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How to Access the User Folder on an Old Hard Drive [Windows 11 Guide]
To access old Windows User folder you need to take ownership first
3 min. read
Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
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Key notes
Due to permissions, it’s not always possible to access certain folders, and in today’s guide, we’ll show you how to access the user folder on an old hard drive on Windows 11.
This process is simple, but it can take a while, sometimes even hours, depending on the size of your drive, so be extra patient and closely follow the instructions from this guide.
Why cannot I access user folder on old hard drive?
How do I open user files on an old hard drive?
1. Take ownership of the folder and change permissions
Now we need to change the permissions:
2. Use the command line
Where are user files stored in Windows 11?
On all versions of Windows, the users folder is located in the root directory in the same drive where your system is installed. On your PC, that is usually the C drive.
Accessing the user folder on an old hard drive requires certain privileges, and to obtain those, you need totake ownership in Windows 11andget full permissionsover the users folder.
Speaking of user folders, we also have a guide on how tochange user folder name on Windows 11, which might come in handy to you.
What method do you use to access the Users folder? Share your tips with us in the comments section!
More about the topics:folder,Permission error,Windows 11 guides
Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He’s a PC enthusiast and he spends most of his time learning about computers and technology.
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s one of the Troubleshooting experts in our worldwide team, specializing in Windows errors & software issues.
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Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s specialized in Windows errors & software issues.
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