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#1
Saved Locked Folder to Ext. HD. and Can't Open after Reset
My Dell desktop with Windows 10 was acting up so I opted to do a "Reset my PC" including deleting all files and folders. I've backed up my files and folders to an external drive once a month, but performed an extra backup just before the Reset process. The most important folder--all of my "personal" stuff including passwords, tax accounting, family pictures, etc--was locked by me as I kept it on my Desktop and I wanted to limit inadvertent access to the folder by others.
In the back up process, I did what I always had done monthly: I opened the external drive's window and "slid" the Folder's icon over to the HD and let it load (I never unlocked the folder on my Desktop first, to reveal the contents, then moved over the contents in-bulk--I just moved the entire folder over and into the ext. HD). Never having had previous occasion to move that saved folder from the ext. HD and back to my Desktop, I did have to do that after the OS reset. Well, guess what: While the master folder copied on to my Desktop, NONE of the contents of the sub folders that contained documents, pictures, etc) came over with it. In fact, after going back into my ext. HD and seeing the list of all the documents, files, etc still there, EACH HAS A PADLOCK on its icon. When I click to open, say, an Excel file entitled "Websites 2016", I get a pop up that looks the attached. NONE of the files will open within the master Personal Folder. I've tried all of the right click/security setting changes and nothing changes. Is there any way I am going to be able to open these docs ever again? Or am I screwed in that they were not saved into the ext. HD before unlocking the Folder as it appeared on my Desktop before resetting?