XP Home System fault & file Access

[Don A]

Hi there, my name is Don & new to the Forum,
I unfortunately suffered the net result of an Operating System malfunction (XP Home ser pack 2 etc).and I am not very impressed, more highly stressed at the moment & I would appreciate any help.
All of a sudden Windows would not run & system kept re-booting with a message that a license was missing for my machine.
On reloading the start-up files supplied by the OEM windows just sits at the welcome screen.
I have obtained a new hard drive & set it up as should be with Windows XP Home Op system as the master & put old drive as slave. I can see all the files on the old hard drive and wish to transfer my old documents but........... when I first set up the first hard drive user accounts I made my documents & settings private. Now I can't access or copy. There are 100's of family photo's & documents that I need to keep. Is there any way I can do the following.
1. Get the old version of windows kick started so I can change the attributes on my documents to allow file transfer..
2. Access my files from new hard-drive for normal use?

thanks to all.
Don

[J_Search]

Don A,

I would forget about trying to fix Windows and try to recover your files. Just use recovery software. I use GETDATABACK, but there are plenty of other options.

J_

[Don A]

Don A,

I would forget about trying to fix Windows and try to recover your files. Just use recovery software. I use GETDATABACK, but there are plenty of other options.

J_

Thanks J...PLEASE GIVE ME ANY ADVICE ON OTHER ALTERNATIVES As Microsoft Can't Help & the people from GETBACKDAT (Runtime Software have replied also with negative: & their email is as follows:================================
I am afraid there is nothing you can do with our software to recover any of the data. Private folders are private so that no one, including yourself, can take the drive our of the machine and copy the data with the drive not the booting drive. We do not make software that will fix the OS either as all of our software is read only. Sorry we could not help.
Thank You,
Jody Wilkes
Runtime Software
=============================================
Cheers from Don A

[J_Search]

Thanks J...PLEASE GIVE ME ANY ADVICE ON OTHER ALTERNATIVES As Microsoft Can't Help & the people from GETBACKDAT (Runtime Software have replied also with negative: & their email is as follows:================================
I am afraid there is nothing you can do with our software to recover any of the data. Private folders are private so that no one, including yourself, can take the drive our of the machine and copy the data with the drive not the booting drive. We do not make software that will fix the OS either as all of our software is read only. Sorry we could not help.
Thank You,
Jody Wilkes
Runtime Software
=============================================
Cheers from Don A

So, basically they are saying that if your hard drive crashes, you'll be able to recover everything except your private folders? I don't think so.

J_

[Don A]

So, basically they are saying that if your hard drive crashes, you'll be able to recover everything except your private folders? I don't think so.

J_

That's right.. I need to get access to "My Documents" under my Log on password hence I am open to all suggestions.

[chrisbliss18]

That's right.. I need to get access to "My Documents" under my Log on password hence I am open to all suggestions.

What J is saying is that you will be able to get access to those "private" folders as well. The notion that you won't be able to is bogus. Running the program won't damage anything. Give it a try and see if it retrieves the files you need.