Access denied, the usual.

Windows XP Pro SP2, True Image 9.0

I've already spent two days researching and trying to solve this, but I'm throwing in the towel and asking for additional ideas.

This is the usual "access denied" from the image, as it's an image taken from a unbootable system and stored on mine. I'm trying to restore this guy's mail, and thus need access to his .dbx files. Plugging the image is no problem, can browse most of the hard drive. Access was denied to his Application Data folder, although at one point I was able to search his drive and see the .dbx files (but could not copy them).

Upon researching the issue, it's a known problem. As suggested on this site, I extracted the folders via Recover, and then browsed to them. Access denied. Then I went through the methods also listed here (and MS's technical database) for taking ownership of the folders. Done, I am now the owner. Now I can get into the Application Data ->Identities -> {code} folder, but it now shows as empty. No files, folder size 0 bytes.

Thinking I was still lacking some permissions, I made a FAT32 partition, and did a Recover to there just so local NTFS rules would not be applied. Still, empty folder.

I would consider using True Image to recover data from an unbootable but accessable hard drive to be a fairly common usage, so I'm not sure why this is so difficult. What have I not done already?

 

If you have a spare hdrive, try restoring this guy's image to it completely and then copyin the files you need

 

Have you tried booting the good installation into safe mode and then making yourself admin over the image file - reboot and the good install should now allow you to access the knackered one.


Colin

 

I'm already the owner and admin of the image file, but I don't think that applies to it's internal structure, just the ability to copy/paste or whatnot with the actual entire file.

 

Is there some reason this would work, when doing a restore of selected folders would not? That would be a pretty serious weakness in the application if that were true. I don't currently have a spare hard drive large enough for this, so I won't bother unless someone can attest to this working (when recovering a folder under the same conditions will not work).

 

Ever do something 50 times, and the 51st time works? I have no idea why, but going back to it 48 hours later and it all works within 5 minutes. I searched for the .dbx files on the recovered folder structure, found them, inported them, all done.

I'd love to post something insightful, but I really have no clue what I did differently.

 

Off-topic potentially confusing post removed.