password, when requested, leave blank and press
enter.

Open Explorer, go to Tools and Folder Options, on the view tab, scroll to
the bottom of the list, if it shows "Enable Simple File Sharing" deselect it
and click apply and ok. If it shows nothing or won't let you make a change,
move on to the next step.

Navigate to the files, right click, select properties, go to the Security
tab, click advanced, go to the Owner tab and select the user that was logged
on when you were refused permission to access the files. Click apply and
ok. Close the properties box, reopen it, click add and type in the name of
the user you just enabled. If you wish to set ownership for everything in
the folder, at the bottom of the Owner tab is the following selection:
"Replace owner on subcontainers and objects," select it as well.

Once complete, you should be able to do what you wish with these files when
you log back on as that user.



XP-Pro



If you have XP Pro, temporarily change the limited account to
administrative. First, go to Windows Explorer, go to Tools, select Folder
Options, go to the View tab and be sure "Use Simple File Sharing" is not
selected. If it is, deselect it and click apply and ok.



If you wish everything in a specific folder to be accessible to a user,
right click the folder, select properties, go to the Security tab, click
Advanced, go to the Owner tab,
select the user you wish to have access, at the bottom of the box, you
should see a check box for "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects,"
place a check in the box and click apply and ok.

The user should now be able to perform necessary functions on files in the
folder even as a limited account. If not, make it an admin account again,
right click the folder, select Properties, go to the Security tab and be
sure the user is listed in the user list. If not, click add and type the
user name in the appropriate box, be sure the user has all the necessary
permissions checked in the permission list below the user list, click apply
and ok.

That should do it and allow whatever access you desire for that folder even
in a limited account.


--
Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/


"jj" > wrote in message
...
> i just reinstalled xp because had some serious issues and i can see my
last
> users folder under documents and settings but it wont let me access it
> because i made the folder private, is there away around this??
>
> thansk
>
>

[jj]

thanks, worked like a charm. i had written off those files because all the
other advice i got said they were gone.
thanks again
jj


"Michael Solomon (MS-MVP Windows Shell/User)" > wrote in
message ...
> This is a file ownership issue related to NTFS. Note, file ownership and
> permissions supersede administrator rights. How you resolve it depends
upon
> which version of XP you are running.
>
>
>
> XP-Home
>
>
>
> Unfortunately, XP Home using NTFS is essentially hard wired for "Simple
File
> Sharing" at system level.
>
> However, you can set XP Home permissions in Safe Mode. Reboot, and start
> hitting F8, a menu should eventually appear and one of the
> options is Safe Mode. Select it. Note, it will ask for the
administrator's
> password. This is not your administrator account, rather it is the
> machine's administrator account for which users are asked to create a
> password during setup.
>
> If you created no such password, when requested, leave blank and press
> enter.
>
> Open Explorer, go to Tools and Folder Options, on the view tab, scroll to
> the bottom of the list, if it shows "Enable Simple File Sharing" deselect
it
> and click apply and ok. If it shows nothing or won't let you make a
change,
> move on to the next step.
>
> Navigate to the files, right click, select properties, go to the Security
> tab, click advanced, go to the Owner tab and select the user that was
logged
> on when you were refused permission to access the files. Click apply and
> ok. Close the properties box, reopen it, click add and type in the name
of
> the user you just enabled. If you wish to set ownership for everything in
> the folder, at the bottom of the Owner tab is the following selection:
> "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects," select it as well.
>
> Once complete, you should be able to do what you wish with these files
when
> you log back on as that user.
>
>
>
> XP-Pro
>
>
>
> If you have XP Pro, temporarily change the limited account to
> administrative. First, go to Windows Explorer, go to Tools, select Folder
> Options, go to the View tab and be sure "Use Simple File Sharing" is not
> selected. If it is, deselect it and click apply and ok.
>
>
>
> If you wish everything in a specific folder to be accessible to a user,
> right click the folder, select properties, go to the Security tab, click
> Advanced, go to the Owner tab,
> select the user you wish to have access, at the bottom of the box, you
> should see a check box for "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects,"
> place a check in the box and click apply and ok.
>
> The user should now be able to perform necessary functions on files in the
> folder even as a limited account. If not, make it an admin account again,
> right click the folder, select Properties, go to the Security tab and be
> sure the user is listed in the user list. If not, click add and type the
> user name in the appropriate box, be sure the user has all the necessary
> permissions checked in the permission list below the user list, click
apply
> and ok.
>
> That should do it and allow whatever access you desire for that folder
even
> in a limited account.
>
>
> --
> Michael Solomon MS-MVP
> Windows Shell/User
> Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
> DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/
>
>
> "jj" > wrote in message
> ...
> > i just reinstalled xp because had some serious issues and i can see my
> last
> > users folder under documents and settings but it wont let me access it
> > because i made the folder private, is there away around this??
> >
> > thansk
> >
> >
>
>

