Windows 10: Cannot access personal files off of old W10 hard drive

I need to retrieve some very important files from a hard drive that has not been in use for more than a year after I needed the ram from that PC for something else because my current Windows 10 PC decided to purge these files without my consent and I am UNABLE to access these important files on the old hard drive.


When I hook the hard drive up using an SATA to USB bridge, when I click on the user folder, it tells me that I do not have permission to access those files. It tells me to click to permanently gain access to the files except it never grants me access. I waited 20 minutes and clicked the user folder again and it still says that I do not have permission to view these files. Clicking back and then forward does not help. Same error. Eventually it tells me that I was denied access to the folder leaving me without these important documents.


This repeats indefinitely every time I try to gain access to my old files.

Does anybody know what the problem could be and why it is denying me access to my files off the other hard drive? How can I gain access to these important documents if Windows will not let me get past the user folder?

:)

 

Accessing personal files from old hard drive.

Hey guys, I updated my PC hardware recently and replaced my hard drive with a new one, I didn't format my old drive so I could recover old data. I've plugged it in and I can open up almost everything expect my personal files like documents, music and video. It says it needs permission to continue. I click continue and nothing happens. Are there other methods I can use to get into these files?

Edit: Nevermind after 5 minutes of waiting, it opened up for me. Please close the thread.

 

Cannot Access Files from old windows Hard Drive

Maybe the old PC refused to boot up because its hard disk had failed, as suggested by the Canadian Tech. Try connecting it to a different PC. If it fails there too then you need to restore your files from your backup medium.

 

Stored files in Hard Drive

You can use Windows search. Just search for *.* on a desired drive. When list is done just arrange them by size LOL.

You can do it via command line as well and make an output text file showing files and their sizes (but without arrangement)