Need Help ASAP XP "Upgrade"

[SweetD]

I tried to "upgrade" my PC to XP pro from 2000. This is a retail version not some pirated software. The issue is my upgrade went crazy? I lost my admin login and my other account that had admin rights. The big issue is I need some of my Outlook .pst files and all my photos of the first year of my daughter. I can only log into XP ujnder a limited user account so I am unable to use my usb pocket drive to get the Photos off and I am unable to find the .pst files for Outlook. Does anyone know of away to reactivate my admin login or any help would be appricated.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[jf-08]

I thought you were Microsoft certified?

 

[SweetD]

Not yet. I know how to use the stuff but I don't know how to fix it yet.

 

[Chaz]

Well that is a tough one.

There are some password recovery tools but they are not free and I have not used them. Did the install have you set an administrator password? I ususally have an administrator password that does not change and a personal login (with admin rights) that I change the password on from time to time. I realize this probably doesn't help you now. Do you just not remember the password or do you think it was changed or corrupted during the upgrade?

You could install windows to another hard drive and access the disk that has your files that way.

If I think of something else I will let you know.

 

[SweetD]

I was thinking of install the OS again on a partition on the same drive just to get admin access to the files to move them then reimage the drive. Does anyone know it that would work? I can see the files but I am unable to transfer or copy them.

 

[Chaz]

I was thinking of install the OS again on a partition on the same drive just to get admin access to the files to move them then reimage the drive. Does anyone know it that would work? I can see the files but I am unable to transfer or copy them.

You may have to take ownership of them but I don't see why not. Unless they were encrypted.

 

[SweetD]

You may have to take ownership of them but I don't see why not. Unless they were encrypted.

Not sure how to do that? I was going to make the new partition and add a new admin account and I was hopeing to be able to see the files on the other partition and at least with the admin rights I could copy or move the files to my other PCs. I know I should have save the files to CD months ago EEEEEEEEERRRRRRRR!

 

[Chaz]

Not sure how to do that? I was going to make the new partition and add a new admin account and I was hopeing to be able to see the files on the other partition and at least with the admin rights I could copy or move the files to my other PCs. I know I should have save the files to CD months ago EEEEEEEEERRRRRRRR!

You should be able to without any problem.

If they are in the "Documents and Settings" section sometimes the permissions are pretty restrictive.

If you are the administrator then worst case is you have to take ownership if you have no permission to those files. In the security section under properties there is an advanced tab. Ownership is one of the tabs under the advanced security section.

 

[Ryanwb]

Not sure how to do that? I was going to make the new partition and add a new admin account and I was hopeing to be able to see the files on the other partition and at least with the admin rights I could copy or move the files to my other PCs. I know I should have save the files to CD months ago EEEEEEEEERRRRRRRR!

Right click on the folder you want to access, go to properties, security, advanced and then ownership.... Assign ownership to administrators and you should be able to access the files you need

 

[SweetD]

Thanks Guys I will try to add the partition today and see if that works.


Dave

 

[SweetD]

YES! YES!YES! YES!YES! YES!YES! YES!YES! YES!YES! YES!YES! YES!YES! YES!
Setting up the Parition worked and I was able to transfer my files. Thanks for everyone who made suggestions. Going out and buying a dvdrw drive tommorow to save everything to disk.

 

[Djaughe]

YES! YES!YES! YES!YES! YES!YES! YES!YES! YES!YES! YES!YES! YES!YES! YES!
Setting up the Parition worked and I was able to transfer my files. Thanks for everyone who made suggestions. Going out and buying a dvdrw drive tommorow to save everything to disk.

Glad to help.

 

[Ryanwb]

Glad you were able to recover all that porn

I mean family pictures

 

[SweetD]

Glad you were able to recover all that porn

I mean family pictures

That stuff cost allot of money. Not everyday you get a midget, horse, and a nurse together at the same time let alone in bunny suites.

 

[UncleChris]

Just food for thought.....

I do all my backups on a 2nd disk drive. Sometimes you can pick up a sizable drive for pretty cheap (on sale and/or rebates) and it's a lot easier to make backups that way. If the drive is solely for backups, you can get a 5400 rpm, ultra dma 66 drive for really cheap, if you watch the sales.

Having had to do total rebuilds several times over the last 12 years or so, I now run with a full UPS/battery back up ($90 from Costco) and have a full, rebootable backup on a 2nd hard drive. While nothing is absolutely crash-proof, this is pretty darned close and it only cost me $90 (I just hooked up one of my old, 80gb drives for backup).

Pay the extra dough and only cry once....

 

[SweetD]

Just food for thought.....

I do all my backups on a 2nd disk drive. Sometimes you can pick up a sizable drive for pretty cheap (on sale and/or rebates) and it's a lot easier to make backups that way. If the drive is solely for backups, you can get a 5400 rpm, ultra dma 66 drive for really cheap, if you watch the sales.

Having had to do total rebuilds several times over the last 12 years or so, I now run with a full UPS/battery back up ($90 from Costco) and have a full, rebootable backup on a 2nd hard drive. While nothing is absolutely crash-proof, this is pretty darned close and it only cost me $90 (I just hooked up one of my old, 80gb drives for backup).

Pay the extra dough and only cry once....

Thanks for the input. Unfortuanltly my PC is one that is built into the monitor and doesn't have room for a second HDD. I think I am going to purchase a NAS to house some movies and music as well and back everything up via dvd.

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