[SOLVED] Win 7 + CACLS = Can't access drive

I've recently built a computer and installed Windows 7. Once the OS was up to date and stable, I then installed the old drive from my Win XP machine, so that I could transfer the files to the new machine. However, I was unable to gain access to the old drive.

Perusing the advise on the internet, I applied takeown /f to the drive. Then (and this is the part I regret), I applied cacls [drive] /g Administrator:f.

Now I can't get at the drive at all and can't make any changes to the permissions thereon. The permissions shown in the Properties window indicate that I have full permission on the drive but this isn't reflected in Explorer.

Any suggestions on how to fix this?
Thanks

Unfortunately you'd have to get to the root of the drive you want to set permissions on. If you cannot you might have luck installing the drive in question into a USB enclosure and simply copy/paste from there.

Hi NukeMan - Welcome to w7forums

Are you still able to boot to the XP drive? I have had a similar problem in the past. I'm not sure why but Windows 7 would not recognize the file system and the drive would appear to be unformatted. Once I used the older system to transfer my files, I used the newer system and reformatted the drive. I've actually had to do this twice for some reason.

Hi Nukeman.

You can try a Linux LiveCD, Mint, PClinux or some other version to access that drive. If it works copying is possible. It will only cost you the price of blank cd and a few minutes. If you have dial-up internet service it will take longer of course.

Agreed.
Linux Live CDs can nearly always detect and access drives that you can't in Windows, and since it isn't windows, you don't have as many permission problems.

I would recommend Ubuntu Desktop Live CD, but you can use any Linux distribution. If you don't have a blank CD, you can always use an USB Thumb drive.

Download and run unetbootin to make the usb drive bootable. It will download the iso of the live CD itself.

Unetbootin: www.unetbootin.sourceforge.net

Cheers,
Fire Cat

If you cannot you might have luck installing the drive in question into a USB enclosure and simply copy/paste from there.

A quote from my post?

Yup! He/It did the same to me on another thread. Quite original eh?

If someone is going to quote another posting, word for word verbatim then it's proper etiquette to give credit where it's due.

You think? I run into this all the time at a small business forum I moderate. People copy/paste huge paragraphs and really think that we are impressed by their knowledge and/or they are hoping that their sigs will help in SERPS. Highly outrageous. I call them on it every time and send a polite PM.

Ah well...
No response from the OP. Another one...

Cheers,
Fire Cat