Thinking I may have solved my own problem here...What we have here is a situation that has not a lot to do with ownership of a file, more do to with encryption of files. I post here again as I warning to others!!!!
Somehow, and don't ask me to explain why, the files in question had become encrypted whilst on the XP machine. I don't think I did it and why did all my other files in the same folder transfer without any problems?
However, they did and now I seem to be stuck with a bunch of files that I cannot open. What I appear to have omitted (because I didn't know) was to transfer the certificates along with files. From what I have read, if a file is encrypted and you don't have the certificate then the file is lost for good. As the HDD as now been reformatted I guess that is the case. Someone please prove me wrong, I would be eternally grateful.