Access Denied To Restored Data

[gdolin]

I recently had a problem with conflicts in my communication ports. My computer vendor suggested that reloading my operating system from scratch would be easier and less costly than paying them for tech support to troubleshoot the problem.

 

I backup my machine, an IBM A31p laptop, daily using Retrospect 6.5. I backup to an external firewire hard drive. I do not password protect the backups.

 

I successfully reloaded Windows XP Professional and most of my applications, including Retrospect 6.5. I used the same user name and password to log onto my laptop as before.

 

I then attempted to use Retrospect to retrieve my data files. I rebuilt the catalogue, selected and restored my old documents and setting file to a new location on my C drive. I then found that I was denied access to these restored files. Not only could I not access the files, I was unable to delete them. Why did this occur? What should I have done differently?

 

What I eventually did was a full restore of my system using my Prepare for Disaster Disk, copy my data files to another drive so they would be available for me later, formatted the C drive and reloaded everything again. Very annoying, but not a disaster. No data lost.

 

Now what if my computer were lost or damaged beyond repair. I could not do a complete restore using the Disaster CD-R as the components might be different in the new machine. How would I go about getting my data files? Having my data backed up seems to be only half the battle. I need to be able to get it back when I need to!

 

Thanks for your assistance.

 

Gary Dolin

g.dolin@verizon.net

[awnews]

"Same name & password" isn't a gimme here. Windows uses some internal security info for files.

 

However, I wonder if this was just a simple issue of security and owership. As long as you're logged in as an Admin-level account, you should be able to look at the directory and/or file properites and change security (who can r & w, etc.) and ownership. I've seen this issue come up when moving one user's files to another user's Docs & Settings directory under XP and had to do this

[gdolin]

I certainly agree that it is an issue of file ownership.

 

My user account under Windows XP is set up at the administrator level. I do not believe that even the administrator can have access to a different users files. After all, in a business environment, you would not want the IT person to have access to files belonging to other employees.

 

I did try logging on as the "Administrator", and it did not allow me to view, move, or delete the restored files. Nor do I get an opportunity to enter a username and password. Just an access denied message.

 

Gary

[awnews]

Are your PCs workgroup or domain? This would have an impact on who the actual "Administrator" was for files. Just logging in a local Admin might not give you domain Admin-level authority (e.g. Administrator vs. Domain/Admin). Do you recall what you say for permissions (who and what) under the Security tab for users (esp. the Admin) for the folder and files that were giving you problems.

 

Actually the admin can and does have "access" to user level files. But the admin can be restricted by permissions to be unable to read and write files. In general, however, it's possible for an admin to take ownership of files to be able to r/w or to just grant themselves r/w. It is also possible under NT/2K/XP for anybody, even an admin, to lock themselves out of files (e.g if r/w/change permissions are denied to the "everybody" group).

[gdolin]

This is on my laptop. I have a network at the office, which I do connect to. That is set up as a workgroup, not a domain.

 

 

 

I am unable to examine even the properties of the folders in question when logged on as myself (my account has admin level privlidges) or when logged on as "Administrator".

 

 

 

I see this as a real issue in restoring data after a crash.

 

 

 

Before the crash, these folders were not locked to the everyone group. They were all accessable to me on my computer in "My Documents".

 

 

 

Still confused.

 

 

 

Gary

[awnews]

> I see this as a real issue in restoring data after a crash.

 

I agree, but at the moment I see it less as a Retrospect issue and more as an issue of privledges on your PC. A true Admin-level account *should* be able to see properites, change properties and ownership, etc., for all files on a machine.

 

One idea--can you copy some or all of the files off this PC to another PC and see what the privledges are from an Admin-level account on another PC? This could even be done to a Windows 9x/ME PC (which essentially has no privledge enforcement).

 

Also, did you have any password protection or encryption turned on on the backup set data?

 

[natew]

Hi

 

In the options for restore you can turn off the restore of NTFS security permissions. Are the files accessable after that type of restore?

 

Thanks

Nate

[gdolin]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

 

That was the answer. When I unchecked the box to restore the security properties of the restored files, they were all accessable once restored.

 

Thanks again

 

Gary