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Geek Culture / Windows problem

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Digital Awakening
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Posted: 6th Apr 2008 13:50
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I had a problem with Windows XP not working earlier this week. I even tried a repair with no luck. So I made a new XP installation, that I'm running right now. But I need to access the Documents and Settings folder for my user on the old XP installation, all I get is access denied. I tried using a MS-DOS boot floppy but it can only access FAT32 partitions. Please help me!

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NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Posted: 6th Apr 2008 13:57
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Welcome to Windows. Have the password? Tough luck. It's utterly pathetic, I want one file from my passworded user, and I can't get to it without logging out, moving it to C:\ and logging back in.


I fail at life. No, really.
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SunnyKatt
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Posted: 6th Apr 2008 14:13
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Are you an administrator?

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NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Posted: 6th Apr 2008 14:15
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It doesn't make a difference. Windows will not let you enter a password no matter who you are. Utterly moronic.


I fail at life. No, really.
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Digital Awakening
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Posted: 6th Apr 2008 14:34
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There's no password, I simply have 2 XP installed on my computer and I can't access the user folder on my first installation from my second.

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RalphY
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Posted: 6th Apr 2008 16:10
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Can't remember what access permissions are like in XP, but I know on Vista after reinstalling I have to-reassign all read write permissions on folders to the new account. Have you tried going to the folders properties and checking you have permission to access it, if not change it so you do.

NeX, you're quite possibly the strongest opinionated person I've ever come across on a forum.

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hessiess
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Posted: 6th Apr 2008 16:26
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use a Linux live cd to dump the folder to an external hard drive, usb stick or something

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NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Posted: 6th Apr 2008 16:38
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Quote: "
NeX, you're quite possibly the strongest opinionated person I've ever come across on a forum."


Is that good or bad?

Nice to see you're one of the few who capitalise the X.


I fail at life. No, really.
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RalphY
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Posted: 6th Apr 2008 17:51
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I wasn't implying either, just an observation .

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Digital Awakening
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Posted: 6th Apr 2008 21:19
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RalphY:
Permissions are not available in the folder options on XP.

hessiess:
That's the only idea I got at the moment. Slax was ranked #1 on a list I found of live CDs so I'll give it a try.

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bitJericho
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Posted: 6th Apr 2008 21:24 Edited at: 6th Apr 2008 21:25
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Sure it is, and this is what you have to change:

(right click on folder > properties)




Hurray for teh logd!

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Digital Awakening
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Posted: 6th Apr 2008 23:32
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Jerico2day:
The middle tab is for sharing, always been.

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GatorHex
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Posted: 6th Apr 2008 23:44 Edited at: 6th Apr 2008 23:53
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The NTFS file format has inbuilt security even if the options are not available in XP Home. The default access is usename=guest password=<blank>. The Administrator account on XP Home is Safe Mode so try accessing it while in that mode. Then select the problem files, choose properties and take ownership of them. Then they should start working in normal mode.

If that fails your best bet will be to use Linux running from boot CD something like Knoppix It should allow you enough access to copy the files to a USB stick.

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bitJericho
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Posted: 6th Apr 2008 23:47
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Uh ya, sharing with other users. IE, giving them permission. Try turning on advanced sharing. I'm not at a standard compy right now, so I'm unsure off hand how to enable the box you see above.

Anyway, you just gotta set your documents folder to be read both your OS #1 user and OS #2 user. If all else fails you could enable access to "everyone" for the particular folder, although it will have security implications you will want to consider.


Hurray for teh logd!
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Mr Z
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Posted: 7th Apr 2008 12:43 Edited at: 7th Apr 2008 12:49
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I agree with the Live-CD idea. An Linux Live-CD may be able to solve your problem, just make sure the dist has NTFS support. Note that an Live-CD means you run the entire OS from the CD, so you do not risk loosing data or screwing up (unless you manually erase everything or something like that, but that would not be the OS, and would be as easy as if you did it from XP), because you do not install it, you boot it from an CD as you would with the XP installation CD.

