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How to recover files with odd security settings


Idontwantspam

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For some odd reason, a bunch of photos on our family computer have become unavailable because of odd permissions. The images are all .jpg. What happened is I (stupidly :blushing: ) deleted the account that had uploaded the files, and somehow that account got set to be the only one allowed to open the files. So now, no-one has ownership of the files, not even admins. System can access them, but I don't like using system all the time. I know that you can go into safe mode to be able to see the security tab and to take ownership, which I have done with some files already, but the thing is Safe Mode is a pain in the @$$ on this computer. I posted about it but never got it resolved. So my question is if there is any way for me to take ownership of a lot of files all at once or even individually if need be without going into safe mode. I can't disable simple file sharing because it's XP Home. Any ideas, or better yet, any ideas on how to fix safe mode, so I can do it there? Or even find a way to create a new user with the same SID, but I doubt that's possible. Any help would be appreciated!

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You can try the chown utility for windows.

http://wwwthep.physik.uni-mainz.de/~frink/chown.zip

Extract chown.exe to the WINDOWS folder for ease of use.

Once done, goto Start -> Run (or CMD.exe) and type:

chown -r -v Username Foldername

Where Username is your current account name in XP, and Foldername is the name of the folder or files which you want to take ownership of. (wildcards * and ? are supported)

Edited by [deXter]
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I encountered the same problem, the whole documents and settings directory of one user was inaccessible, kept on complaining about insufficient access rights. Never found out what happened during patching (that was the time it occured). I was only able to copy all the data to a fat32 disk when running knoppix (linux with tools running from cd). Then I wiped the disk, ran a fresh install and restored the data.

Jules

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You need to take ownership of the documents or the folder as local administrator then give yourself the rights you need. This is in the options in the security tab of the properties.

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You need to take ownership of the documents or the folder as local administrator then give yourself the rights you need. This is in the options in the security tab of the properties.

I know that! But this is Windows XP Home Edition. It has no Security tab, and no way to turn it on, in Normal Mode. When in Safe Mode, it is there, but if you had read the whole post, you would have seen that the computer doesn't go into safe mode easily and that it has "issues" that make this hard. I can't transfer the files elsewhere like to a computer with the Security tab, because all permissions have been removed except for the (gone) owner and System. Next time, read the post!

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stick it in an xp pro machine and change the permissions that way, or you might be able to do it from a BartPE cd.

Problem is, I can't even put them on a USB flash drive or a CD because the permissions don't allow anything. At all. I suppose I could do the procedure to run explorer.exe as SYSTEM, then be allowed to do the mentioned procedure. I suppose it would be easier just to bear with Safe Mode... there are so many files, that method wouldn't even be practical. Thanks though.

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Next time, read the post!

OK, I did now. :rolleyes: I think BartPE is the way to go if you tried everything else. From BartPE, copy and paste them in a directory you have rights on, you should be ok. You can even copy them to a USB stick providing it's plugged at start. Yes I did read your last post but you say you can't put them on usb or on cd from your own system, not fro BartPE.

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add your name to the users list that can access the folder...i remember doing that before..took a long time because you had to do it with everything.

that or maybe unlocker can do it? never tried to use unlocker for it though.

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Next time, read the post!

OK, I did now. :rolleyes: I think BartPE is the way to go if you tried everything else. From BartPE, copy and paste them in a directory you have rights on, you should be ok. You can even copy them to a USB stick providing it's plugged at start. Yes I did read your last post but you say you can't put them on usb or on cd from your own system, not fro BartPE.

Thanks. Um, excuse my stupid question :blushing: , but what is BartPE? How do I use it? Where do I get it?

add your name to the users list that can access the folder...i remember doing that before..took a long time because you had to do it with everything.

that or maybe unlocker can do it? never tried to use unlocker for it though.

Tried adding "Everyone" to the folder permissions... it didn't work; all of the individual files are still restricted. :(

I meant put the drive itself in an xp pro machine and change the permissions and take ownership from xp pro

That wouldn't be easy. It's inside of a desktop that I don't know how to take apart - I don't know much about hardware yet. Also, I have no WinXP Pro desktops around to put it in/attach it to, and my laptop would have no way to connect to it, I don't think.

Anyone else have any ideas? Is there a way I could connect my laptop to this desktop? Or, better yet, is there any way to fix the safe-mode problem? That would really make it all easier and resolve the bigger part of the problem.

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what is BartPE? How do I use it? Where do I get it?

search for BartPE, you can't miss it, you'll come up with an application (PEbulder) that builds a bootable CD that is sort of Windows Preinstall Environnement. Booting that CD, you can read NTFS, open some files, perform a chkdsk and other stuff. It can be very usefull.

You need an XP install disk or at least the i386 folder, a bit nLite's way. It's not very difficult.

And please.. don't ignore DeXter . :D

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Sorry deXter. Somehow I missed that post... Oops! :blushing:

I will download & try that when I get a chance. I apologize!

If Chown doesn't work, I will try BartPE.

Thanks everyone.

EDIT:

Um, deXter, with your instructions above, you say Username should be the current user. Can that be any user? I assume that part of the command sets who the owner should be; can I have the "username" be "everyone"? Thanks again, sorry I missed that. (Stupid me)

Edited by Idontwantspam
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