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Cannot access folder after Windows reinstall
After reinstalling Windows XP, you are unable to access certain folders created using the previous installation. When you try to access them, you receive the message: "Folder is not accessible. Access is denied."
Solution
This problem occurs when you try to access a folder created on a drive using the NTFS file system using a previous installation of Windows. Even if you use the same login name and password under the new installation, the internally generated security ID is not the same, so Windows will not allow you access to the folder. You must take ownership of the folder by carrying out the following steps.
- Open My Computer.
- Click on Tools, Folder Options and select the View tab.
- Under Advanced Settings, locate Use Simple File Sharing (Recommended).
- Click to clear the check box and disable Simple File Sharing.
- Click OK.
- Locate the folder you wish to take ownership of.
- Right-click the folder and click Properties.
- Select the Security tab.
- If a security warning appears, click OK.
- Click Advanced.
- Select the Owner tab.
- In the Name list, select your user name.
- Tick the check box Replace owner on subcontainers and objects and then click OK.
- If the message "You do not have permission to read the contents of directory .... Do you want to replace the directory permissions with permissions granting you Full Control? All permissions will be replaced if you press Yes." appears, click Yes.
- Click OK.
- Set the permissions and security settings you require for the folder and its contents.
- Repeat the first three steps and re-enable Simple File Sharing, if you were previously using it.
More information
Applies to
- Microsoft Windows XP
58 comments:
LIFE SAVER
THANK YOU - 06 09 2006 - 00:04
Perhaps too obvious, but this also worked for me when migrating from Windows XP to Windows Server 2003. The only difference is that there is no "Simple File Sharing"-option. Apart from that is works fine.
Thank you, PC Guru!
Alex () - 26 09 2006 - 13:35
this is truly brilliant - have now got password protected files back after re-installing XP after a complete PC crash, new motherboard etc...
thank you
Martin - 01 10 2006 - 13:23
Thank you very, very much!!!
jalesio - 31 10 2006 - 17:25
need help
there is no "Simple File Sharing"-option nor is there Security tab
tx
geo - 03 01 2007 - 05:08
there is no "Simple File Sharing" option and there is no Security tab
Evan () - 17 01 2007 - 05:24
hi,
great. it just did it.
i have xp pro and had all features.
maybe different under xp home ?
jacobson - 13 02 2007 - 14:16
Thank You!!!
Oleg - 09 03 2007 - 03:56
Couldn't be easier. Worked like a charm. Managed to recover all my files after a system crash and XP reinstall. Thank you!
wallace - 27 03 2007 - 14:46
I set permission on my folder in D drive to be accessed by administrator only. After reinstalling windows 2000 on NTFS system i managed to access the folder but the files are not accessable. kindly guide me on correcting this problem.
plasma () - 07 04 2007 - 12:10
Extremely helpful! Thank you very much!
Rob - 22 09 2007 - 15:54
hi
i have an external harddisk that has an xp operating system on it...
now when i plug this drive in amother system to access its "my documents" i simply cant...
moreover i follows the steps given above and it didnt work also.
so please help me
mail me at qmaasim@gmail.com
aasim () (URL) - 13 01 2008 - 20:07
like others, I dont have simple file sharing or a security tab!
Abe () - 01 03 2008 - 23:08
yeah maybe you should let people know that this doesnt apply to xp home edition
pal - 15 03 2008 - 17:35
I have XP PRO SP2 and no simple file sharing or security tab. So can't follow the process about ownership change.
Dina - 20 03 2008 - 06:01
Thank you!
Blah - 14 07 2008 - 16:07
Works fine and yes sp2 xp pro does have it,go to control panel first as it says,
Thanks for this life saver :)
keith - 03 08 2008 - 06:22
Great. It worked for me. Many Thanks
Vikram - 19 08 2008 - 11:03
My wifes laptop died couple of days ago..and she had all her work for last year stored on "desktop"...and after Windows reinstallations I was not able to access that folder.
This solution safed my marriage since we had big faigth becouse of this...
Sasa () - 23 09 2008 - 02:01
Like the others, I have home edition and this post didn't help
If there is a similar solution for XP home edition, can you email me or direct me to relevant post.
Same problem--new motoboard, New Harddrive where I installed Windows XP, Old harddrive on Slave, Trying to access files on old Hardrive
Bobby () - 06 11 2008 - 17:20
My daughter's PC developed a problem, so in order to back up her important uni data files, I took her hard drive away and plugged it into my own system as a second drive. However, her My Documents folder was inaccessible; it came up "Access Denied", and I started to panic. I came across your site from a search engine and the above solution re taking ownership of files/folder solved it for me. You're an absolute genius and I thank-you so much.
Roy - 20 11 2008 - 23:44
You know what? Big Thanks for this tip.
Andre C. - 23 11 2008 - 17:55
thank you save me a lot of work
carma - 01 12 2008 - 04:55
I use XP home and there is no "Simple File Sharing"-option nor is there Security tab. What should I do?
