factory reset changed email address changed comp. name cant get some files...

Question

I was hacked so to keep safe i factory reset and changed my email address and my passwords and even the computer name as i was prompted to .i am on the same network . so when i went to get some of my files they said i did not have permission see adminitrator well as far as i know thats me its my computer and always has been . except for someone getting on and using my acccounts. that is why i factory reset. i used to have several email addresses because computer had me make new ones when it told me mine was not a email address or some bull sh...like that so i ended up with 3 well actually 5 but i only used 3 on this computer i cannot get my shared files or other files.please help sort this mess . i get some of them but the pictures mainly is what i am trying to recover and documents.

Answer 1

The files are being blocked because the reset, new account, and new computer name changed the security identifiers (SIDs) that Windows uses to decide who “owns” and can access the files. The old files are still tied to the old account/SID, so the new account is treated as a different user with no permission.

To fix this, the current account must explicitly take ownership of the old folders and grant itself permissions. On Windows 11 this is done per folder/drive:

1. Right‑click the folder (for example, the old Pictures folder) or drive where the files are stored and select Properties.
2. Go to the Security tab and select Advanced.
3. At the top, next to Owner, select Change.
4. In Enter the object name to select, type the name of the current Windows user account and select Check Names, then OK.
5. Check Replace owner on subcontainers and objects so all files and subfolders are included.
6. Select Apply and OK to close dialogs.
7. Back in the Security tab, select Edit, select the current user, and ensure Full control is allowed. If the user is not listed, add it and then grant Full control.

Repeat this for each location where access is denied (shared folders, old user profile folders, external drives, etc.). Once ownership and permissions are updated, the pictures and documents should open normally.

If the files were in OneDrive or another cloud service and are missing entirely (not just access‑denied), they may need to be recovered from that service’s recycle bin or by contacting the service’s support. For OneDrive for work or school, if files are not in search or the OneDrive Recycle Bin, an IT administrator may need to investigate further using file names and last access details.

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References:

• Find lost or missing files in OneDrive