Error accessing hard drive from 'dead' Win7 PC.

Hi,

I hope someone can help. I have an urgent need to retrieve some essays off my son's hard drive within the next two days.

Background is my son's power supply has to go back to manufacturers for warranty claim as it failed recently taking the house electrics with it. We have three days to retrieve some essays off his MyDocuments folder to send off for uni application.

I have taken his hard drive and added it to my PC as a 'slave'.
(If instead I try to boot from it, it crashes - probably because its screen and motherboard drivers are different from my screen and motherboard? )

After booting from my HD, I can see his c: drive perfectly well in explorer (although it is now d: drive on my PC of course).
Unfortunately one of the things I could see clearly is a little padlock symbol next to the 'Documents and Settings' folder.
It would not let me access it. I tried sharing it, or adding read or full control rights, but it would not allow a change.

Unfortunately I then tried to 'Take Ownership' of this folder, as the previous owner was SYSTEM ( This was stumbling through help screens - not knowing what I was doing ) and I tried taking ownership as Administrator / baston.

Unfortunately the padlock symbol has now been replaced by a shortcut symbol, and it now gives me a shortcut to the same folder on my c: drive.

So I'm currently borked.
Anyone any idea how I can undo what I've done, and get to see its contents ?

thanks

Getting a hard drive to work on another computer is a lot easier said than done.

The easiest & quickest way to get around this problem is to buy another power supply for your sons computer, they are not a major expense & are fairly easy to fit.

Reinstall his HD again & providing no damage was done to his motherboard etc., when his PSU failed, should have you up & running very quickly.

Thank you for your suggestions.