[JKOTWWW]

I recently reinstalled my OS. I back up the whole thing regularly and before reinstalling the OS using the system restore feature I made another complete backup. I also copied the "My Documents" folder to another hard drive using the "Copy this folder feature".So after reinstalling the OS I first reinstalled and updated ny NAV. Then I ran the Microsoft updater and reinstalled all the relevant security updates. Then I plugged in my external hard drive and ran the restore feature on the back up file.Now the problem. Whole folders are missing. Other folders are empty. Some folders can't be opened - the message such and such a file "... is not acessible. Access is denied." I can't open a large percentage of my photos or videos. I can't open a number of Word documents.So I went to my second hard drive where I made a simple copy of the "My Documents" folder. That's missing huge chunks of the original too. Although I can open some of the other inaccessible files and folders there I can't access everything.I'm using Windows XP2. MS Office Professional 2000. I'm using a HP Media Centre PC. My regular backup was made to a Maxtor One Touch III external hard drive (300GB) (this has since reported a problem with the disk and returned an error code which I can't find any info for on the Maxtor/Seagate website). The regular file copy of My Documents was to a HP Personal Media Drive (200GB).Has anyone else had similar problems to this?Is there any way I can at least open the files I have managed to restore from my back ups?Any help or information gratefully accepted.Regards,JK

[rgreen4]

What method was used to back up on the Maxtor?Is there a previous back-up filed somewhere. You said that you regularly back up.Were all the inaccessible files originally stored in a my documents folder?Were you previously and now using sign-ons to access the system? And most importantly is the sign-on name the same, or did you decide to change it?What message are you getting from the inaccessible files?When you made the copy of the mydocuments folder, did you do a simple drag and drop of "My Documents", or the individual folder under that?

[JKOTWWW]

Hi,Thanks for picking up on my question. I backed up to the Maxtor using the Maxtor One Touch software that comes with the drive. The drive backed up every night automatically. Each back-up over wrote the previous one so there's only one copy.All the inacessible files were in My Documents. Some of the missing files were in a separate folder which contained all my music. This folder was not stored in My Docs file. I also copied that using the Windows file copy feature.My log on was password protected but isn't now. (Some of the inaccessible files are marked as 'encrypted'. I don't ever remember encrypting anything). My user name is different now.Jpegs are simply saying Preview not available. Some folders are show the nameand file path followed by "is not accessible. Access is denied. Word and Excel files return a dialogue box with "The document name and path are not valid. Try these suggestions. Check the document permissions for the document or drive. Use the file open dialogue to locate the document." The second option doesn't help and I don't understand the first option. Videos are returning, "Windows Media Player cannot access the file. The file might be in use, you might not have access to the computer where the file is stored, or your proxy settings might not be correct."I didn't copy individual folders within the My Docs folder. I copied the entire My Docs folder using the "Copy this folder" feature in the left hand pane. Hope this is helpful,JK

[spike]

Run a FULL SYSTEM anti-virus check, with fully updated definitions, ON ALL DRIVES.......YES,.... EVEN THE EXTERNAL ONE.

[JKOTWWW]

Hi Spike,Did that too, nothing turned up. I'm using NAV 2007 and it's up to date. The reason I decided to re-install the OS was that my software did report a bug called Brontok which it deleted. After that though I couldn't access my C drive, or the other hard drives by clicking on them. I had to go into folder view in the task window and then click on the individual folders in there. Do you think that that virus could be the cause of my problems?JK

[spike]

[quote name='JKOTWWW']Hi Spike,> > > > Did that too, nothing turned up. I'm using NAV 2007 and it's up to date. The reason I decided to re-install the OS was that my software did report a bug called Brontok which it deleted. After that though I couldn't access my C drive, or the other hard drives by clicking on them. I had to go into folder view in the task window and then click on the individual folders in there. Do you think that that virus could be the cause of my problems?> > > > JK YES, that virus resets some registry keys. Google it, and you'll see many listings and tools to remove it properly.

[smax013]

[quote name='JKOTWWW']Hi,> > > > Thanks for picking up on my question. I backed up to the Maxtor using the Maxtor One Touch software that comes with the drive. The drive backed up every night automatically. Each back-up over wrote the previous one so there's only one copy.> > > > All the inacessible files were in My Documents. Some of the missing files were in a separate folder which contained all my music. This folder was not stored in My Docs file. I also copied that using the Windows file copy feature.> > > > My log on was password protected but isn't now. (Some of the inaccessible files are marked as 'encrypted'. I don't ever remember encrypting anything). My user name is different now.> > > > Jpegs are simply saying Preview not available. Some folders are show the nameand file path followed by "is not accessible. Access is denied. Word and Excel files return a dialogue box with "The document name and path are not valid. Try these suggestions. Check the document permissions for the document or drive. Use the file open dialogue to locate the document." The second option doesn't help and I don't understand the first option. Videos are returning, "Windows Media Player cannot access the file. The file might be in use, you might not have access to the computer where the file is stored, or your proxy settings might not be correct."> > > > I didn't copy individual folders within the My Docs folder. I copied the entire My Docs folder using the "Copy this folder" feature in the left hand pane. > > > > Hope this is helpful,> > > > JKThe one question that no body asked...why did you reinstall the OS? Was it because you were having a problem with the drive the OS was on? Or did you just do it to "clean" things up? If the former, then where you able to access all the files that you copied prior to the reinstall. I am trying to determine if there was a problem with the hard drive and if so, could it have screwed up the files prior to the backup/copy.The other possibility is the one that I believe that rgreen4 was going down...file permissions. Are you using Windoze XP Pro or Home? When you set up user accounts, it can create some issues with file permissions, especially if you are using Windoze XP Pro. It is possible that since you apparently eliminated that password and changed the login ID that the system is not recognizing your new login ID as having permission to use those files. I think that was where rgreen4 was heading.

[rgreen4]

AbsolutelyI have no idea if this will work or not, but set up your old userid and old password. Then log on with that userid and password and see if you can access the files.Windows NT, 2000, XP Pro, Vista and in the background even XP Home are based on a business aimed kerner intended for multi-users on a single PC. In this vien security of an individuals files is part of the OS structure.For example, if you have a userid set up with a password and forget the password, you can go in as administrator and reset the password. Unfortunately, when you do that, the files are gone forever. It is not clear if the files are erased or just locked.I never, never store files of any kind in my documents, my music or my photos for just this reason. Data works just as well and is a lot safer (unless you want to protect you files from someone in the house).If setting up the old userid and password does not work, one other long shot, and I have no idea if this will work either, is to do a simple copy of the individual folders, not the my document folder, to a FAT32 disc. Then see if you can read them.Data recovery programs and services probably will not be able to help, since you are dealing with permissions and passwords, not true data problems.