HELP! I'm in Vista Permission Hell

My main desktop computer running windows XP 32 bit crashed due to bad hardware (cpu died).

I needed to access some data from it so i bought a thermaltake Blac X external usb hard drive reader to connect to my laptop running windows vista 32 bit.

I found out that in order to even access the data, I had to give full permissions to the vista laptop. Now that I am done retrieving my data, I reconnected via Blac X to my other laptop running Windows XP 32bit and the XP laptop says "I don't have permission to access this folder."

Problem is I do not know how to relinquish prior permissions. I attempted to go back to vista laptop but it has as available choices.:
1) System
2) NETWORK SERVICE
3) My vista laptop
4) and "Account Unknown" followed what appears to be a very long string of alphanumeric text (a serial number maybe?)

Is there ANY way to to simply relinquish FULL control of the folder >>and ALL SUBFOLDERS<< back to ANY computer who wishes to read the data so that I don't have to deal with this sh*t anymore?


PS: Gawd...I fu*king HATE VISTA.
PPS: Whoever at MS who thought of this lame sh*t...F*CK YOU for locking me out of my data. Don't REQUIRE me to setup up permissions you piece of sh*t...make it optional.

to Tom's Hardware posters...you are the best...thank you ...any help is greatly appreciated.