Help with deleting/recovering files from other XP operating systems...

[blackjackel]

I have installed 3 seperate windows XP's on my brothers computer...

XP home

XP pro

XP pro


He had the home and pro when he had this other motherboard, he got a new one and the mobo wouldnt work with the old windows XP's so i installed a Third XP on his computer...

But now it wont let me see or delete files that belonged to the other XP versions, is there a program out there that will let me do this?


edit: by wont let me see, i mean it wont let me access certain files saying "access denied" and same error message


thanks




edit 2:

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THIS IS THE ANSWER TO THE ABOVE PROBLEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-This answer has been provided and written by: Flixotide, all credit is his. I simply re-wrote it in simple step-by-step instructions & Correct english windowsXP terminoligy.



- Open windows explorer (double click my computer icon on desktop)

- Click "Tools" in the menu.

- Click "Folder Options"

- You should now be in folder options, Click "View" Tab.

- Go all the way to the bottem-most option "Use simple file sharing (recommended)" This box should be checked by default, UNCHECK that box/option.

- Click "Apply" Button

- Click ok (exit folder options)



- In "My computer" window, RIGHT click on the drive letter where the files of the other windows install are located (NOT the drive where the current windows is installed)

- Click "properties"

- You should be in "Local Disk (X:) Properties" where X is the drive you selected.

-Click "Security" tab

- Click "Advanced" button below (A bit of caution, be carefull what you do in here, as it may mess up your computer)

- Click "Owner" tab

- Click on the Username you used to log into windows (preferably administrator)

- Check "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects" checkbox below

- Click "apply" button

- Wait a while (the more files you have on the other windows install, the longer it will take) It is now "taking ownership" of all the files on your other windows install, one by one.... My wait was approximately 1 hour, just to give you an idea of how long the LONG wait will be =/

-Now the ownership transfer is done, and it stopped going through all those files near-endlessly (thank god) now just click "ok"

- You should now see a list of users on the system, one of those users is the user you are currently logged into windows with (the same one you did the file ownership of) click that user

- Below, there should be 6 checkboxes with only some of them checked, Check the "Full Control" checkbox, this should check all the checkboxes below

-Click "Apply" button

- Click "Advanced button" (yes, i know you did it once, you gotta do it again... thank the creators of windows)

- Click "Permissions" tab

- Click "Replace permission entries on all child objects with entries shown here that apply to child objects" checkbox below

- Click "Apply"

- You should see a "Security" Warning box, click "yes" button.

- You should now see the familiar box going through all your files on the drive you are changing permissions for... expect another LONG wait.... should take just as long as it did last time.

- Click "Ok" button

- Click "Ok" button"

YOU ARE DONE! You should be able to access all files on the other windows XP install/partition.

[WuChild]

This sounds like a recipe for trouble. A format/re-install is not an option?

[Suicide Al]

my roommate used to have about 5 copies of xp on his machine for "just in case" reasons. worked good until the drive that had the bootloader on it crapped out and he lost everything anyway.

[flixotide]

Okay.. I'll try and guide you, but I don't know the exact english translations for the menus.

Initially open your explorer. In the Functions tab choose folder settings, in the second tab from the left, you have various explorer options (show hiddens files etc.). Remove the mark in the top option (use simple file sharing).

Now, right click on the drive letter where you have the old install (NOT the new one), and choose properties.
Next choose the security tab and choose advanced. Be careful what you do in here, cuz it can really create a mess.

Initially, go to the "owner" tab, and mark the username you have logged in with (preferably administrator), check the "replace ownership information in subdirectories.. ..... ...." box, and hit apply. HAVE LOADS of patience, as the NTFS owner of all files on the old installation drive.

Next, what you have to do is allow your username (preferably administrator to begin with) to access all files. After the ownership change has finished, click OK. Now you are back with the basic security options. Click ADD and add the username you logged in with, and hit okay.
Now your username appears in the list of users with permissions to access files on this folder, mark the username you just added, and check the box "full control" and press APPLY.

So far so good. Click the advanced button again, and on the permissions tab, mark the box "replace permissions on all............" and press apply. This too might take some time.

Click OK, and click okay again, and you should be set to access all files on your old Win XP install.

Good luck.

Flix

[MyPCAlexi]

5 copies of xp? wtf? i guess if your drive has enough space for the partitions i guess thats alright, but still i would think that anymore than 3 is unsafe. the fact you have 2 installed before you changed hardware and kept them is not good. hopefully you can figure it out with flix's mini tutorial. tell us what happens.

[Mr.Guvernment]

wow - some people - so they just install the o/s over the old O/s over the old O/S over the old O/S over the old O/S over the old O/S over the old O/S over the old O/S


makes me wonder HOW on earth their systems sitll work

Personally - format the system - start from scratch!!!!!

[greenman100]

my roommate used to have about 5 copies of xp on his machine for "just in case" reasons. worked good until the drive that had the bootloader on it crapped out and he lost everything anyway.

=win

[Suicide Al]

yeah he had over 200 gigs total so he wasn't at a loss for a place to store stuff. i think we finally have him convinced to delete all but two copies so he doesn't have half working windows partitons all over his drives.