Clean install yesterday but so many locked folders.


  1. Fliplip
    Posts : 358
    windows 7 HP 64bit
       New #1

    Clean install yesterday but so many locked folders.


    Ive been running various versions of ultimate x86, started with the RC and have been just upgrading with the leaks and stopped at 7260. Ive had locked files and know how to unlock them but always assumed i had this because i was upgrading and not doing clean installs.
    I got my HP yesterday so did a clean install to my C: drive (formatted it first) and everything went well but ive still got a lot of locked folders on other partitions/HDD's. In fact some of my most used folders were now locked. Ive taken ownership of them and can use them but i was surprised this happened.
    Can anyone shed some light on this? Could it have been because i did a Easy File transfer from 7260? I didnt check before i restored the files so maybe that is the cause.

    Thanks.

    Dave.
      My Computer
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  3. Barman58
    Posts : 31,249
    Windows 11 Pro x64 [Latest Release and Release Preview]
       New #2

    Hi Dave,

    Simple one really, the ownership of the folders/disks etc. was held by the SID of your original user (will assume "Dave")

    On the new install although you have recreated "Dave" the actual SID that windows has assigned to "Dave" will differ from the original.

    The NTFS records will have the original SID allocated which is different to the new SID

    Hope that is simple

    If you check the permissions for a file or folder on the other partitions you should see an Unknown user with permissions the S....... number is the original SID. If you have had many upgrades to the system you may see more than one Unknown user
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  4. Tews
    Posts : 11,840
    64-bit Windows 8.1 Pro
       New #3

    You need to enable the hidden administrators account and log in with it. Once you have done this copy all of the locked files to a new folder.. Now you should be able to log back in under your account and the folders that you copied will be accessible.. simply copy them back to where they belong...

    See Brinks tutorial to enable the hidden admin account -=> Here
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  6. Fliplip
    Posts : 358
    windows 7 HP 64bit
    Thread Starter
       New #4

    Thanks guys.

    Tews. There are a lot of files/folders and a bit too many to move around. Im happy to use the take ownership trick as and when i need to. I also find adjusting the security works as well. Its more the why rather than how to fix it im asking about.

    Nigel, im not 100% with all that but i get the gist of it.

    cheers.

    Dave.
      My Computer
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