Marshall B. () - 16 12 2008 - 15:26
Wow, that was perfect. Thank you so much for this guidance.
Morteza Lotfi - 27 12 2008 - 06:23
I tried this for the few files that I am unable to access, but it didn't work...still get an "Access Denied" message when I try to decrypt, open, view, delete, copy or move the files...
Any other tips? The files are not important, but trying to understand why they can't be accessed is, to me.
Thanks
homechicken - 31 12 2008 - 06:51
Thanks man! Your instructions were easy to follow and stopped my panic attack after the system restore!
Robert - 01 02 2009 - 20:16
Thanks for sharing this worthy's information. its really benefited to me.
Aleem Alvi (URL) - 11 02 2009 - 19:17
i have windows xp home ed sp2. there is no "Use Simple File Sharing" under the advanced settings header under the view tab under folder options in the tools directory.
i also looked in the folders tab under control panel. it is not listed there either.
what is the solution ?
thank you.
bob b
[bobb4503] - 26 03 2009 - 01:19
The Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition solution is as follows:
1. Restart the computer in Safe Mode.
a. Shut Down the Computer.
b. Power On and Use F8 to access Windows Advanced Options Menu.
c. Use the arrow keys to move up to Safe Mode and press Enter.
d. Press Enter on Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition.
2. Click on Administrator and, if applicable, enter password. Press Enter.
3. A window will open asking for confirmation of opening in Safe Mode, Click Yes.
4. Click Start and then Click My Computer.
5. Double Click on the Primary Hard Drive ( C:).
6. DoubleClick on Documents and Settings Folder..
7. Right Click on the user account folder to which access has been denied.
8. Click on Properties.
9. Click on Security.
10. Click on Advanced.
11. Click on Owner.
12. Place Check Mark in Replace Owner on subcontainers and objects in the lower left hand corner.
13. Click Apply.
14. Click Yes when the security message opens.
15. Click OK.
16. Click OK again.
17. Restart the computer and access will be granted to all folders in the user account.
I hope this helps anyone who has had or may in the future have the same problem
bob b
[bobb4503] - 26 03 2009 - 03:50
I did this and it did work for some folder and ect.. but not All i have a few folders that is is just not working on and even the original owner can not access these folder, computer got infected with mal warwe thing, had to reinstall windows and copied and pasted old folers back in as to not loose anything, all my folders and setting are find, but my wife has a few folders that still will not let either of us in, and to the point that she can not even download anything, not sure what happened or why, but any help would be help full, we can see the folders and like i said some folders we can open, but some just see to be locked up all together, windows xp pro, with all updates, i do get an error messages when i try to take control of all subfolders ect.. it says i do not have permission to do this, and that is signed in as administrator.. thanks and please help....
John () - 18 04 2009 - 00:26
Thank you thank you thank you. West back to XP from Windows 7 and I lost access to a couple of folders. Your instructions brought it all back. Thank you very much
Andrew () - 12 07 2009 - 02:07
Hey, thanks, this worked for me.
Alwang'a () - 25 07 2009 - 15:53
hey, i ve got xp pro and an admin account but i still cant find advanced and simple file sharing.
i ve also got my documents on d drive.
JJ - 14 09 2009 - 10:14
please help.
ok so now i m trying it with safe mode (with the internet), and i clicked on the properties of the the folder that access has been denied, and selected the security tab. but it wont allow me to access the tab either. it said something like 'currently you have no permission to view/edit the permissions settings of "my documents" but you could gain the ownership or change the Audit Settings.'
i tried to translate this from chinese (yea my computer is chinese)
is there any other ways to do this? e.g. via MS dos...
thanks.
JJ - 14 09 2009 - 10:46
Hi,thanks for this article. It solved my problem.
Rajesh Mathrani - 25 09 2009 - 06:51
I can get inside the folders affected by doing this, but most (curiously, some subfolders work as they should) files give me another access denied. For instance, this happens when trying to open a music file.
Morten () - 17 10 2009 - 15:11
Was so baffled! The only thing that did not work on reinstall and your tip fixed the problem perfectly! Many thanks!
Paul () - 22 10 2009 - 05:39
I am running XP Prof on an HP 2450. I have switched from simple file-sharing. I have reloaded|repaired and have been able to recover most things by changing permissions. I do have about 1500 pictures that I can't access on partition F which I did not have to restore. I think that I have tried just about everything except SAFE mode. Is it likely to help?
Bonnell Frost () - 27 10 2009 - 21:05
Great post! I had a file copied from Windows XP from a previous job that I could not open in Vista. It worked like a charm. The only difference was that I didn't need to mess with the file sharing -- which has different options in Vista. Just changed the ownership on the file.
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thanks () - 01 06 2010 - 07:08
i installed a new xp in a section of my hard disk and later on deleted all the xp files of the previous windows. but the previous account had a password so i could not have access to the files that sored there. please you really need to help me i am in desoperat need of them. this note always appears when i try to open the files 'ACCESS DENIED°
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