Locked Out of Folders

[KZEE]

I bought a used Del Optiplex 330 that has Win7 Pro installed, and there are folders that are locked that I'd like to get access to. I'm logged in as the administrator, and although I don't fully understand the process I fooled around with permissions and controls and what-not, but I can't get the folders unlocked. What am I missing?

 

[mudpuppet]

I would imagine they are files that weren't meant to be accessed or they didn't know how to get rid of, but the files could be locked by a specific account. This could mean you wouldn't be able to access them without the account information. If the account was deleted the files may still be there and just unusable. The only things I'm aware of to try and gain access are hacks.

edit: I can't believe I forgot my whole bit about "I can't and won't encourage hacking on this site," but there it is. Like mentioned below, you might as well wipe the drive and clean install.

 

[USAFRet]

For any used PC, your first move should be a full wipe and reinstall of the OS. For your protection as well as theirs. You have no idea what is actually lurking in there.

 

[KZEE]

For any used PC, your first move should be a full wipe and reinstall of the OS. For your protection as well as theirs. You have no idea what is actually lurking in there.

I don't have the Win7 install CD so I can't reinstall the OS, nor do I want to because it's too much of a pain.

But I think I might have solved my problem... I added Everyone to the Permissions of my C: drive and then gave Everyone full control and now I seem to be able to get into the folders that I want to access. I like my old Win XP much better than Win 7.

 

[hang-the-9]

For any used PC, your first move should be a full wipe and reinstall of the OS. For your protection as well as theirs. You have no idea what is actually lurking in there.

I don't have the Win7 install CD so I can't reinstall the OS, nor do I want to because it's too much of a pain.

But I think I might have solved my problem... I added Everyone to the Permissions of my C: drive and then gave Everyone full control and now I seem to be able to get into the folders that I want to access. I like my old Win XP much better than Win 7.

Not wiping the system is a bad idea, what if the user has viruses on the system or has other issues? If it's not a clean setup you don't really want to mess with using it. XP and Windows 7 are very similar, the folder issue you had has nothing to do with the fact that it's Windows 7, rather that it was not setup properly. And you don't want to mess around with folder rights anyway unless you know exactly what those folders are and why you need to get to them.

Buying a used computer that does not have a clean Windows setup is about like buying used pants and not washing them first.

 

[mudpuppet]

You can make a system repair disk directly from the OS, or even download the .iso file and clean install off of that if you find the windows key for copy on that machine. I can't say I would agree that it's too much of a pain. Since you bought it, there SHOULDN'T be anything of value on there (otherwise you would have mentioned it by now, like games or family photos) so it's really a matter of an hour of your time while you're out buying groceries or something. I reimage machines on a daily basis so really its about 10 minutes of your time if that and then some waiting for it to finish.

Just remember we're trying to look out for you here, keeping both you and information safe. The last thing you'd want is to click something you shouldn't and then not be able to use the PC at all (or be able to return it).

 

[USAFRet]

For any used PC, your first move should be a full wipe and reinstall of the OS. For your protection as well as theirs. You have no idea what is actually lurking in there.

I don't have the Win7 install CD so I can't reinstall the OS, nor do I want to because it's too much of a pain.

Some of the things I've seen on used PC's that were 'sold' would make your hair stand on end. Seriously.
Viruses, keyloggers, personal and corporate info. And far, far worse.

Far worse, as in one ex-teacher ended up in prison because of what was on a PC he sold.
My neighbor (teacher) called me over to look at PC she had just acquired from another school teacher. After about 5 minutes, I just had 3 words to say: "Call the police".

But hey...it's your life.

 

[KZEE]

I don't know where you guys buy your used computers from but I've never had a problem with viruses and what-not on the used computers that I've bought locally. The Dell that I bought (I'm using it to post this post) has been up and running for a week with no issues other than the folder issue, which I seem to have solved. And as far as XP and 7 being the same, when researching my folder issue there were lots of other people having the same access issue with folders in 7, and I don't ever recall that being any type of issue with XP. Although XP and 7 are similar, 7 is also in many ways different from XP and I much prefer XP, probably just because it's something that I'm used to.

But anyway I appreciate you guys taking the time to respond to my problem. God bless.

 

[USAFRet]

Personal experience:
1 bought off the rack at BestBuy - supposedly had been wiped and a full reinstall. Nope. Sniffing around in the Registry...the first owners full info was in there. Name, address, phone num, credit card info...

1 found on the side of the road - out for the trashman. Still contained ALL data that the family had been using. Kids homework, kid pics, blah blah.

The PC I referenced earlier? 1 coworker sold it to another coworker. Poof.....jailtime.

A Kindle my daughter had given to her. Not paying attention, she clicked on 'buy this book'. It automagically bought the book, from the original owners account.


Wipe and reinstall.