PC TechNumpty Help Thread - empty Users folder in old HDD

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Dooogs Jun 2019 8:50pm, 13 Jun 2019 5,825 posts	0 Dooogs flashes batsignal for help We're struggling to retrieve a whole bunch of files from our dead PC (probably the PSU went after six years) - a bog-standard Dell Inspiron desktop. It had a whole load of files (picture, music, etc) saved to various folders on the desktop (presumably C/Users/Dooogs or similar). I've successfully extracted the old internal hard drive from the dead PC and attached it as an external drive to the new PC. The drive appeared to be running fine - it's got oodles of program files, configiration stuff, etc - but the user folder on it is completely empty. (literally showing 0 files). I've tried doing searches for specific files we remember the names of - finding absolutely nothing on the old hard drive. Is it possible that it saved the Users folder to a different drive - some sort of flash drive? (the PC definitely only had one regular hard drive - the one we extracted)? Or is the user data likely to be hiding within the old drive undetected by us? PS Old PC ran Windows 8 or 9 - new one runs Windows 10, if that makes any difference... NB We do have 99% of the files backed up to an external HDD - but we're trying to get the recently-created 1% too. Ta
oumaumau Jun 2019 8:52pm, 13 Jun 2019 1,129 posts	0 oumaumau Have you tried taking ownership of the users folder? It could be a security/permissions issue...
oumaumau Jun 2019 8:54pm, 13 Jun 2019 1,130 posts	0 oumaumau Right-click on the folder, and properties. Then there's a security tab maybe advanced, take ownership. Sorry Im not working on a PC atm.
Dooogs Jun 2019 8:54pm, 13 Jun 2019 5,826 posts	0 Dooogs How would I do that? - I've been looking online for an "explore disk as administrator" option, or similar - but I've not been able to find that - or a "take ownership" option when I right-click on the Users folder yet...
Dooogs Jun 2019 8:55pm, 13 Jun 2019 5,827 posts	0 Dooogs Soz, typed that before third post.
oumaumau Jun 2019 8:56pm, 13 Jun 2019 1,131 posts	0 oumaumau No worries - it dawned on me once I'd posted
Dooogs Jun 2019 9:13pm, 13 Jun 2019 5,828 posts	0 Dooogs Oooh... it's taking its time but it appears to be "Setting Security Information on : E/Users/Dooogs/AppData/(millions of files). It might take hours, but I don't think it recognised that AppData folder as existing previously...
fetcheveryone Jun 2019 9:16pm, 13 Jun 2019 22,053 posts	0 fetcheveryone Somewhere in Windows explorer, you can choose to display hidden files. Can’t remember where. Or whether it’s even still called Windows Explorer.
Dooogs Jun 2019 9:34pm, 13 Jun 2019 5,829 posts	0 Dooogs Yay - all up and running nicely once I owned (literally and metaphorically) that folder. Thanks, both.