Access Denied??

Hiya guys I have a problem - please help with advice.

Last night my mainPC locked up, I had to turn it off without being able to go through a proper Windows power down. My C: drive with Windows XP on it has another partition with work on it and back ups of the stuff on C: That PC won't boot now.

I do have other drives in that pc with xp on and I can boot via them and see the C drive (which won't boot) so I can move stuff if I want and do further back ups. I can see the second partition and I can see the first set of folders, but most of them will not allow me access the folders or files - strangely one folder will but there is nothing of any consequence in that folder doh!

I have just done a chkdsk /r from the command window on that drive and it tells me all my files are there - it says they are all in order, but it refuses to give me access. When I double click on a folder to open it I get Access Denied!

Does anyone know how I can regain access to these apparently ok folders and files please?

I'm off to bed now but please leave any info you can and tomorrow I shall report back on what happened next.

Thanks

IPete2.

if your the administrator just add yourself to the files with full permission and it should work.

If you are administrator and don't have access to the files, you may not be allowed to change the security permissions to add yourself either -- you may need to take ownership of the files in question first.

go to my computer -> right-click on the C:\ drive -> properties -> security

Make sure that administrator and/or your account is added as 'full control'.

If you don't have the ability to change the security permissions, you may have to go to Advance -> Ownership -> Take ownership first.
Note that that will undo any explicit ownership & security permissions on your files that you had set up.

if you still can't get access to subfolders or files in them, you may need to check the 'replace permission entries on all child objects' under 'advanced'.

Thanks guys - this is proving very difficult but I have made a little progress.

I can't seem to find the security permissions tab but I am the administrator. I guessed it may be that I am running SP1 on this drive and the other drive has sp2 on it, so I am upgrading...

Will keep you posted.

[edit - ok got access by going into Safe Mode in XP Home Edition]

[edit 2 - hmm I have set permissions but it still refuses me access - Im going to see what else option wise I can see in safe mode]

IPete2.

AT LAST! Thanks for that guys!

I managed it by your last advice piece of advice Xlsior - (thanks too for your help ckob)

I am in debt to you both thanks.

IPete2.

XP Home blows chunks... upgrade to Pro and you will have fewer problems of this kind IMHO

Rook, I wish I could afford it - but things are tight at the moment.

Two things I have learned over this weekend. I am fairly careful with backups, pst and registry files...

(1) Backing up the registry should probably be done in safe mode, as I had a back up from the morning of the disaster of the registry and the pst file but I guess I must have done them from the normal windows mode. When I came to import the registry I couldnt get it fully imported. I got reports of "Some keys are still open". This has led me (or will tomorrow) to have to do a format and re-install of my Windows XP boot drive. Grrrr.

(2) The write cache enable may speed up writing to hard drives, but if something causes the pc to shut down suddenly, power surge or a failure of some kind then you are screwed!

That is what happened to me. Windows shut down and the main drive had not written all its data and closed critical system files. I have now disabled "write cache enable" on all my drives which will slow everything down a bit but is mush safer I think...

That was Saturday! I had yesterday off because - well to be honest I just needed to get away from the pc for a day. Today I have spend molly coddling the process or gettin gmy pc into working order, carefully bringing files and folders back into my control and then re-installing Windows XP again - without losing any data like my kids homework and stuff. The trying to reimport the registry - failing and `deciding to go for a full format of the partition when I have a less tired head tomorrow.

There should be an easier way of doing this - it will take me a few days to get ALL my software back up and running with licenses and plugins etc, not to mention the web site ftp settings for my clients - sigh. Ah well time for bed said Zebedee!

Night!

IPete2.

It's a reall pain in the ass when Windows goes tits up like that. Reinstalling everything takes painful hours. You do backup regularly though right?

That is a big Yes Grey, being in business I need to. This crash seems to have damaged my back up drive too though, lucky I have a 3rd in place for the critical stuff and a 1GB usb stick with day to day stuff on it.

You are so right about the time it takes to reinstall - re license Virtools, 3DSMax, sort out the ftp settings for all my web clients, shessh its gonna be a long day. But I have done this very carefully, I have tried lots of things to recover my original installation, including putting back the resitry which I had only just backed up that day - ut to no avail.

Back ups are the only way forwards, I may have to invest in a comprehensive "One Touch" back up a la Maxtor external drive...

Wish me luck people!

Im currently on line from my second PC so no emails since Saturday night. SOmetimes I just hate Windows...others...well

IPete2.

Bring back the Amiga and Workbench is what I say! ;)

good luck IPete2: I've had several horrid Windows bombs over the years, but luckily the backups have always been in place. I'm gonna backup mr registry right now!