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP Windows Shell/User\)]

You're welcome.

--
Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/

"jj" > wrote in message
...
> thanks, worked like a charm. i had written off those files because all
the
> other advice i got said they were gone.
> thanks again
> jj
>
>
> "Michael Solomon (MS-MVP Windows Shell/User)" > wrote in
> message ...
> > This is a file ownership issue related to NTFS. Note, file ownership
and
> > permissions supersede administrator rights. How you resolve it depends
> upon
> > which version of XP you are running.
> >
> >
> >
> > XP-Home
> >
> >
> >
> > Unfortunately, XP Home using NTFS is essentially hard wired for "Simple
> File
> > Sharing" at system level.
> >
> > However, you can set XP Home permissions in Safe Mode. Reboot, and
start
> > hitting F8, a menu should eventually appear and one of the
> > options is Safe Mode. Select it. Note, it will ask for the
> administrator's
> > password. This is not your administrator account, rather it is the
> > machine's administrator account for which users are asked to create a
> > password during setup.
> >
> > If you created no such password, when requested, leave blank and press
> > enter.
> >
> > Open Explorer, go to Tools and Folder Options, on the view tab, scroll
to
> > the bottom of the list, if it shows "Enable Simple File Sharing"
deselect
> it
> > and click apply and ok. If it shows nothing or won't let you make a
> change,
> > move on to the next step.
> >
> > Navigate to the files, right click, select properties, go to the
Security
> > tab, click advanced, go to the Owner tab and select the user that was
> logged
> > on when you were refused permission to access the files. Click apply
and
> > ok. Close the properties box, reopen it, click add and type in the name
> of
> > the user you just enabled. If you wish to set ownership for everything
in
> > the folder, at the bottom of the Owner tab is the following selection:
> > "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects," select it as well.
> >
> > Once complete, you should be able to do what you wish with these files
> when
> > you log back on as that user.
> >
> >
> >
> > XP-Pro
> >
> >
> >
> > If you have XP Pro, temporarily change the limited account to
> > administrative. First, go to Windows Explorer, go to Tools, select
Folder
> > Options, go to the View tab and be sure "Use Simple File Sharing" is not
> > selected. If it is, deselect it and click apply and ok.
> >
> >
> >
> > If you wish everything in a specific folder to be accessible to a user,
> > right click the folder, select properties, go to the Security tab, click
> > Advanced, go to the Owner tab,
> > select the user you wish to have access, at the bottom of the box, you
> > should see a check box for "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects,"
> > place a check in the box and click apply and ok.
> >
> > The user should now be able to perform necessary functions on files in
the
> > folder even as a limited account. If not, make it an admin account
again,
> > right click the folder, select Properties, go to the Security tab and be
> > sure the user is listed in the user list. If not, click add and type
the
> > user name in the appropriate box, be sure the user has all the necessary
> > permissions checked in the permission list below the user list, click
> apply
> > and ok.
> >
> > That should do it and allow whatever access you desire for that folder
> even
> > in a limited account.
> >
> >
> > --
> > Michael Solomon MS-MVP
> > Windows Shell/User
> > Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
> > DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/
> >
> >
> > "jj" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > > i just reinstalled xp because had some serious issues and i can see my
> > last
> > > users folder under documents and settings but it wont let me access it
> > > because i made the folder private, is there away around this??
> > >
> > > thansk
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>