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Main Forum => General Computer Support => Topic started by: rastoma on December 31, 2020, 08:04:07 pm

Title: connected HD via USB to copy files, now original HD won't boot, ownership change
Post by: rastoma on December 31, 2020, 08:04:07 pm
I took a Win10 drive from one PC and hooked it up via a USB cradle to a second PC to copy user files (docs, download, desktop, pics, etc).  The second PC (Win10 also) needed to take ownership of the user directory to access the files.

I knew this would happen but had no intention of needed to boot the original drive/PC again.  Nothing was wrong with it originally, just upgraded to a better machine and needed docs/pics.  Well, the person that I was helping with this realized afterward that they cannot remember their email password.  They use a small local utility company that runs their own network.  But they have no tech support until Monday due to the holidays.  There's no way to reset the password online. 

Anyway.... it's not urgent but this situation made me think about what if something like this happens in the future.  So I'd still like to work on this in the meantime.

Now the back story is filled in for the most part.  Are there any utilities or system tools that can be used to reset the ownership of the user directory?  I've tried booting from a Win10 USB and system restore is disabled.  I've ran chkdsk and icacls.  I tried a utility called recALL since it will let you point to a directory/location.  But it didn't find the email pass.  The user was using the built-in mail client or either Windows Live Mail.  They don't remember which (he's an older gentleman and it's difficult to get pertinent information), he just remembers clicking the mail icon on the bottom (taskbar).  He thought it was Outlook but I can't find any Outlook data in the registry.

Besides the email pass, again if this came up again for another scenario, how can ownership be reset for a directory and/or the entire drive?
Title: Re: connected HD via USB to copy files, now original HD won't boot, ownership change
Post by: Boggin on January 01, 2021, 03:58:25 am
You could try running the Permission repairs in Windows Repair.

You can download the free version at - https://www.tweaking.com/content/page/windows_repair_all_in_one.html

For taking ownership on individual files in Win 10, this article has a Hack to add that to your right click context menu -

https://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/add-take-ownership-to-explorer-right-click-menu-in-vista/

There is a blue link at the bottom of the article to download the Hack - I have it on both my Win 10 laptops.

To boot up the original Windows system on that HDD you could create a Hiren's Boot Disk and boot up with that.

https://www.techspot.com/downloads/6966-hirens-bootcd.html

Use the 15.2 download link.
Title: Re: connected HD via USB to copy files, now original HD won't boot, ownership change
Post by: Boggin on January 01, 2021, 04:37:09 am
I'm not sure if this article will help in recovering the email password - https://www.windstream.com/support/my-account-and-payments/Email-Setup/How-do-I-recover-or-reset-my-email-password