Unlock Hard Drive Password Protected File

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Intro: Unlock Hard Drive Password Protected File

This instructable will show you how to get around a password protected file. Suppose your computer won’t boot up and you don’t have any way to access your important files. Don’t worry there are several ways to access your files. I had an old emachines laptop computer running XP Home edition and it would boot to the windows password but would not go any further. I ordered an external hard drive case with a usb cable from newegg.com. That set me back $15.00.

I removed the hard drive from my emachines computer and put it into the hard drive case. I then plugged the old emachines hard drive in using the included usb cable to my HP computer. I let the computer open up the old hard drive files and there they were. The only thing that I was interested in saving was my documents, pictures and a few files that I had saved to my desk top. I then clicked on the file and got an error message (Menu is not accessible Access is denied). No need to worry I figured how to get access to these files. Follow the directions.

If you get the Error message when you click on the file click OK

STEP 1: Select Properties

Right click on the file you wish to access.
Select Properties

STEP 2: Select Security

Select Security
(you will get a security message)
Select OK

STEP 3: Select Advance

Select Advance

STEP 4: Select Owner

Select Owner
Go To: Change owner to and Select ADMINISTRATER (or the file you want to change the owner to)
Select the following BOX (Replace owner and sub container and objects)
Select Apply

STEP 5: Security Message

The following security message will appear. ( All permissions will be replaced if you press yes)
Press yes
Select OK

STEP 6: Select Ok

Select OK

Now go to the file you want to access and it should open.

You can also download the Free Hiren’s Boot CD. This is the best CD I have ever owned for cracking passwords and repairing computers. I will do an instructable on it when I get a chance.
http://www.hirensbootcd.org/download/

5 Comments

I have had to reinstall my Money 2005 program I had a back up on a USB when I try to restore the file it says I am entering the wrong password which I am definitely not is there any way round this ?
I need to get in to the laptop and make it work again my son put a password on the hard drive and he forgot what is is so now he wants me to unlock it can anyone help me unlock this laptop . it is the first lock when you turn it on
I still can't open the files can you help me with that?
It worked fine. Thanks for this guide.
This isn't really cracking a password protected file... more or less just bypassing file security. Just sayin. (Still useful though, I would suggest maybe changing the title so that people who are actually looking for this information on Google are more likely to find it as opposed to the script kiddies who are looking to actually "crack" an encrypted file.) :)