Acer Windows XP Drive Inaccessible

TJClancy3 · 05-05-2008, 07:38 PM

Have Acer Power FH Windows XP Pro. System will not allow access to external drives (CD Rom, DVD, USB, etc.). Error message comes up on log in "Adminstrator has blocked access to drives". All users are set up as administrators. Have tried to roll back the system, uninstall / reinstall drivers, etc. - no avail. Good machine, but I need it to recognize the drives. Device manager shows everything working properly. ????????????????

johnhook · 05-05-2008, 08:13 PM

TJClancy3,

You really need to login as Adminstrator. Do do this, you need to know the Administrator's password. To login as Administrator, log all other users OUT, then on the login screen (with ICONS), press CTRL-ALT-DEL, this will bring up a prompt for username/password. Type Administrator and the password assigned to administrator.

If your personal account truly has administrator rights, you can login as yourself, go to Control Panel, Administrative Tools,Computer Management, Local users and groups, users, right click on Administrator and change the password.

- John

TJClancy3 · 05-19-2008, 06:16 PM

I logged in as the administrator, but there was no difference. I used to get an error message when I logged on that alerted me that the administrator had blocked access to drives, and then another prompt came up and told me that I could click OK to disregard, and cancel to debug. If I tried to debug then another error message comes up and says that it could not locate the debugger. Perpetual error.

Any thoughts?

johnhook · 05-19-2008, 08:14 PM

TJClancy3,

Where these drives all created along with the XP Install that you have Administrator access to? If not, they likely have NTFS file systems with permissions that won't work with the copy of XP you're booting from. You can try to "Take Ownership".

The other possibility is that there is some 3rd party drive/file security software installed that is blocking access to these drives/filesystems/files/folders. Boot in Safe mode, go to Control Panel, Add/Remove programs and look for software that relates to drive security, drive encryption, etc.

- John

05-05-2008, 07:38 PM	#1 (permalink)
TJClancy3 Registered User Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 4 OS: xp pro	Acer Windows XP Drive Inaccessible Have Acer Power FH Windows XP Pro. System will not allow access to external drives (CD Rom, DVD, USB, etc.). Error message comes up on log in "Adminstrator has blocked access to drives". All users are set up as administrators. Have tried to roll back the system, uninstall / reinstall drivers, etc. - no avail. Good machine, but I need it to recognize the drives. Device manager shows everything working properly. ????????????????

05-05-2008, 08:13 PM	#2 (permalink)
johnhook Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 810 OS: MS SBS 2003 SP2	Re: Acer Windows XP Drive Inaccessible TJClancy3, You really need to login as Adminstrator. Do do this, you need to know the Administrator's password. To login as Administrator, log all other users OUT, then on the login screen (with ICONS), press CTRL-ALT-DEL, this will bring up a prompt for username/password. Type Administrator and the password assigned to administrator. If your personal account truly has administrator rights, you can login as yourself, go to Control Panel, Administrative Tools,Computer Management, Local users and groups, users, right click on Administrator and change the password. - John __________________

05-19-2008, 06:16 PM	#3 (permalink)
TJClancy3 Registered User Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 4 OS: xp pro	Re: Acer Windows XP Drive Inaccessible I logged in as the administrator, but there was no difference. I used to get an error message when I logged on that alerted me that the administrator had blocked access to drives, and then another prompt came up and told me that I could click OK to disregard, and cancel to debug. If I tried to debug then another error message comes up and says that it could not locate the debugger. Perpetual error. Any thoughts?

05-19-2008, 08:14 PM	#4 (permalink)
johnhook Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 810 OS: MS SBS 2003 SP2	Re: Acer Windows XP Drive Inaccessible TJClancy3, Where these drives all created along with the XP Install that you have Administrator access to? If not, they likely have NTFS file systems with permissions that won't work with the copy of XP you're booting from. You can try to "Take Ownership". The other possibility is that there is some 3rd party drive/file security software installed that is blocking access to these drives/filesystems/files/folders. Boot in Safe mode, go to Control Panel, Add/Remove programs and look for software that relates to drive security, drive encryption, etc. - John __________________