Issues with a re-install

[E.P. Kida]

NEW USERS: Take Note....
Always set up a restore point in your XP when you've installed new software.

Here's my situation.
BEcause I did not practice whjat I have just preached, I obtained an error
message that created the need to re-install XP Home edition to my system. I
backed up all my necessary documents and files on to an external hard drive,
proceeded to perform the re-install and re-install all the software
afterwards.

My problems:
It seems that there is now 6 different folders located in my C:\Documents
and Settings area (the usual Admin, All Users, Owner, buit also what looks
like my original Owner folder, another Owner folder that has a.000 at the
end, and an Owner~1~ with an abbreviated computer name to it. And it seems
that there may be some hard drive space being used that wasn't used
previously to this re-install.

My Question:
The Folder with the .000 ending is dated today, but the other ones have
earlier dates to them. Should I attempt to delete them and if I do, will I
lose any documents?

 

[neil]

If you have backedup your important files the do not re-install but
re-format the drive and carry out a clean install.
See "Steps to a clean install"
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

The folders with 000 after them are the new folders for you re-installed
profiles, I doubt you will be able to delete them very easily.
Neil

 

[E.P. Kida]

OK.....I've already made the mistake.

IS there a way to carry over files from the original Identities over to the
..000 Identity?

 

[neil]

Yes, You can login as a new user with administrator privileges and copy the
files & folders under "user\my documents" to "user.000\my documents".

Does that help
Neil

 

[E.P. Kida]

Neil,

You are regular fount of knowledge here.

Is it possible that my documents have been saved in the original identity?
Also, I've noticed that even logged in as ADMINISTRATOR in safe mode, I'm
unable to delete the folders under the new identity. I have been able to
copy all my cookies and browser favorites to the new identity.

Maybe I'm OCD, but I'd like to get that old identity out of there, for my
own mental health.

Thanks for your time and responses so far.....