Help! I can't access my own files!

Help!!

Yesterday my (Vista 32) system crashed so hard that it took some system
files with it, necessitating a complete re-install with all the
headaches and thoughtless wreckage it does to one's file system.

I'm desperately in need of many of my old "My Documents" files, etc.
and have searched around for them, to no avail. I've been trying to
access the old Users/Account folder I used in my previous installation
(where I presume most of these files are located). I need to grand
admin permissions to do this, and I do, but then a new window opens up
and it's literally nothing but a *black* (not blank) empty space. I
get no further explanation or access.

a) Where are my old files? Have they been deleted??
b) How do I access this folder? I've seen in other forums things that
tell me this users/account folder may just be a sort of 'pointer' used
for legacy purposes. What's going on?




--
B-Guy

"B-Guy" <B-> wrote in message
news:B-...
>
> Help!!
>
> Yesterday my (Vista 32) system crashed so hard that it took some system
> files with it, necessitating a complete re-install with all the
> headaches and thoughtless wreckage it does to one's file system.
>
> I'm desperately in need of many of my old "My Documents" files, etc.
> and have searched around for them, to no avail. I've been trying to
> access the old Users/Account folder I used in my previous installation
> (where I presume most of these files are located). I need to grand
> admin permissions to do this, and I do, but then a new window opens up
> and it's literally nothing but a *black* (not blank) empty space. I
> get no further explanation or access.
>
> a) Where are my old files? Have they been deleted??
> b) How do I access this folder? I've seen in other forums things that
> tell me this users/account folder may just be a sort of 'pointer' used
> for legacy purposes. What's going on?
>

How did you do the re-install? Was it from a Vendor-supplied Recovery DVD?

Always but always back up your data . Lesson learned the hard way

--
Peter

Please Reply to Newsgroup for the benefit of others
Requests for assistance by email can not and will not be acknowledged.

"B-Guy" <B-> wrote in message
news:B-...
>
> Help!!
>
> Yesterday my (Vista 32) system crashed so hard that it took some system
> files with it, necessitating a complete re-install with all the
> headaches and thoughtless wreckage it does to one's file system.
>
> I'm desperately in need of many of my old "My Documents" files, etc.
> and have searched around for them, to no avail. I've been trying to
> access the old Users/Account folder I used in my previous installation
> (where I presume most of these files are located). I need to grand
> admin permissions to do this, and I do, but then a new window opens up
> and it's literally nothing but a *black* (not blank) empty space. I
> get no further explanation or access.
>
> a) Where are my old files? Have they been deleted??
> b) How do I access this folder? I've seen in other forums things that
> tell me this users/account folder may just be a sort of 'pointer' used
> for legacy purposes. What's going on?
>
>
>
>
> --
> B-Guy

B-Guy;1169142 Wrote:
> Help!
>
> Yesterday my (Vista 32) system crashed so hard that it took some syste
> files with it, necessitating a complete re-install with all th
> headaches and thoughtless wreckage it does to one's file system
>
> I'm desperately in need of many of my old "My Documents" files, etc
> and have searched around for them, to no avail. I've been trying t
> access the old Users/Account folder I used in my previous installatio
> (where I presume most of these files are located). I need to gran
> admin permissions to do this, and I do, but then a new window opens u
> and it's literally nothing but a *black* (not blank) empty space.
> get no further explanation or access
>
> a) Where are my old files? Have they been deleted?
> b) How do I access this folder? I've seen in other forums things tha
> tell me this users/account folder may just be a sort of 'pointer' use
> for legacy purposes. What's going on
>
>
>
>
> -
> B-Gu

When you reinstall, you get a brand new system. It does not kno
anything of what you had previously. If you did not backup your files o
a regular basis, then they are gone

--
whs

Try Iolo's Search and Recover: http://www.iolo.com/sr/5/

B-Guy wrote:
> Help!!
>
> Yesterday my (Vista 32) system crashed so hard that it took some system
> files with it, necessitating a complete re-install with all the
> headaches and thoughtless wreckage it does to one's file system.
>
> I'm desperately in need of many of my old "My Documents" files, etc.
> and have searched around for them, to no avail. I've been trying to
> access the old Users/Account folder I used in my previous installation
> (where I presume most of these files are located). I need to grand
> admin permissions to do this, and I do, but then a new window opens up
> and it's literally nothing but a *black* (not blank) empty space. I
> get no further explanation or access.
>
> a) Where are my old files? Have they been deleted??
> b) How do I access this folder? I've seen in other forums things that
> tell me this users/account folder may just be a sort of 'pointer' used
> for legacy purposes. What's going on?
>
>
>
>

