Cannot access my old SATA hard drive

Well mate I am glad you can do that now and for my part I suppose being just an old fellow got a tad frustrated. I know how weary one can get especially when you are bombarded from a few directions with what to do but at least it has been sorted to some degree.

It was a fix I stumbled over a long time ago while trying to access a drive where I had forgotten the password and needed data from an old machine I had been using, and apart form a few files / data it opened everything I wanted. So store it away for future use mate it is real handy, but remember TRY not INSTALL
That Ubuntu is also useful when you lose your usually net access too and that is such a plus when fixing other machines for folks.

Now if you want some more out of your machine take a look at this when you have time it is my bible.
Optimize Windows 7

Sorry late reply actually you can install and have a dual boot set up - I tried it once and gave it away as that other OS is quite different as you would have seen with the black cursor etc and I was using Windows most of the time anyway.
It did cause a few problems when I was booting and really I am Windows all the way but some do like those Linux type OS's and best of all they are free.
So I always have that do not use INSTALL in my little ditty just in case someone does that and ends up with something they don't want.

The other thing is it used to be reasonably security safe abut that I think has fallen by the wayside as with everything even stuff like Microsoft Office suite is now being "got at" by the wretch's who try to make or lives unbearable.

One thing you could try is to slip another drive in disconnect the Windows one and install the Ubuntu or Linux etc etc onto it and just experiment with it if you don't really like it then just wipe the drive and use for something else.
Registry - Backup and Restore < I use Method 2 too easy:)

That tutorial is just great as you can really speed up your machine you'll be very surprised how much. Ask brink if you are not real sure of anythuig he is just the nicest fellow and never flustered by anything.
Before you do anything on it though just make sure you make a back up of your registry - I do that every time I install and before I make changes.