Can anyone help with external hard drive mystery?

[Jack Sprat]

I removed the hard drive from my old laptop (Windows XP) and placed it into a hard drive enclosure to have access to old screensaver pictures, music and documents from the old laptop. Supposedly, it didn't need to be formatted for my new laptop (Windows 7) since it wasn't a blank hard drive. The instructions said that the power light would come on the hard drive enclosure and assign it a drive letter. It appears in E drive, but when I click on it, all that it shows is my old files. When I click on the old files, I get a message that says Windows does not have program to open the file and to select a program to open them or search the web for a program. On some files, it says that I don't have the administrator access to the files.

I'm perplexed because it seems like I wasted my money trying to get my old files accessed from the hard drive enclosure and I haven't been able to get even one.

[Duer 157099]

1. I don't know the specific answer right now

But I know that you will be able to get to the files. There's just some settings you'll have to mess around with. I remember going through something similar but eventually it worked. Sorry I can't help with the details right now, just want you to know that it will be possible.

[Jack Sprat]

3. I'm so aggravated at it tonight that

I'm going to bed hoping to tackle it anew tomorrow. I get so mad at this stuff that I wish I had never started a task. It never seems to cooperate with my intentions. Danged PCs. Thanks for the ideas but I'm a quitter and restarter when my frustration level is back in check.

[Duer 157099]

5. That's a good strategy

That's what I do too; wait til I'm less frustrated and then begin anew.

The first thing I'd try is to right click on a file and see if you can change the permissions (like under Properties/Advanced)

[krispos42]

2. Do they work if you copy-and-paste to your C:\ drive? n/t

[Kali]

4. nevermind

I was going to recommend the computer forum but I see you already knew to try there:toast: good luck - I am pretty sure somebody here will have the answer sooner or later.