Can't access files from old HD using external enclosure

Hi all,

My laptop's hard drive (the one running Windows XP) crashed, so I bought an external enclosure for it to run it on another computer so I can save my files. Problem is, I can't view any of the files that were in my account under Documents and Settings. The original drive was partitioned, so the part that did not run Windows is completely viewable (F), but I can't get into my files that was in the part that ran Windows (E).

I ran a DIR command in E:\Documents and Settings to see if I could browse my files that way, but nothing came up. Then I tried a DIR /s *jpg just to see if it can come up with anything, but nothing was found. (But when I used the same command in the F drive, it came up with a whole list of matching files).

Additionally, I know the files are still there, because when I am in that drive (that includes Documents and Settings, Windows, Program Files, etc.) and I ctrl+copy all of the files there (including hidden ones), it totals 4.21 GB, but when I am in My Computer and I right-click the drive I need, it says that 24.1GB is used (out of 37.5). So somewhere in my drive, the files are there, but they're invisible or hidden?

When I created my account on my laptop, it was password protected and made private, so I think this has something to do with my inability to find my own files.

Thanks for all your help!

 

I have tried everything in the link, more than once, and the "Security" tab does show up when I click on normal folders that are on the hard drive that I am currently using, but not when I open the folders from the laptop hard drive. The only tabs that are there are "General ", "Sharing," and "Customize. "

For example, on the computer I am using to recover the files on the laptop HD, I open "My Documents," and right-click it, and the tabs show General ", "Sharing," "Security," and "Customize," but the "Security" is missing from the folders on the laptop's hard drive (that is plugged into the desktop using an external enclosure.)

How do I "take ownership" of the folders if the "Security" tab is missing? Is there another way?

 

The above advice should fix you right up. I'll just add, that recently I had a drive that had failed (SAM portion was a part of the damaged area) even after taking ownership etc, etc, I still could not access the files. Remembered reading here about the tip to copy them to a FAT32 drive (removes security) and was finally able to recover all the files for customer. Good Luck.