Can't access owner folders/documents but other folders in master HD! Please help!

tomcruise3230

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I have a Seagate Internal HD where i have "windows xp" installed that isn't working properly due to shock however i can still turn it on but it only shows up a blank black screen and doesn't go no where. So i had to put it in an external enclosure with my other "windows xp" PC . Doing that I can access folders like "programs" and "windows" and "guest documents" however what i cannot do is try to go inside the owner/admistrator folder because i get the message "access denied- this folder is unaccessible". When i go to "properities" it says it has 0 bytes however when i click on the "hard drive icon" itself it says it does have almost all the 120 GB I have saved on the administrators account. I already tried running it on safe mode but it just restarts over and over and doesn't go through.

So please tell me how can I possibly recover files (only want to recover few very important documents only) where windows is installed and I am not getting premission to check the "owner/adminstrators" folder and documents.
 
This is a shot in the dark, but it has worked for me before.

Use a Ubuntu or Kinnopix live boot disk on the second computer and you should be able to access the drive read only. What I prefer to do at that point is to copy the files to another external device like a thumb drive. I think you have to enable the "write" to the thumb drive or what ever else you use. Then, I think, you can access your files no matter the permissions.

Anyone Linux literate here feel free to jump in a correct me.
 
This is a shot in the dark, but it has worked for me before.

Use a Ubuntu or Kinnopix live boot disk on the second computer and you should be able to access the drive read only. What I prefer to do at that point is to copy the files to another external device like a thumb drive. I think you have to enable the "write" to the thumb drive or what ever else you use. Then, I think, you can access your files no matter the permissions.

Anyone Linux literate here feel free to jump in a correct me.

I never tried but i will do what you suggest. However, before i start this can you tell me where i can download this?

also does anyone know another method i can use?
 
You can download Ubuntu here:

http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download



and Knoppix here:

http://www.knoppix.net/




You don't have to install them to the hard disk, just boot off of the CD and see if you can access your files. If it doesn't work, no harm done, but I remember using this method a while back and it worked for me.

[edit: I've got to learn to type faster, vampist left me in the dust!]
 
You can download Ubuntu here:

http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download



and Knoppix here:

http://www.knoppix.net/




You don't have to install them to the hard disk, just boot off of the CD and see if you can access your files. If it doesn't work, no harm done, but I remember using this method a while back and it worked for me.

[edit: I've got to learn to type faster, vampist left me in the dust!]


which one from the two is the best option for me and do you think i should try first free recovery software like PC Inspector File Recovery 4, TestDisk & PhotoRec 6.10 cuz i don't want to damage my .txt files which are the only ones i want to recover
 
Give Ubuntu a try first. I think it has a easyer interface to understand. At least for me.
 
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