opening System Volume Information & looking for hidden files

I'm using XP-Pro

I would like to open my System Volume Information folder but it keeps giving me the thunk! sound that I don't have permission. I have everything set so files are visible under tools / folder options.

Also, I've been trying to track down a zip file and an .exe file that I have the names of, but they aren't showing up visible. Is there a way to make all hidden files visible? If they are in System Restore, would they show up as not visible on a regular Windows Explorer search?

 

Read the following: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309531
Scroll down to Windows XP Professional using the NTFS File System on a Workgroup or Standalone Computer

Once you get to step 9. "Click Add, and then type the name of the user to whom you want to give access to the folder. Typically, this is the account with which you are logged on. Click OK, and then click OK again."

If you do not know the name of your user account, you can type in "e" or "Everyone" and then press OK.

You should know be able to open this folder

Yes but this is not recommended.

They should show up if they exist. There are certain features you have make sure you enabling for Windows explorer search. Read this for more information: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/302347

 

thanks for all the information

 

I'm sorry for the double post. I was surprised in reading the first link that there is a description for XP computers which use FAT32. I didn't know that XP could use the FAT file system. I thought it had to be NTFS. ???

 

Lots of people upgraded computers running earlier OSes to XP. Since most were home users (think 98 and ME) the computers were formatted FAT32. It was easier to keep the same formatting.
I run XP on FAT32 on one computer and NTFS on another.

 

I followed the instructions so I could open the System Volume Information folder and it would not accept the change, but when I simply clicked on the folder after that, it opened and showed two folders both containing the restore points by number. That was on the left side of Windows Explorer. On the right side, the System Volume Information and the Recycler folders are still whited out. Head-scratcher. Is there anything else in the System Volume Information folder besides the Restore Points?