Administrator replaced by new Administrator!

[Guest]

I am using a 2nd hand computer which already had Windows XP Professional
installed, (I don't have a Product Identification number or any other
documentation as it wasn't with computer when I bought it) After using it for
about a year by logging into Administrator and working from there, saving all
my work to the Administrator desktop, My Documents, My Pictures etc I learned
that to help protect from viruses etc I should create a limited a/c to use on
a daily basis, only using the Admin a/c to install programs etc. When I
clicked on "create new a/c" a message said "You need an Administrator a/c to
create a new a/c" and created a NEW Administrator A/c as though the one I had
used for the past year didn't exist and replaced the original Administrator
which has disappeared along with it's desktop and all of my saved folders and
files! I don't understand. The Administrator a/c is necessary for installing
programs and I installed programs etc. Kaspersky anti-virus is constantly
blocking actions and I've had nothing but trouble since I followed the XP
advice to set up a limited a/c. I thought maybe system restore would bring it
back but found it wasn't even switched on in this version of Administrator so
there are no restore points accessible before today when I switched it on.
Why wasn't my original Administrator recognised as being there when I tried
to create a new limited a/c? How could a new Administrator a/c create itself
and replace the original? Can I get it back to where it was before - what's
going on? Can anyone help please?

 

[Guest]

Have a look under "C:\Documents and Settings" and see how many userprofiles
exist for Administrator. If more than one, chances are the original has got
corrupted. In that case, the logon process 'sidesteps' the broken profile and
creates a new, empty one called 'Administrator.computername' or suchlike.

 

[Guest]

Have a look under "C:\Documents and Settings" and see how many userprofiles
exist for Administrator. If more than one, chances are the original has got
corrupted. In that case, the logon process 'sidesteps' the broken profile and
creates a new, empty one called 'Administrator.computername' or suchlike.

Thanx Anteaus. There is only one Administrator profile in documents and settings and it is the original one! I still don't know what's happened as there is no mention of the "self-appointed" Administrator except on log-in page where original was and the original only appears in docs and settings but at least I have found all of the files etc in Administrators docs so unless sum1 has any idea what I'm talking about and can help me understand and maybe restore our Administrator to it's rightful place I'll just have to be satisfied with being able to access everything, which is way better than losing 12 months work, it's such a relief it's not gone forever. Thanx again for your help

 

[Shenan Stanley]

In short - when you created another user (and since you are using the
welcome screen method of logon) the original administrator user disappeared
*as designed*. You could - after rebooting and making it as far as the
welcome screen - press CTRL+ALT+DEL twice and when it comes up with the
classic logon screen (username/password) put in "administrator" as the
username and whatever the password was for the password and logon as the
user. If you want to see it on the welcome screen, the easiest way to do
that is utilize the Microsoft TweakUI Powertoy.