Hard Drive HELP! -need to retrieve files
hi, I am new here , recommended by someone - my computer crashed Friday nite, it was an emachine only 2/3 yrs old. I just bought a new one, cpu only yesterday and we put the old hard drive into the new computer and made it the *slave* and the new drive is the main drive, and we see my folder but can't retrieve my docs/files/favorites which has taken me 4 yrs to accumulate! 
Under My Music we see where I had burned a CD, it is all there, soooo WHY can't we get/see my other info that I saved for yearssss!! SO thought it was due to having a password on the system so he tested by making the OLD drive the main one so that we could boot up and take password OFF! but it wouldn't even let us into the system. I know others have had their computers crash and probably needed to retrieve old info. Also SO finds something else old that the OLD drive is showing *0* files for my docs? but how could My Music showing anything?
Since I am new here not sure if besides posting replies here, I will also be notified thru email. I am not tech savy but trying!! I am sooo upset right now and we know there is a way to retrieve it.
Best Buy was the one who suggested putting the old hard drive right into the new computer to retrieve records. I also know there is an enclosure thing you can buy but that probably would work right now either. We are thinking we need to *break* the password protection I had on it??
ANY/ALL your help is soooooooo appppreciated!! thank you in advance!
Under My Music we see where I had burned a CD, it is all there, soooo WHY can't we get/see my other info that I saved for yearssss!!
SO thought it was due to having a password on the system so he tested by making the OLD drive the main one so that we could boot up and take password OFF! but it wouldn't even let us into the system. I know others have had their computers crash and probably needed to retrieve old info. Also SO finds something else old that the OLD drive is showing *0* files for my docs? but how could My Music showing anything?Since I am new here not sure if besides posting replies here, I will also be notified thru email. I am not tech savy but trying!! I am sooo upset right now and we know there is a way to retrieve it.
Best Buy was the one who suggested putting the old hard drive right into the new computer to retrieve records. I also know there is an enclosure thing you can buy but that probably would work right now either. We are thinking we need to *break* the password protection I had on it??
ANY/ALL your help is soooooooo appppreciated!! thank you in advance!
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Comments
Since this is a new computer, you may have an extra IDE or SATA slot (depending on which the drive uses). Try using that extra slot for the old drive and put it in as "master". If that doesn't work, I guess you could try taking out the new drive, but I'm not sure what kind of side affects that would have booting Windows and such.
If you had the files privatised you will need to do the following.
*Windows 2000 pro/Windows Xp pro is required, home/media center are too crippled*
-Turn off the computer
-Disconnect your cdrom drive and put the old harddrive in its place this will prevent any problems you could encounted with jumper settings
-Turn the pc back on
-Disable Simple File Sharing (Open my computer click tools, folder options then uncheck use simple file sharing)
-You should see a new drive in my computer in the place of your cdrom drive click on it
-If what you want was on your desktop or in your my documents then go to Documents and settings.
-Right click on your username and propertys
-Go to the security tab
-Click on advanced
-Click Add
-Click Advanced
-Press find now and select your username off the list
-Make sure the premissions are set so you own the folder and all subdirectorys.
-Press ok to everything wait for it to change the file premissions.
-Once finished you will now own that folder and have full access to all the files located in it
Is there a specific error you're getting when you try to access those files? Are they greyed out, or do you see nothing at all?
Also, is your computer set to display hidden files and folders? If you were on an XP based system, your bookmarks and history and etc are in a hidden folder: C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\
Your IE favorites will be in the folder titles Favorites, your Outlook Express data will be in a folder called Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{somewierdnumber}\Outlook Express
When you try to access the folder: {driveletter}:\Documents and Settings\{username}\My Documents, what happens?
Also, what version of windows were / are you running?
Best Buy wanted $100! and private local man $60 but said he couldn't do it, and SO called he back to share and the man was very grateful as he gets this issue alot!
Thank you all again!
btw...I now have 2 hard drives in the new cpu and SO put an extra memory card from the old machine that blew so I am suped up! and I can back up btw 2 hard drives now. I am grovin....
Jhenry - when we first looked here your post was not here OR SO would have gotten it right away abot SM!
Good night and enjoy your souped up rig!
My SO and I will be frequenting this site and I am sure my 13 yr old step-son will too. He is pretty good about taking a computers apart and working on what is wrong. There are actually going to build one good cpu from the 2 crashed emachines. They think all that is needed is a good motherboard and then they can build ONE good one for Stevie.
SO works for Gateway computers in the marketing dept. He has learned over the yrs how to work on computers & is still learning, even though it can take him 3 days for a simple fix like info retrieval off old hard drive, as he said, he is too cheap to pay someone so he doesn't care how long it takes he FINDS the answer. I am too impatient and want it done/fixed *yesterday*
A gal at work has an 11 yr old son who is building him own computer and I gave her your SM link.
But thanks for the recognition... lol
(Outlook Express)
The files are located at
"z:\Documents and Settings\usernamehere\Application Data\Identities" (change usernamehere to your username and Z: to what ever the drive letter is) Import this into outlook express
(Mozilla thunderbird)
"z:\Documents and Settings\usernamehere\Application Data\Thunderbird"
(change usernamehere to your username and Z: to what ever the drive letter is)
Then import this into mozilla thunderbird.
My desktop crashed, I have been struggling to retrieve files in my desktop from another PC through USB, your post is greatly helpful.