The one I know of, and that has good enough NTFS support, is Ubuntu (have not tested knoppix, so I cannot comment on it):
http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download

Another solution may be to try and use the command prompt. If that does not work, you can always stop explorer, and then launch the command prompt. Have had problems with explorer before, because sometimes it put itself in the way of you.

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Digital Awakening
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Posted: 7th Apr 2008 20:44
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I'll be trying out various things, today or tomorrow.

Mr Z:
I got the live-CD part figured out a while ago, I know how to Google

Stopping Explorer? Do you mean Safe Mode with command prompt? I just get access denied.

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Mr Z
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Posted: 8th Apr 2008 11:17
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Quote: "I got the live-CD part figured out a while ago, I know how to Google"


I here I thought you where stupid .

Nah, just kidding. Did not know how much you knew, so I just gave all info I could just in case you did not know of it.

Quote: "Stopping Explorer? Do you mean Safe Mode with command prompt? I just get access denied."


Nope.

Start Windows normally. Then log in. Press "ctrl + alt + delete" and go to "Processes". There you search for "explorer.exe". When you find it, select it, and then press "End Process". That will shut down explorer.

Not, to get to the command prompt, press "File", then "New task(Run...)". There you type "cmd", and press enter. Now, you use the command prompt to copy/move the files.

When the files are copied/moved, you close the command prompt (or, if you want to be sure the files are copied, navigate with it to the place you copied them to and type "dir" in the command prompt; that will list all the files in the directory), and go to the Task Manager again. Open the run window and type "explorer.exe". That will start explorer again.


However, first (if you do not know how to use the command prompt) I recommend you find an site where you can learn how to copy/move/delete files with the command prompt, learn it, and then you try what I wrote above. Did an quick search, and here is an tutorial that might work:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial76.html
Did not check it out that much, though.

Do not know if it will work, but it might. Good luck.

Darkness, you haunt me. If I give in, I would be an monster beyond imagining. Light, you guide me. Thanks to you, I see past the nothingness. Life, I choose to live in the light.
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Digital Awakening
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Posted: 8th Apr 2008 12:11
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I'm old enough to have owned a 486 (first computer I used was my dad's Sharp Z80) so you don't have to spell it out that long This should have been a clue:

Quote: "I tried using a MS-DOS boot floppy but it can only access FAT32 partitions."


Anyway, that's quick and easy to try out; I hope it works. Thanks

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Digital Awakening
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Posted: 8th Apr 2008 18:33
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Turning off Explorer didn't work, I get access denied.

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RalphY
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Posted: 8th Apr 2008 18:51
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Jerico2day is correct about the sharing thing. The folder is still owned by the old copy of Windows, so to access it from your new install you need to share it with the new Windows.

I've had the same problem many times when moving HDD between rigs. Just go to the security tab and set it up so you have permissions. Looking at Jerico2Day's screenshot the tab is basically the same as in Vista, and this has always worked for me in Vista.

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ionstream
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Posted: 9th Apr 2008 00:09 Edited at: 9th Apr 2008 00:10
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Use a live-distribution of Linux (Knoppix will work fine), or use the Recovery Console from the Windows Installation CD.

Edit: You know, if nothing else works.

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Digital Awakening
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Posted: 9th Apr 2008 01:42 Edited at: 9th Apr 2008 01:45
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Did as suggested and booted into safe mode and logged in as administrator; and there it was, the security tab It took a little while to figure out how to take ownership of every single file and sub folder but now all I want is neatly backed up elsewhere.

Now I wonder what will happen if I format C:. I got one XP installation on C: and one on D: so the plan is to format C:. Will my computer figure out that the installation on C: no longer exist and to run the one on D: by itself? Does it find out Windows installations on it's own or is that data stored somewhere?

