Windows 10: i cant get access 'permission' for old drive my documents folder

Hi there hope i can recieve some assistance. i just took out the hard disk drive from an older laptop which had windows 7 on it, i put this into a exterior shell and have converted it to an external hard drive.


i've managed to get access to the data but unfortunately there are some critical files in 'my documents' folder of the C: which was the system drive. after researching a bit online i have found some guidance, i've gone into properties - security tab- users etc.. i went pretty deep deep inside and i've initiated a process whereby windows is "setting security information" on the root user file which contains my documents. the process is running and it is taking considerable time as it is going to every file and changing permissions.


the problem i am having is.


1 while the process was running an error came saying that it cannot apply security permission settings on administrator the existing systems administrator which is me is seizing control for my documents, my videos my pictures.


more specifically 'an error occurred while applying security information to: Users/MAS/my documents.'


what do i do now i'm not sure how to proceed? i've hit continue but what should i do to get access to my documents eventually. further there was no password on my older system of any sort, so i'm hoping i can get access. appreciate if someone could assist please, thanks.

:)

 

?? How do I PW protect Folders in windows

hmmm?
Sharing files and folders overview You can share the files and folders stored on your computer, on a network, and on the Web. The method you choose depends on whom you want to share files with, and what computer they will use to access the files.

When you share files or folders, they are not as protected as they are when you do not share them. People with access to your computer or your network might be able to read, copy, or change files that are in a shared folder. You should always be aware that the files and folders that you share are available to other people and be sure to monitor your shared files and folders on a regular basis.

Important

If your computer is not joined to a domain, you can use the Network Setup Wizard to automatically turn file and printer sharing on or off. To start the Network Setup Wizard, click Start, click Control Panel, click Network and Internet Connections, and then click Network Setup Wizard.
If you both use the same computer

You can put the files you want to share in the Shared Documents folder. Files stored in the Shared Documents folder or its subfolders are always available to other users on your computer.

Step-by-step procedure
Note

If you are connected to a network domain, the Shared Documents, Shared Pictures, and Shared Music folders are not available.
If both computers are on the same network

You can share a folder or drive on your computer with others on the network. You can also control whether the files in the shared folder can be modified by other users.

If your computer is connected to a network domain, use this procedure:

Step-by-step procedure
If your computer is connected to a workgroup, use this procedure:

Step-by-step procedure
Note

If you are connected to a network domain, you will need to set the Access control for the folder or drive after sharing it. For more information, go to To set, view, change, or remove file and folder permissions.
If you want to share your files online

You can publish pictures and documents on the Web using the Web Publishing Wizard. The files will be stored in a private, online folder that you manage.

Step-by-step procedure

If you don't want others to access your files

You can prevent other users from accessing your folders and the files they contain. When your computer is connected to a domain, this is called setting permissions for your file or folder. When your computer is connected to a workgroup, this is called making your folders private.

If your computer is connected to a network domain, use this procedure:

Step-by-step procedure
If your computer is connected to a workgroup, use this procedure:

Step-by-step procedure

'HELP' it can be your friend *Smile

 

Losing permissions to Documents folder after reboot

This behavior started this morning as far as I have been able to determine. It seems to be only affecting the Documents folder for my machine account. I determined this after I was unable to start Outlook (due to lack of permissions)

• I am using a Microsoft account to log in.
• I am still shown as the owner of the root user folder, and of the Documents subfolder.
• I can set myself full access permissions to the Documents folder.
• After reboot, entire entry for my account disappears from the Documents folder. It still shows in other folders in the user folder.

My user folder permissions after reboot.

Some screenshots that show the situation after reboot. Note that the Documents folder has only the group permissions, not the user permissions. Again, this only seems to affect the Documents folder under my account.



Edited to add: I have done malware scans with Defender and Malwarebytes, each came back clean.

 

Recover "My Documents" folder documents from Old Hard Drive

I am trying to recover my GF's four-year architecture work (assignments and designs) from her recently gone-for-good Asus N73 laptop running Windows 10. I have detached the hard drive from the laptop and connected it to an external hard drive case.

Here's what I have done to get the data back:

1. Under the old C: drive, under Users\Administrator, I could see all the default Document folders. But according to my girlfriend, quite a few documents are missing.
   
2. I right-clicked the user profile folder and hit properties. I found that the total disk space used by this folder is much bigger than all the visible files and directories added up together.
   
3. While copying the "Administrator" folder it is asking me the for permission to copy files with some weird username prefix.
   
4. I tried to boot the OS from the old hard drive by selecting the USB boot option from my BIOS. The OS starts with Windows 10, but still I could not see all the files that mentioned by my girlfriend under C:\Users
   

What have I done wrong? What other steps I have missed? If the documents were not encrypted, why I could not see them in the place they should be?