Can't access private folder

I am using Windows XP. I am facing a problem with Private Folder here. I am having only 2 partitions on my pc. I had set the folders to private so that users on the other would not be able to access the same. There was some problem with XP so I installed it back again and accidentally I did that in separate partition. Now when I try to open the old files in Private folder it does not work. I am unable to access the files stored in the Private folder. Does anyone know any other way to fix the same.

The issue lies with the file permission. You have to check whether you have maximum permission so that you can view or modify those files. There are some tools available on the web that offers you option to gain maximum file permission and I am sure it will work well. You can download a unlocker type software to take the file ownership and then test the same back. I am sure that will work fine.

I am going to give you references of some articles that will give you ample of information on applying the settings to take file ownership. Check the links below where you can find ample of information on taking maximum file ownership and I am sure this will really work well to some extent.

How to take ownership of a file or a folder in Windows XP
"Access is Denied" error message when you try to open a folder

You can get those files by using a live cd. There are ample of free LIVE CD software available through which you can scan your pc and collect the files that you are looking for. I am sure it is fairly simply and then you can simply move ahead with complete windows installation. This will wipe out all the accounts and then work fine.

I had got the same kind of issue with my old hard drive. I had simply moved my secondary hard drive to a separate pc. But when I try to access the files there was a problem with the connectivity. Even after installing new windows it was not working well. The folders and files were marked as private. Access denied is one of the most common issue that I was facing. Later on as said above I used a bootable live cd that did the job.