Reformatted - lost everything - help.

[zeegler]

Shit. I had to do a recovery on my system. I did a back-up, and it's there, but I can't access anything. When I try to access the folder "Owner" in documents and settings, it tells me access is denied, and when I look at the properties of the folder it says 0 files. The stuff has to be somewhere because my primary hard drive is full!

All I wanted was my favourites, and some torrent files that were in the middle of downloading. I don't care about the other stuff, because all my music, movies and pics and whatnot are on the other drive safe and sound.

Do any of you guys know how I can get my stuff back, or should I just do another recovery without the useless back-up?

[fett]

And that, my friend, is why I don't fuck with my computer.:ROTF: That's not very helpful. Is it? If mine breaks, I'll just get a new one.

[Cygnus X1]

Woof. I always keep a seperate, physical drive for my data. I have the same garbage I had when I got my first 386SX, eons ago. Through many different operating systems and crashes. Not helpful this time, but something to think about in the future.

[zeegler]

Well, like I said, all of my important stuff is on the separate 500 gig drive, but I didn't bother saving a copy of my favourites and downloaded folder, because I assumed the back-up would work.

[shobet]

Did you check the backup before you recovered your system?

Who is the owner of the "Owner" folder? Are you logged in as Administrator or a non-privileged account?

Also data on a single drive is never, ever, safe and sound. Multiple copies checked and recovered is the only way you'll be sure. It's a pain in the arse, but if your data is important to you, better than losing it.

[zeegler]

I'm the only one who uses this system, so yes I am logged in as administrator.

[shobet]

Any windows gurus here?

[Rsmacker]

George Formby?





If I were you I'd disconnect that drive right away. If the data is there (and it should be), you just need one of those recovery programs to access it. I did have one after a little mishap with my PC a while back, it got back 75% of the stuff I thought was gone forever. I'll try and find it....

[Freehill]

If you have Windows XP Pro, and turned off simple file sharing:

Right click folder > Properties > Security tab > Advanced button > Owner tab > choose a user (should Administrator and any other user in Administrators group) > check the box Replace owner on subcontainers and objects > click OK or Apply.

I think shobet is on the right track. Worth a try anyway.

[shobet]

If you have Windows XP Pro, and turned off simple file sharing:

Right click folder > Properties > Security tab > Advanced button > Owner tab > choose a user (should Administrator and any other user in Administrators group) > check the box Replace owner on subcontainers and objects > click OK or Apply.

I think shobet is on the right track. Worth a try anyway.

That will be a first! I've had way tooooo much red wine and can only think in Unix.

[DrDoug]

I can't help you with the windows backup recovery, I never use it. I just copy my files off the drive and manually reset everything. Usually it is whatever I have on my desktop as I move all of My Documents to a separate hard drive (and back that up onto another hard drive regularly!).

Open Windows Explorer, go to the drive that the folder is on, right click on the folder and select the Security tab. If Administrators is not in the list of Groups or user names, select the Add button, then click on the Advanced button in the dialog window that opens. Now click the Find Now button and then select Administrators from the Name list that appears. Click on OK, then click on OK again when that dialog window closes. Now, under the Allow column, check the Full box and click on OK.

If Administrators is in the list in the Security tab, then check to see if full permissions are allowed for it.

If you want to login under the Administrator account instead of the Adminstrators group, you could download the TweakUI powertoy and set it to display the Administrator account at the login screen. Then you could login under the master account and try there.

I am assuming XP Pro. This is about all I can do for you at my end, maybe someone else has a suggestion.

[Rich#6]

If you did a recovery as far as I know everything is gone.

[zeegler]

Fuck it. I'm just going to do another recovery without the backup. There is about 60 gig of space on the main drive that is being used up with who knows what from that useless backup. I've already come to terms with losing my favourites, and downloads in progress. I have another backup on disk somewhere from about 6 months ago. That should at least have most of my favourites on it.

[RobRR]

Zeegs, chances are that even though your logged on as the new administrator, those old files are "owned" but the old admin. Its more of a security thing as opposed to something wrong. Basically, you need to take ownership of the files and then they will all be available.

Read this, it should help you. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308421

[DrDoug]

Rob is probably right, it is only a permissions/security issue. If you have set Windows Explorer to show hidden files/all files, you will notice a folder called System Volume Information (which you can not open), and if you check the size of it, it reports 0 bytes. If you add yourself to the permissions list for that folder, suddenly it shows the real size and now you are able to open it. Just a 'for example' thing, you don't have to try it!

If drive space is occupied, and the folder says 0 bytes, you need to give yourself permission to 'see' the contents of the folder.