I have an old laptop running windows xp home. I've been trying to get my files to my new machine, but I can't remember the password. I can log in as another admin and change it, but I made my files private. If I change the password, would I lose my files? If so, is there anyway to recover the password so I can get them? Also, I never made a recovery disk**edit** I mean to say that when I created the user and set a password, I clicked the option to set my data to private. I can't take ownership of it, because my user doesn't appear in document and settings. I am running service pack 3 on it as well.1 person needs an answerI do too

That's why backup was invented!!Before you try anything back-up everything you can!I had a slightly different problem a few years ago (disk error within the SAM -lucky me..!). Anyway, I don't think you can recover the password from within Windows.Also, what you would use to illegally recover a password could probably recover your files directly (booting from a live cd with some linux OS worked for me).However, if you are forced to resort to such options, do so with extreme caution, as you may easily damage your system. And be prepared for a complete format-reinstall XP, just in case...(Note that encrypted files cannot be recovered, no matter what you try).

Windows XP Home Edition? Means there is no built-in file encryption capability. Making your files private means very little (essentially changes the permissions so that anyone with very little knowledge and no ability to Google could get to tthem if they have physical access to the machine and a little time.) Change your password, get your files, done.-- Shenan Stanley MS-MVP --How To Ask Questions The Smart Wayhttp://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

@APO I was young and dumb. :) lololders and@Shenan I tried it a few times on another admin profile and no data loss. So I changed that one and it worked. I think a few things might be gone, but I don't think that the password change had anything to do with it. Thank you both for your help. I held off on the password change option because I had been told that when you clicked the "make my folder's and data private" option, you would lose everything if you reset the password.

That's only for File Encryption and only if you don't follow the best practices for File Encryption.-- Shenan Stanley MS-MVP --How To Ask Questions The Smart Wayhttp://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

I'm not sure what happens with encryption in XP Home.However, it is possible to exclude every other user/administrator from taking any rights (which is what I do in my PCs -which is not a very good idea for many..) -no encryption required & if you lose the password you lose access to the files.

As I said originally - Windows XP Home has no encryption. That's why I felt confident in telling you "change the password". As far as your last claim: "it is possible to exclude every other user/administrator from taking any rights" <- false hope. Unmonitored physical access to the machine and a little time is all one needs to have full access to all unencrypted files on that machine.-- Shenan Stanley MS-MVP --How To Ask Questions The Smart Wayhttp://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html