Problem accessing protected files due to an unknown reason.
Problem accessing protected files due to an unknown reason.
Last week I encountered a never-ending BSOD loop on my Legion 5 15ACH6H. The error message indicated a REGISTRY_ERROR issue, but I didn’t look for fixes other than reinstalling Windows. My system runs Windows 10 Home 64-bit with an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H, NVidia RTX 3060, 16GB RAM DDR4. Unfortunately, I mistakenly installed Windows on drive 2 instead of the intended drive 1. Now drive 2 is labeled C: and drive 1 is D:. Files from my previous setup—like folders such as D:/Users/username and D:/Windows—are no longer reachable. The drive labels have changed, making access difficult. I attempted to take ownership via the registry but it didn’t work; the files appear write-protected. I’m searching online for solutions but haven’t found anything effective. If you have any tips, please explain simply—I’m not very tech-savvy. Thanks ahead of time. By the way, everything in D: seems unrecoverable, though I can still copy data, so saving games is safe (though not perfect).
Open the necessary applications with administrator privileges. Ensure you have complete local administrative access. It might be that Windows assigned you a standard user role or didn’t elevate the tool to admin mode. This is likely why I always use a quick right-click and “run as admin.”
ownership registry isn't always reliable. Start by opening Task Manager, go to Details, locate explorer.exe, terminate it, then launch a new task, input explorer, select 'run with admin rights'. Perhaps this will resolve the issue. If not, try launching a new task using Notepad with admin privileges, open it, browse files, and in the dialog choose "all types" instead of text files to check for ownership or locked folders. The proper method is: right-click the locked folder in Explorer, click Properties, go to Security tab, select Advanced, click 'Change' next to owner—likely set to 'Trust Installer' for a whole drive. Enter your username, Windows should recognize you and assign ownership. Adjust privileges, save changes, then in the Security tab, edit, select your user group (usually administrator), click Allow for full control, and confirm. Phew. That’s why I f*** *** ***** **** Microsoft account. Once logged in with the MS account, you’re treated as the owner of the computer, making everything work smoothly. Microsoft can go * - I’ve been advised by my lawyer, good luck retrieving your files.
I wasn't able to use the official method—it warns the file is write-protected. However, I managed to use Notepad to copy files from locked folders in D: to C: which seems sufficient. I'll format D: once the copying is complete.
Ensure you can view or open the files in normal explorer—avoid running as administrator if possible. Before making changes, check your setup. Your SSD setup works well; 100GB partition for Windows and remaining space for data gives flexibility. This approach lets you adjust the OS easily. Good luck!
That wasn't a technical point—it was about giving priority to your data, then everything else, and finally mentioning windows.