System Restore done - Can't access recovered files/docs

I am running Vista Home Premium on a HP Pavilion laptop, I am administrator and the only user.
I restored my PC to factory setting - first backing up all music and docs etc to external hard drive.
I have done system restore, used recovery manager and put all back up files back on laptop - all my files are showing in c:\system recovery files but when I try to open them I get the message
For example and mp3 file opening with media player -
Windows Media Player cannot access the file. The file might be in use, you might not have access to the computer where the file is stored, or your proxy settings might not be correct.
A word file -
Word cannot open the document - user does not have access privileges.
I have seen on other posts about taking ownership and tried on a couple of files and managed to change the settings to be the owner, but still get the access denied message.Before I did this the owner was just lots of numbers?
Any advice grateful - my knowledged is not that of a complete novice but by no means advanced.
thanks
Kath

Hi Kath,

A few questions first:

1. You say you "put all back up files back on laptop - all my files are showing in c:\system recovery files". I assume you used Backup and Restore Center for this? How'd the files end up in that folder; is that where you restored them intentionally?

2. Did you backup/restore any of the AppData folders files in the C:\Users\MyUserid folder?

3. Did you setup your new User Account with exactly the same name as you had done originally? The fact that the Owner was shown as "lots of numbers" implies that it was different and the new system doesn't have a User Account for the original owner.

Ed