Accessing files from defunct laptop via USB cable HDD.

Recently my computer became inoperable so I removed the hard disk and fitted it into a USB case. I now need to access the previous Admin account folder to retrieve some files, but Windows says I need Admin permission and must reply Continue which I did but the folder still failed to open.
I then created a matching local account (same name) on the new computer and tried again but still no luck.
Does anyone know how to retrieve these files please?

The files are own by admin on another PC so you will need to take ownership of the folders

Do you mean I must right-click the folder, then Security followed by Edit/Advanced?

You can use this script to add Take Ownership to the right-click menu in Windows Explorer.

Code:

@Echo Off

Color 1A

Cd %systemroot%\system32




REM  --> Check for permissions
Reg query "HKU\S-1-5-19\Environment" 
REM --> If error flag set, we do not have admin.
if %errorlevel% NEQ 0 (
ECHO                 **************************************
ECHO                  Running Admin shell... Please wait...
ECHO                 **************************************

    goto UACPrompt
) else ( goto gotAdmin )

:UACPrompt
    echo Set UAC = CreateObject^("Shell.Application"^) > "%temp%\getadmin.vbs"
    set params = "%*:"=""
    echo UAC.ShellExecute "cmd.exe", "/c ""%~s0"" %params%", "", "runas", 1 >> "%temp%\getadmin.vbs"

    "%temp%\getadmin.vbs"
    del "%temp%\getadmin.vbs"
    exit /B


:gotAdmin

Cls & Mode CON  LINES=11 COLS=104 & Color 0D & Title Created By FreeBooter
Echo.
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Echo       º Do You Want To Add Take Ownership to the Right-Click Menu in Windows Explorer (Y/N)?  º  
Echo       ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ
Echo.
Echo.


Set /p input= RESPONSE: 

If /i  Not %input%==Y (Goto :_Ex) Else (Goto :_Start) 

:_Ex
If /i Not %input%==N  (Goto :EOF) Else (Goto :_RegRestore)



:_Start

Reg.exe add "HKCR\*\shell\runas" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "Take Ownership" /f > Nul
Reg.exe add "HKCR\*\shell\runas" /v "NoWorkingDirectory" /t REG_SZ /d "" /f > Nul
Reg.exe add "HKCR\*\shell\runas\command" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%%1\" && icacls \"%%1\" /grant administrators:F" /f > Nul
Reg.exe add "HKCR\*\shell\runas\command" /v "IsolatedCommand" /t REG_SZ /d "cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%%1\" && icacls \"%%1\" /grant administrators:F" /f > Nul
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\shell\runas" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "Take Ownership" /f > Nul
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\shell\runas" /v "NoWorkingDirectory" /t REG_SZ /d "" /f > Nul
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\shell\runas\command" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%%1\" /r /d y && icacls \"%%1\" /grant administrators:F /t" /f > Nul 
Reg.exe add "HKCR\Directory\shell\runas\command" /v "IsolatedCommand" /t REG_SZ /d "cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%%1\" /r /d y && icacls \"%%1\" /grant administrators:F /t" /f > Nul


Cls & Mode CON  LINES=11 COLS=60 & Color 0D & Title Created By FreeBooter
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Echo       ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ»
Echo       º  Take Ownership Context Menu Enabled º  
Echo       ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ
Echo.
Echo. 

Taskkill /im Explorer.exe /f >Nul

Start Explorer.exe

ping -n 6 localhost >Nul 
Exit


:_RegRestore


Reg.exe delete "HKCR\*\shell\runas" /f > Nul
Reg.exe delete "HKCR\Directory\shell\runas" /f > Nul


Cls & Mode CON  LINES=11 COLS=60 & Color 0D & Title Created By FreeBooter
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Echo       ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ»
Echo       º Take Ownership Context Menu Disabled  º  
Echo       ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ
Echo.
Echo. 

Taskkill /im Explorer.exe /f >Nul

Start Explorer.exe

ping -n 6 localhost >nul 
Exit

Many thanks; I will give it a try later.

If you have Macrium Reflect there's a long way round, but useful if you don't want to risk changing anything on the HDD.

Make a Macrium image of the HDD, then mount the .mrimg file. Wnen you do that there's an option to enable access to restricted folders.

I ran the script above and, after taking about 20 minutes, it eventually worked. Many thanks.

You are very welcome!