Been a long day, did the laundry. Better get some sleep now

Thanks for all the help guys

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Keo C
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Posted: 9th Apr 2008 01:44
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Quote: "Will my computer figure out that the installation on C: no longer exist and to run the one on D: by itself?"

Are these two different HDD's?


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Digital Awakening
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Posted: 9th Apr 2008 01:46 Edited at: 9th Apr 2008 01:47
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I think C: and D: are on the same. I got two HDDs but I don't recall where each partition is. I did that years ago. Correction: many years ago

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GatorHex
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Posted: 9th Apr 2008 02:22 Edited at: 9th Apr 2008 02:32
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Safe Mode is Administrator Login as far as Windows XP Home is concerned. While in safe mode you'll be able to select any locked files and take ownership of them as administrator.

Quote: "Will my computer figure out that the installation on C: no longer exist and to run the one on D: by itself?"


If your old install was on C: and you new install is on D: then yeah

If you need to change it you'll find it in boot.ini looks something like this..



Mine says XP is on the first disk third partition.

Billy Gates didn't give me a MSCE+I for nothin' u know

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Digital Awakening
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Posted: 9th Apr 2008 11:50
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(not at home right now)

So are there boot.ini files on both C: and D: now or is there only one on C:? And if so, what happens if it is deleted?

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GatorHex
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Posted: 9th Apr 2008 15:20 Edited at: 9th Apr 2008 15:25
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I think the boot.ini gets dumped on the first disk & primary partition identified in BIOS as 0/0 normally.

Try this support page from MS http://support.microsoft.com/kb/330184 it shows you how to recover from a missing or bad boot.ini

More info on boot.ini on Google...
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=boot.ini&meta=

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Digital Awakening
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Posted: 9th Apr 2008 15:59
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Maybe I'll leave it as is for now and simply format and install a new XP later. I need to work a bit on my partitions, when they where made it was FAT32, Windows 98 and games smaller then half a gig that was the standard

Can I change my partitions from the XP installation CD?

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Mr Z
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Posted: 9th Apr 2008 16:51
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Do not know. But I do know that the Ubuntu Live-CD comes pre-loaded with an rally good partition program called GParted. GParted also has an Live-CD of it´s own, but I do not know how good it is. You can get it from here:
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=115843&package_id=173828&release_id=562326

It can format between not just NTFS, FAT32, FAT16, but also EXT3 and many more. Here is an list of features:
http://gparted.sourceforge.net/features.php

Darkness, you haunt me. If I give in, I would be an monster beyond imagining. Light, you guide me. Thanks to you, I see past the nothingness. Life, I choose to live in the light.
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Digital Awakening
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Posted: 9th Apr 2008 17:05
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Thanks, I'll keep that in mind

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RalphY
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Posted: 9th Apr 2008 21:52
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You should be able to change partitions from the XP install disk.

You can also change them from within windows as well, Control Panel -> Administrative tools -> Computer Management -> Disk Management. It will let you change the size of partitions, format them etc.

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Mr Z
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Posted: 9th Apr 2008 22:17
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GParted is better. At last I find it to be so. Far better interface and it is very easy to use to.

Darkness, you haunt me. If I give in, I would be an monster beyond imagining. Light, you guide me. Thanks to you, I see past the nothingness. Life, I choose to live in the light.
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Digital Awakening
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Posted: 10th Apr 2008 00:58
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RalphY:
I remember looking at that Disk Management program some day when XP was new. I may have used that to partition my "newer" disk. Thanks, I'll see what I'll use when the day comes

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draknir_
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Posted: 10th Apr 2008 04:29
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Well, Ill be honest, I haven't read the entire thread, but I had a VERY similar problem where I had an old hard drive with all my documents locked away (even though I didn't have a user pw on that windows installation). This fixed it all up for me: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=308421
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Digital Awakening
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Posted: 10th Apr 2008 10:17
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That problem's been solved already

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