Creating a user

[Alan Illeman]

I seem to have a real problem creating a user and assigning
it a profile, instead the system (Win2K Pro SP.4 single user)
overrides with a profile of its own choosing.

I've been running at Administrator (have changed name & PW)
for some time, tweaking the system and I would like to create
e.g. a poweruser and let it inherit or get a copy of the Admin's
profile - so that I don't have to setup IE, OE, Dialup, etc
and my programming stuff, all over again. Is it possible to do that?

Once I'm satisfied that this new user can run all my programs, I'd
then want to discontinue many of these tasks by the Admin, and
just use it for - er - Admin.

Thanks in advance,
Alan

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I seem to have a real problem creating a user and assigning
it a profile, instead the system (Win2K Pro SP.4 single user)
overrides with a profile of its own choosing.

I've been running at Administrator (have changed name & PW)
for some time, tweaking the system and I would like to create
e.g. a poweruser and let it inherit or get a copy of the Admin's
profile - so that I don't have to setup IE, OE, Dialup, etc
and my programming stuff, all over again. Is it possible to do that?

Once I'm satisfied that this new user can run all my programs, I'd
then want to discontinue many of these tasks by the Admin, and
just use it for - er - Admin.

Thanks in advance,
Alan

Here is one way to do this:
1. Log on as admin.
2. Delete all your temporary internet files. You might have thousands.
3. Move every shortcut from the Administrator's desktop folder to
the "All Users" desktop folder.
4. Move every shortcut from the Administrator's "Start Menu" folder to
the "All Users" Start Menu" folder.
5. Create a second admin account. (You should have two of them
anyway, in case the first one goes bad for some reason).
6. Reboot the machine and log on under the second admin account.
7. Rename the hidden profile folder "Default User" to "Default User.org".
8. Rename the administrator's profile folder to "Default User".
9. Delete the new user's profile folder (if it exists), after making
sure that it contains no data files.
10. Log on under the new user. He will now inherit every setting
you had under "Administrator".

 

[Alan Illeman]

Thanks, I appreciate this. Just a few comments and questions. . .

Here is one way to do this:
1. Log on as admin.
Done.

2. Delete all your temporary internet files. You might have thousands.

I have a batch file that cleans this thoroughly.

3. Move every shortcut from the Administrator's desktop folder to
the "All Users" desktop folder.
Done.

4. Move every shortcut from the Administrator's "Start Menu" folder to
the "All Users" Start Menu" folder.
Done.

5. Create a second admin account. (You should have two of them
anyway, in case the first one goes bad for some reason).

Good advice. Done.

6. Reboot the machine and log on under the second admin account.
Done.

7. Rename the hidden profile folder "Default User" to "Default User.org".

As soon as I do this, another "Default User" folder appears!

8. Rename the administrator's profile folder to "Default User".

System won't let me rename this folder! (The name of the folder
is "Administrator")

9. Delete the new user's profile folder (if it exists), after making
sure that it contains no data files.

No folder exists for the new Power User.

10. Log on under the new user. He will now inherit every setting
you had under "Administrator".

As I am unable to complete this, I deleted the newly appearing
"Default User" folder and renamed "Default User.org" back to
"Default User".

Where did I go wrong?

Regards,
Alan

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Thanks, I appreciate this. Just a few comments and questions. . .


I have a batch file that cleans this thoroughly.


Good advice. Done.
User.org".

As soon as I do this, another "Default User" folder appears!


System won't let me rename this folder! (The name of the folder
is "Administrator")


No folder exists for the new Power User.


As I am unable to complete this, I deleted the newly appearing
"Default User" folder and renamed "Default User.org" back to
"Default User".

Where did I go wrong?

Regards,
Alan

You experience is at variance with mine: When I delete the
"Default User" folder then it stays deleted. If I subsequently
log on as a new user then Win2000 complains bitterly that
no "Default User" folder exists! I suspect the system did
not allow you to rename "Default User". You thought it
recreated it after renaming whereas in fact it never disappeared.

I do all this work from a Command Prompt, to ensure that
what I do really happens.

If still unsuccessful, you could reboot the machine with a
Bart WinXP boot CD. This is an extremely useful tool, and
it would certainly do the trick.

 

[Alan Illeman]

You experience is at variance with mine: When I delete the
"Default User" folder then it stays deleted. If I subsequently
log on as a new user then Win2000 complains bitterly that
no "Default User" folder exists! I suspect the system did
not allow you to rename "Default User". You thought it
recreated it after renaming whereas in fact it never disappeared.

I do all this work from a Command Prompt, to ensure that
what I do really happens.

It worked fine from the command prompt. Thanks once again.
Alan

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

It worked fine from the command prompt. Thanks once again.
Alan

Your experience demonstrates that GUIs are often
a pretty interface for average PC users, and that
serious administration work may have to be carried
out from a Command Prompt.

 

[Alan Illeman]

folder

Your experience demonstrates that GUIs are often
a pretty interface for average PC users, and that
serious administration work may have to be carried
out from a Command Prompt.

Actually I prefer to call it the Dos Prompt. Execute "mem /c"
at the prompt and you'll see what I mean.

 

[Gary Smith]

Actually I prefer to call it the Dos Prompt. Execute "mem /c"
at the prompt and you'll see what I mean.

"Command prompt" is actaully a much better term for it. There's no real
DOS in WinNT, even though it will run most DOS 16-bit programs like
mem.exe. They think they're running under DOS 5, but Win2K is lying to
them.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Actually I prefer to call it the Dos Prompt. Execute "mem /c"
at the prompt and you'll see what I mean.

You can, of course, call it anything you like. Regardless
of what you call it, you cannot get around the fact that
"DOS" is an operating system, and that the Command
Prompt is just a process that runs under Win2000. To
appreciate the difference, dig a little deeper and run
some commands that were perfectly OK under DOS,
e.g. commands that talk directly to the hardware.
They won't run, because Win2000 will remind then
gently that they are no longer in the world of DOS.

You also need to consider beginners. Telling them
that PCs used to run under DOS but that they now
run Windows 2000, and that the black screen is a
DOS prompt, might confuse them into thinking that
they have a DOS implementation under Win2000.
They don't, of course.

 

[Alan Illeman]

You can, of course, call it anything you like. Regardless
of what you call it, you cannot get around the fact that
"DOS" is an operating system, and that the Command
Prompt is just a process that runs under Win2000. To
appreciate the difference, dig a little deeper and run
some commands that were perfectly OK under DOS,
e.g. commands that talk directly to the hardware.
They won't run, because Win2000 will remind then
gently that they are no longer in the world of DOS.

You also need to consider beginners. Telling them
that PCs used to run under DOS but that they now
run Windows 2000, and that the black screen is a
DOS prompt, might confuse them into thinking that
they have a DOS implementation under Win2000.
They don't, of course.

Yes, I agree, you have a point!