Access vista files on xp PC

[burner1]

I've got a friends HDD out of a vista laptop which is nackered due to board damage etc. and he wants to know if I can grab a couple of spreadsheets off it for him.

I've slaved the hdd on my XP machine and can access it etc. but some files and folders are access denied, I've had a google and seems to be not as straight forward as taking ownership like you would with another HDD of the same OS as your boot one?

Anyone got any ideas if they've actually done this themselves some way.

[Mr.James]

Taking ownership works fine mate. I think your problem is gonna be down to Vista making use of what's known as 'junctions' to maintain backwards compatibility.

For example the C:\Documents and Settings\ folder in Vista isn't a folder at all. It's a pointer that directs you to the C:\Users folder instead. Trying so trying to access the X:\Documents and Settings folder on the Vista from a XP computer will just give you the access denied message as it can't follow the pointer...

See here for a list of old/new paths...

http://www.svrops.com/svrops/articles/jpoints.htm

[sjunky2000]

Hi m8
get the latest hirens bootcd (9.7 i think)
boot it and choose mini windows xp that should let you transfer the files.
had this problems last week and this was the only solution i found.