[Paul_18]

After searchin microsofts help and support it appeared that i found my solution but their directoins were wrong, well for my system anyway. heres a grab from their site and my problem with it.

SYMPTOMS

When you try to open a folder in Microsoft Windows XP, you may receive the following error message, where Folder is the name of the folder that you cannot open:
Folder is not accessible. Access is denied

CAUSE

This issue may occur if the folder that you cannot open was created on an NTFS file system volume by using a previous installation of Windows, and then installing Windows XP.
This issue may occur although you enter the correct user name and password.
This issue occurs because the security ID for the user has changed.
Although you use the same user name and password, your security ID no longer matches the security ID of the owner of the folder that you cannot open.

For example, although you use the same user name and password, you may no longer have permission to open the folder after you complete the following steps:

1. Before you install Windows XP Professional, you change the actual location, or target location, of the My Documents folder to another volume.
2. You format the primary partition.
3. You install Windows XP Professional.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, you must turn off Simple File Sharing, and then take ownership of the folder:

1. Turn off Simple File Sharing: a. Click Start, and then click My Computer.
b. On the Tools menu, click Folder Options, and then click the View tab.
c. Under Advanced Settings, click to clear the Use simple file sharing (Recommended) check box, and then click OK.

2. Right-click the folder that you want to take ownership of, and then click Properties.
3. Click the Security tab, and then click OK on the Security message, if one appears.
4. Click Advanced, and then click the Owner tab.
5. In the Name list, click your user name, 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, click to select the Replace owner on subcontainers and objects check box.
6. Click OK.

You may receive the following error message, where Folder is the name of the folder that you want to take ownership of:
You do not have permission to read the contents of directory Folder. Do you want to replace the directory permissions with permissions granting you Full Control? All permissions will be replaced if you press Yes.
7. Click Yes.
8. Click OK, and then reapply the permissions and security settings that you want for the folder and the folder contents.
--------------------------------------------- - - - - - - - ---------------------------------------------
This is the exact problem I have and i've followed the instructions until "click to clear the Use simple file sharing (Recommended) check box" because there appears to be no check box under this description.
I have over 20gig of ireplaceable files in this folder i would really appreciate some more assistance.
I'm using Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition sp2 as i said before it would be a lifesaver if you could help me gain access to the folder.
Paul Travers

[kronus]

http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000...g/xcacls-o.asp

This is a tool to manually alter the permissions of files. I haven't got a clue how to use it so read the documentation carefully.
Good Luck

[StumpedTechy]

Keep on with the instructions the reson that number 1c. is not showing on your PC is XP home ONLY uses simple file sharing so there is no other option.

You still have to take ownership and whatnot. Read the directions those were written for XP pro but they are very similar in the rest of the instructions...


Or yes you can use xcalc.

[Paul_18]

thanks again guys i'll give that probram the once over and try it out

[kronus]

before you try the xcalc, try following the rest of microsoft's solution. StumpedTechy is right by the looks of it.

[Paul_18]

The documentation doesnt really help me with that program im afraid, its workin at a level beyond my comprehension of computing. And I cant seem to find any help on the windows xp home way of doing things. I've put a request in to microsoft about getting 1 but i doubt they'll ever get round to that. any other suggestions or do u know how to do it with windows home?

[Paul_18]

I cant follow the rest of the directions as there is no security tab when I go to th properties of the folder i wish to take control of. It would seem the rest of the instructions are made ineligible by there no being and option to turn of simple file sharing.

[JohnWill]

Boot into safe mode and you'll have the security tab. Take ownership there.

[kronus]

Okaty, this needs a warning: I have never actually used this program before and so I can not guarantee my syntax is correct. The consequenses of incorrect syntax could be as bad (at the very very worst, though unlikely) locking yourself out of more files. Most likely though, you'll get a bad command or filename or syntax error.

All right, here's an example, like it would be on my computer.

I hit start, click run and type cmd and hit enter. A bleak command prompt greets me at the directory F:\Documents and Settings\Kronus. I want to gain access to a folder on the D:\ drive. The folder is named D:\OMFI Media Files. So I type, without quotes, "d:" mounting the drive. Now, I have just installed this drive from a previous installation of windows and all the files on this drive are blocked, having been created by me in a former install. So I type, without the quotes, "xcacls *.* /t /g kronus:o;o /y" where 'xcacls' is the program, '*.*' is all files, '/t' will make the program walk through all subdirectories, '/g' grants the "username" ":o' ownership of files specified by the *.* and ';o' ownership of all directories. the /y disables asking you for confirmation of changing the permissions. *breath*

Now, lets say you want to access C:\Documents and Settings\Paul's Old Files\My Documents

When you open the command prompt, you will be in your current user's profile folder, say, C:\Docu...ttings\Paul's New Files> what you might have to do is type cd\ and then, again without the quotes, "xcacls c:\documents ad settings\paul's old files /g paul:o;o /y" then "cd\documents and settings\paul's old files" and then "xcacls *.* /g paul:o;o /y" and then you should have access to all your files, and know how to use a clever command line tool.

*breath*

[kronus]

Ack! all that typing and learning and the answer was so simple! Hey, how do you disable smilies? Especially when they intefere with your command lines?

[JohnWill]

I think you might have forgotten a step. Here's what I get on XP-Pro and XP-Home.

Perhaps you should include XCACLS Download. I also suggest that this is an application that makes it real easy to shoot yourself in the foot, not something you want to apply casually.

[Paul_18]

Thanks alot guys for the help but i just happened to stumble across the answer myself, johnwill was right i done via safemode. thank god i got access to those files! many thanks again

[ninhenzo64]

Thanks for this help, I've been trying to access one of my drives all day!