Windows 7 - Protected content migration error with Easy transfer after Win 7 insta

I upgraded my husbands computer from Windows Vista to Windows 7 Home Premium 32bit. Did a full backup under Vista to an external drive, and also used Easy Transfer. Wanted to do a clean install and format the hard drive due to past computer problems. All went fine until I used easy transfer to put the ''old''files back onto the computer after the new Win 7 install. I'm getting a ''protected content migration'' error,asking for a password. My husband did not have a password on the old user account,but just to be sure we have tried every password that we have used. No luck with any of them.
How do I know what it is that we no longer have access to?
Is there anyway for me to recover access to these files that are supposedly password protected?
Should I do anything as drastic as just doing a full restore back to Windows Vista from the backup copy and change anything and then start over?

Any help would be completely appreciated. Thought I had been so careful,and was very prepared for any issues.......

Both the backup and the easy transfer files are stored on an external hard drive,just FYI.

How to Recovery files from a WET IMG
How to extract files from MIG

Theog - did not seem to find the answer to my questions in your post. Does anyone have any suggestions? Could really use some help.