Member Avatar for Cowboy Rock

Does any body know how to access files on a hard drive that are pass word protected. The problem is I hooked my old hard drive into my new computer as a slave and it will not let me access user files. When I had my old hard drive in I had my computer password protected so nobody could view my personal files like my pictures, my documents, etc. So now I want to take does files from the old hard drive and put them on my new hard drive. HOW DO I DO THIS!!! SEND HELP IMMEDIATELY!!!!!

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Dani AI

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Different locking methods require different recoveries: NTFS permissions, Windows EFS, third‑party full‑disk or container encryption, or a firmware/BIOS HDD password. As and noted, identifying how the protection was applied is the essential first step; 's point that access from the original machine can simplify recovery is correct when that option exists.

When the problem is NTFS permissions (files are not encrypted) ownership can be taken and ACLs reset from an administrator account. Using Explorer: right‑click the folder or profile, Properties → Security → Advanced → Owner → change to the Administrators group, enable “replace owner on subcontainers and objects,” apply, then grant Full Control. On Vista/7/10/11 the same result can be achieved from an elevated prompt with:

takeown /F "D:\Users\OldUser" /R
icacls "D:\Users\OldUser" /grant Administrators:F /T

If files were encrypted with EFS or a third‑party tool, possession of the disk alone will not decrypt them. EFS ties files to a user certificate/private key (or a configured recovery agent). Container or whole‑disk solutions (TrueCrypt, BitLocker, PGP, etc.) and firmware/BIOS HDD passwords likewise require the original password/key or vendor support. Windows’ format/initialize prompts should be avoided because they can permanently destroy data.

A full sector image should be made before any attempts to change ownership or repair. Inspecting the image from a read‑only environment (Linux live session or Windows PE) can reveal clues: intact user profiles and certificate stores point toward OS/EFS protection; single large container files point toward third‑party encryption. For encrypted or firmware‑locked drives, professional data‑recovery or vendor assistance is the safest path.

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Member Avatar for DuncanIdaho

Put your old hard drive back in your old machine, (I hope you still have it, and that you can boot with it!), then turn OFF whatever password protection you turned on, so that the files are unencrypted. Then you should be able to put the drive onto your new machine without problems.

Member Avatar for DMR

How exactly did you password protect the drive? That is, what program/process did you use?

Member Avatar for Enigma 2100

How did you encrypt the files. Did you use Windows encryption or did you password protect the bios? How you access the files is dependant on how you encrypted it.

Member Avatar for FC Jamison

What operating system were you using on the old drive and what one are you using on the new one?

Theoretically, you should be able to access the old drive through Windows Explorer if you are logged in to the new machine as an administrator.

Can you see the files but not access them, or can you not access the drive at all?

Member Avatar for DMR

Hi all,

When looking for threads in which to assist, please check the dates on the threads before posting to them. Threads such as this thread, which have been inactive for 6 months or more, are usually abandoned. The member who originally posted the problem is not likely to respond, so adding replies to such threads only distracts our efforts away from those who could currently use our help.


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Member Avatar for FC Jamison

I didn't even look at the original post date...my bad.

Member Avatar for DMR

No problem- It's easy to miss, especially if someone else has already recently "resurrected" the thread.
Thanks for understanding, though. :)

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