[Bud]

My wife's computer crashed and I reinstalled windows xp.

I'm in the process of setting up her microsoft outlook email and was
going to import her old pst file. However, xp will not let me access
the old directory under "Documents and Settings". This means that I
cannot access her old "My Documents" folder or any other folder for
that matter.

Is there a way to access the old file folders? I'm not given a
password prompt - just an "access denied" message box.

The directory structure after the reinstall looks like this:

- Documents and Settings
- All Users
- All Users.WINDOWS

The last install appended the .WINDOWS to the original directory
names.

[Nepatsfan]

Bud wrote:
> My wife's computer crashed and I reinstalled windows xp.
>
> I'm in the process of setting up her microsoft outlook email
> and was going to import her old pst file. However, xp will
> not let me access the old directory under "Documents and
> Settings". This means that I cannot access her old "My
> Documents" folder or any other folder for that matter.
>
> Is there a way to access the old file folders? I'm not
> given a password prompt - just an "access denied" message
> box.
>
> The directory structure after the reinstall looks like this:
>
> - Documents and Settings
> - All Users
> - All Users.WINDOWS
>
> The last install appended the .WINDOWS to the original
> directory names.

You may have to take ownership of the files. Take a look here
for
the procedure:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308421&sd=tech

FYI, when you reinstalled Windows you created a second
installation that's why you see .WINDOWS added to those
folders.

Nepatsfan

[Patti MacLeod]

Hi Bud,

Follow the instructions in this MSKB article in order to take ownership of
the old directory:
How to take ownership of a file or folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=308421



Regards,

--
Patti MacLeod
Microsoft MVP - Windows Shell/User

"Bud" <post@mpwb.grp> wrote in message
news:i9ru91dqavpr41s9rk849f9nhli89197dq@4ax.com...
> My wife's computer crashed and I reinstalled windows xp.
>
> I'm in the process of setting up her microsoft outlook email and was
> going to import her old pst file. However, xp will not let me access
> the old directory under "Documents and Settings". This means that I
> cannot access her old "My Documents" folder or any other folder for
> that matter.
>
> Is there a way to access the old file folders? I'm not given a
> password prompt - just an "access denied" message box.
>
> The directory structure after the reinstall looks like this:
>
> - Documents and Settings
> - All Users
> - All Users.WINDOWS
>
> The last install appended the .WINDOWS to the original directory
> names.

[Bud]

Thanks Nepatsfan and Patti - I'm back in business.

[Patti MacLeod]

You're welcome :-)



Regards,

--
Patti MacLeod
Microsoft MVP - Windows Shell/User

"Bud" <post@mpwb.grp> wrote in message
news:q37v91ld6kp8b6du8b1knm8famvgut85oq@4ax.com...
> Thanks Nepatsfan and Patti - I'm back in business.