"Access is denied." help (not basic question)

[mike91]

I've been trying to fix my friends computer whenever he booted it said "system32/config is corrupted or missing"

Well I followed Microsofts directions for that and it ends up starting on a different user and all settings wiped
I've since gave up on that and now we're on to partitioning the hdd and backing up files

problem is... it won't let me access "documents and settings/user/desktop" (his hdd is slaved to my computer at the moment) to save his most important files

I've done everything I can to try and access it..
cacls "D:\documents and settings\user" /T /E /G myke:F
access is denied.

(working from the user directory)
cacls desktop
Access is denied.

it won't even let me view what its rights even are

I've done it normally
I've done it in safe mode
I've done it on the administrator account
I've done it upside down (yeah at this point I'm losing my mind so I threw in a joke)

when everything fails what the hell are you supposed to do to access the data that's there but windows OS is saying "Hey screw off"

Windows XP Home
-Mike

 

[badge]

I have done a 'repair' install which worked for me under similar circumstances. This allowed me to access the files previously stored on the HD. I had to install the HD to a second computer as the boot drive. Then, do the repair install with the windows CD. Then I was able to access the files and burn them to DVD. HTH.

 

[badge]

Note. In my case, I had to install the HD from one computer to another because the MB had quit. So, I did a repair install with the HD as the boot drive on another system. That allowed me access to the files on the HD, which I copied to DVD.

 

[badge]

Note (again). You can not install a HD with OS intact to another system as a 'slave' and access the files stored on the drive. I guess you found that out.

 

[mike99]

Windows Help & Support, search for "take ownership"

Mike.

 

[badge]

I believe OP has taken the OS drive from one computer and installed it in an entirely different computer as a 'slave'. OP will not be able to access the files on the drive using that method.

 

[gomerpile]

install the HD disable simple file sharing, advanced,security, change the policy to your current system user name. I've done this on plenty of systems.

go to advanced take over onwership of doc and setten

 

[mike91]

Windows Help & Support, search for "take ownership"

Mike.

Thank you so much Right after you posted I looked it up and it worked sorry I didn't post a reply right away I started copying files from 1 partition to the other and went out and about the town