Recovering after reinstalling

I posted previously about losing being unable to access my data after reinstalling Windows XP. Well, an angel stepped in and gave me my files back. In case anyone else should find themselves in this position, here's how it is done.

To recap: the problem was that reinstalling Windows changed the access permissions: no data was lost, but I couldn't access it because it belonged to a user account that no longer existed. (And yes, I did retain the name, but it didn't help: "Udge" is not the same as "Udge" in Windowsland.)

Login as "administrator" (you may need to change the login preferences to enable this, set them so that you must type in the username rather than choosing from a list). Select "Folder options" from "Control panels" in the "Start" menu. Go to the second tab, "View" and deactivate all options. Click on "Apply" and then on "OK."

Find the user's home folder (e.g. C:\Documents and Settings\Udge) and right-click on the folder. Select "Properties" from the context menu. Click on the third tab, "Security." The upper field lists groups and users who are entitled to view/edit/delete this directory, at present this probably only contains the old (now invalid) user account. Note the subtle distinction in the icons used: one face is a user account, two faces is a group. There should be at least one record in the field, a forty-digit number (possibly with other characters sprinkled in): this is the old, now invalid, user account.

The first step is to grant the administrator access to the files. If there is already a user account (single face) named "administrator" in this field, then proceed to the next paragraph. (There may be a group named "Administrators" in the list, ignore it.) Click on "Add" underneath this field. A new dialog opens up, type in "administrator" and click on "Check names," you should now see a line like COMPUTERNAME\Administrator in the field. Click on "OK" to save the changes and close the dialog. The field should now contain the Administrator as permitted user (not group).

Now ensure that the administrator (user) account has full access. Click once on the administrator, and note in the lower field the privileges that this user currently has. There are two columns of option buttons, "Allow" and "Deny." The administrator should be allowed everything and denied nothing; change the privileges to match this. Click on "Advanced" (bottom right), a new dialog opens. On the first tab, there is a pair of option buttons. Leave the first (upper) option deactivated. The second (lower) is named "Inherit from parent the permission entries that apply to child objects;" activate this option and click on "Apply." Wait until the progress dialog is finished (may be a few minutes), then click on "OK" to close the advanced settings dialog.

Now, remove the previous user account's privileges. Click on the old, invalid user account, then on "Remove." (I believe that there was a confirmation after this, but I'm now not sure and am not about to screw things up again to find out!)

We are very nearly done. The last step is to enable normal users (not just admin) to access the files. Click on the button "Add" beneath the list of users and groups. In the new dialog, type in "Users" and click on "Check names," you should now see a line like COMPUTERNAME\Users in the field. Click on "OK" to save the changes and close the dialog. Click once on the new "Users" group, and set its permissions to "allow everything, deny nothing." Click on "Advanced," and go to the first tab of the new dialog opens. Activate the second (lower) option as described above and click on "Apply." Wait until the progress dialog is finished (may be a few minutes), then click on "OK" to close the advanced settings dialog. Back in the Folder Settings dialog, click on "Apply" and then on "OK" to finish the process.

Take a deep breath, and doubleclick on the folder. Heave a sigh of relief as it opens.

(Thanks to Dale for proofreading this and correcting my guesses at the English names of buttons.)