Accessing 'Locked' Files/Folders so I can delete them

[cornemuse]

I recently acquired a few (quite a few) older laptops, some w/ 7 some w/XP PRO. The problem is with W-7 comps. I cannot access 'Documents and settings'. Yes, I understand, one shouldnt tamper with this. I cannot access 'Users' either. Many folders are locked. The thing is, there is 'something' there taking 50+ gigs, almost half the hdd's space. As administrator, I am unable to find/do anything in 'User accounts', I am the only one listed there. (Guest, also).
Also: I connected the hdd to my desktop (with XPPro 64 bit) via usb, the folders are still locked.


Also, some hdd's from the 'bad' computers have a 'C' drive, plus 2 other drives, (logical?) which I would like to format into 'one' drive (partition?). I'm having fits trying to do this, cant delete these 2 partitions/drives. What would be the procedure??

I am a dyed in the wool XP user, I just much prefer XP over W-7. (There, I've said it, , ,)

Anywayz, I would appreciate any help.

-corne-

(One of the laptops is a Hitachi with W-95 installed and a 720 meg hdd!, Works, but pretty much useless nowadays) (Also, an 'Epson HX-20' laptop with a 4 lines x 20 spaces screen and 32k ram!)

 

[pbcopter]

Documents and Settings, and others are not real folders but Junctions used to allow Windows 7 to use legacy software.

Documents and settings is replaced by C:\Users\<your user name>\Documents and Appdata (a hidden folder).


You may need to take ownership of some files before you will be able to delete the.

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753659.aspx?f=255&MSPPError=-2147217396

Also see this tutorial

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1911-take-ownership-shortcut.html