Leroy;1169210 Wrote:
> Try Iolo's Search and Recover: 'Search and Recoverâ„¢ - Dat
> Recovery Software' (http://www.iolo.com/sr/5/
>
> B-Guy wrote:> > >
> > > Help!
> >
> > > Yesterday my (Vista 32) system crashed so hard that it took som
> > syste
> > > files with it, necessitating a complete re-install with all th
> > > headaches and thoughtless wreckage it does to one's file system
> >
> > > I'm desperately in need of many of my old "My Documents" files, etc
> > > and have searched around for them, to no avail. I've been trying t
> > > access the old Users/Account folder I used in my previou
> > installatio
> > > (where I presume most of these files are located). I need to gran
> > > admin permissions to do this, and I do, but then a new window open
> > u
> > > and it's literally nothing but a *black* (not blank) empty space.
> > > get no further explanation or access
> >
> > > a) Where are my old files? Have they been deleted?
> > > b) How do I access this folder? I've seen in other forums things tha
> > > tell me this users/account folder may just be a sort of 'pointer
> > use
> > > for legacy purposes. What's going on
> >
> >
> >
> > > > >

After a complete reinstall this is a tough call. But it does not hur
to try. Another recovery program along the same line is Recuva ( 'Recuv
- Undelete, Unerase, File and Disk Recovery - Free Download
(http://www.piriform.com/recuva) ). It would help if you downloade
those programs from another system and stored them on a USB stick or S
card. Then run them on the damaged system from there. That way you d
not make more damage on the system where you want to recover

--
whs

B-Guy wrote:

> What's going on?

I'm afraid I can tell you. I learned it hard way, that due to
MicroSoft's policies the OEM who sells you your Vista machine does not
include a "real" recovery or install DVD with "regular" OS image (one
has to buy it boxed for ~$200 directly from the chair-thrower or his
retail shills), but rather some gimmicky "reinstall" one, which wipes
_all_ the data on the hard drive. "Real" recovery DVD would have allowed
you to reinstall the OS without killing your private data.

I, for obvious legal and ethical reasons, do not suggest anybody to
download and use counterfeit copies of "real" Vista DVDs, when such a
situation happens.

WTF. Why was my post deleted. I answered the OP as to his\her issue and then my post
is deleted. What for.

Here is a copy below of my complete post. Deleted for what ???

>B-Guy

>Did you use script when you set it up. How did you set it up. How did you tell the
>and which command did you use.



--
Peter

Please Reply to Newsgroup for the benefit of others
Requests for assistance by email can not and will not be acknowledged.

"B-Guy" <B-> wrote in message
news:B-...
>
> Help!!
>
> Yesterday my (Vista 32) system crashed so hard that it took some system
> files with it, necessitating a complete re-install with all the
> headaches and thoughtless wreckage it does to one's file system.
>
> I'm desperately in need of many of my old "My Documents" files, etc.
> and have searched around for them, to no avail. I've been trying to
> access the old Users/Account folder I used in my previous installation
> (where I presume most of these files are located). I need to grand
> admin permissions to do this, and I do, but then a new window opens up
> and it's literally nothing but a *black* (not blank) empty space. I
> get no further explanation or access.
>
> a) Where are my old files? Have they been deleted??
> b) How do I access this folder? I've seen in other forums things that
> tell me this users/account folder may just be a sort of 'pointer' used
> for legacy purposes. What's going on?
>
>
>
>
> --
> B-Guy

"Vadim Igorev" <> wrote in message
news:hb8ehv$rj9$...
>
> I, for obvious legal and ethical reasons, do not suggest anybody to
> download and use counterfeit copies of "real" Vista DVDs, when such a
> situation happens.

Doesn't matter legally if the DVD is pirated - it's the Product Key that is
the proof of licence. Now about whether a pirated DVD is full of malware and
spyware, that's a different matter....