User Profile Problem

[Roger Fink]

I hope I can be succinct about this.

I just bought a used laptop running W2K for home use. I'm having the
following problem: After I installed the SeaMonkey browser, I noticed that
W2K placed SeaMonkey's profile folders such that I can't read or access
them - it's as though they don't exist. When I search in W2K for specific
files I know are loaded in connection with this, they don't show up.

I haven't yet set a password. When I boot up I get a box saying the system
couldn't log me on, make sure my user name and domain are correct, then type
my password again. I can and do get to the desktop by clicking OK and then
clicking OK in the log-in box that follows, The box reads "user" for user
name and has no password.

In Control Panel under Users and Passwords I see three accounts:
Administrator (Administrators), Guest (Guests), and user (Administrators).
The words in parentheses are under the "Group" column.

In the properties box for each of these, the heading across the top starts
off RANGER2, which I think is the name of the computer designated by the
former owner.

Could someone kindly advise me how to configure this so that when I do log
in with a password I can see everything that's on the drive, and always have
Administrative rights?

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I hope I can be succinct about this.

I just bought a used laptop running W2K for home use. I'm having the
following problem: After I installed the SeaMonkey browser, I noticed that
W2K placed SeaMonkey's profile folders such that I can't read or access
them - it's as though they don't exist. When I search in W2K for specific
files I know are loaded in connection with this, they don't show up.

I haven't yet set a password. When I boot up I get a box saying the system
couldn't log me on, make sure my user name and domain are correct, then type
my password again. I can and do get to the desktop by clicking OK and then
clicking OK in the log-in box that follows, The box reads "user" for user
name and has no password.

In Control Panel under Users and Passwords I see three accounts:
Administrator (Administrators), Guest (Guests), and user (Administrators).
The words in parentheses are under the "Group" column.

In the properties box for each of these, the heading across the top starts
off RANGER2, which I think is the name of the computer designated by the
former owner.

Could someone kindly advise me how to configure this so that when I do log
in with a password I can see everything that's on the drive, and always have
Administrative rights?

Since this is a used PC, your best bet would be to make a clean start
and re-install Windows 2000 onto a formatted hard disk. You don't
know what might be lurking there!

 

[Roger Fink]

Since this is a used PC, your best bet would be to make a clean start
and re-install Windows 2000 onto a formatted hard disk. You don't
know what might be lurking there!

Could you offer a Plan B?

I've fully updated W2K and done a thorough virus scan, but I suspect you're
thinking of configuration hassles here. If what may be lurking should rear
its ugly head, then I can do a reinstall, but I'd prefer to be forced into
it. Regarding accounts, hopefully instead I can delete everything that's
extraneous, and correctly configure everything that isn't. My previous
experience with this OS was merely as an end user and I never had to worry
about profiles.

I must have done something today - I don't know what - to make things worse
because I could see my flash drive in Windows Explorer this morning but
couldn't this afternoon.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Could you offer a Plan B?

I've fully updated W2K and done a thorough virus scan, but I suspect you're
thinking of configuration hassles here. If what may be lurking should rear
its ugly head, then I can do a reinstall, but I'd prefer to be forced into
it. Regarding accounts, hopefully instead I can delete everything that's
extraneous, and correctly configure everything that isn't. My previous
experience with this OS was merely as an end user and I never had to worry
about profiles.

I must have done something today - I don't know what - to make things worse
because I could see my flash drive in Windows Explorer this morning but
couldn't this afternoon.

Plan B is just that - the "B" option. You still end up with all the
scars that the previous owner might have inflicted on this machine.
It's not an option I would consider - I think it's a waste of time.

The initial "Invalid password" challenge comes from an automatic
logon process that remembers the wrong password. You can probably
disable it by going into the Control Panel / Users, then ticking the
box that requires users to enter a password. It could also be caused
by the TweakUI tool. Remove it via the Control Panel - you don't
need it.

To assume administrative privileges, you must log on as Administrator
or as a user with admin privileges. This will enable you to set the
passwords for all other accounts. If you cannot log on as administrator
then you can reset the administrator's password to a blank with this
boot disk:
http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/bootdisk.html

 

[Roger Fink]

Plan B is just that - the "B" option. You still end up with all the
scars that the previous owner might have inflicted on this machine.
It's not an option I would consider - I think it's a waste of time.

The initial "Invalid password" challenge comes from an automatic
logon process that remembers the wrong password. You can probably
disable it by going into the Control Panel / Users, then ticking the
box that requires users to enter a password. It could also be caused
by the TweakUI tool. Remove it via the Control Panel - you don't
need it.

To assume administrative privileges, you must log on as Administrator
or as a user with admin privileges. This will enable you to set the
passwords for all other accounts. If you cannot log on as
administrator then you can reset the administrator's password to a
blank with this
boot disk:
http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/bootdisk.html

OK thanks. If I can't finagle this, which seems likely, then I'll just have
to face the music.

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

OK thanks. If I can't finagle this, which seems likely, then I'll
just have to face the music.

Seriously, I have to agree with Pegasus. Don't waste time trying to fix
this; there are likely far more lurking problems than you can see now. Do a
clean install.