Windows XP User File Access

Shazkar Shadowstorm

Hey, I'm trying to get a file that is years old from one of the old piece of shit computers at home. Problem is, I am at school, school being college, so I am trying to direct my technologically incompetent parents and my only slightly less so brother (and my brother complains when I ask him to help). So I get them to boot up the old computer, which is kind of dying... (I believe my files are on there) and they can log into different accounts fine, but apparently for some reason MY account freezes whenever they log on. I told them to boot in safe mode but apparently that doesnt work either?

Okay, so I was wondering if they could possibly log onto a different account, and knowing my password access files that are in my account?

-sigh- I wish I was there. I could fix the problem... god, why did I have to go to school so far away... or better yet, why didn't I back up all my school work from the last four years...

thej3w

If you have an administrator account you can get the files maybe. Is it XP? Have them press Ctrl+Alt+Delete twice at the welcome screen, with no one logged in. And then type Administrator for the username, and no password. See if that does anything.

Shazkar Shadowstorm

It's XP Home edition.

thej3w

yeah, that should work then

Shazkar Shadowstorm

Mehhhhhh. They still get access denied, even from the Admin account. And then from the admin account I had her change my account's password to blank space, but access was still denied... is there a way to make it so that the account is not password protected? Like, when I changed it to a blank password, was that not the same as making it have no password?

thej3w

Wow, sounds like you locked it pretty good. Hmm, have them try to make a new account with full admin writes and then go to your folder.

PirateJon

Shazkar Shadowstorm wrote:

Mehhhhhh. They still get access denied, even from the Admin account. And then from the admin account I had her change my account's password to blank space, but access was still denied... is there a way to make it so that the account is not password protected? Like, when I changed it to a blank password, was that not the same as making it have no password?

It sounds like the admin account doesn't have rights to that folder. This is not unusual. But that's cool because your are the admin! You can TAKE the rights you need.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308421

1. Right-click the folder that you want to take ownership of, and then click Properties.
2. Click the Security tab, and then click OK on the Security message (if one appears).
3. Click Advanced, and then click the Owner tab.
4. In the Name list, click your user name, or click Administrator if you are logged in as Administrator, or click the Administrators group. If you want to take ownership of the contents of that folder, select the Replace owner on subcontainers and objects check box.
5. Click OK, and then click Yes when you receive the following message:
You do not have permission to read the contents of directory folder name. Do you want to replace the directory permissions with permissions granting you Full Control?

All permissions will be replaced if you press Yes.
Note folder name is the name of the folder that you want to take ownership of.
6. Click OK, and then reapply the permissions and security settings that you want for the folder and its contents.

Shazkar Shadowstorm

You saved me. Why thank you!