How to Recover Data From Personal Folders on an Old Disk Drive in Windows XP

An old disk drive's personal folders are hidden by default.

Windows XP stores users' data in hidden personal folders. Recovering data from personal folders on an old disk drive in Windows XP requires viewing system and hidden files, so the process is not immediately obvious. Use Windows Explorer to browse for and copy your old personal folder data in Windows XP.

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Instructions

- 1
  
  Open Windows Explorer by clicking the "Start" menu, "All Programs," then "Windows Explorer."
- 2
  
  View hidden and system files. Click the "Tools" menu in the Windows Explorer window, then click "Folder Options." Click "View," then click "Show Hidden Files and Folders." Clear the "Hide Protected Operating System Files" checkbox by clicking it, then click "OK."
- 3
  
  Navigate to the old disk drive. Select the hard drive that is not drive "C:" at the left side of the Windows Explorer window by clicking it.
- 4
  
  Open the "Documents and Settings" folder by double-clicking on it.
- 5
  
  Select the personal folders to copy. Select one by clicking it, or select multiple user folders by holding "Ctrl" as you click each one.
- 6
  
  Copy the folders. Click "Edit," then "Copy."
- 7
  
  Recover the personal folder data and create a copy on your new hard drive. Open your current Windows XP's My Documents folder by clicking "Start," then "My Documents." Click the "Edit" menu in the My Documents window, then click "Paste."
- 8
  
  Sort through your data. For example, select the contents of the old My Documents folder by double-clicking a user folder, double-clicking "My Documents," clicking "Edit," then "Select All." Move them to the new disk drive's My Documents folder by clicking "Edit," "Cut," clicking the "Back" toolbar button twice, clicking "Edit," then "Paste."

Tips & Warnings

Safely remove the old disk drive from your Windows XP computer after pasting the contents of the old personal folders into your new disk drive's My Documents folder.

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How to Recover Data From Personal Folders on an Old Disk Drive in Windows XP

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