Lose all data when changing adminstrator

[Guest]

When the administrator was changed on a computer with XP Pro all the data
files, email files and email address book were lost. Is this the effect when
an administrator or user account is deleted from XP? Is there some way to
recover from this data loss without special programs or the help of a
professional computer technician? I am in a world of hurt on this one as
some of the email files and address book are essential to completing a
memorial service for a friend. Thanks for any rush help you can provide.

 

[Guest]

The news is the worst. By design the data for profiles is encrypted with the
ID/pass of the user. (Including a blank) Removing a profile, as expected
behavior, makes it inaccessible to recycling. You could waste a lot of time
playing "Homeland Security" with some undelete utility, but I doubt you would
get what you want.

It's said that Cleopatra killed any messenger that brought her bad news.
(And therefore was surrounded by enemies, and forced to suicide). Hopefully,
there's a lesson in there somewhere

 

[Guest]

Thank you Mark. I was fearful of that. It seems to me that Microsoft ought
to provide a bold WARNING about such things so people would not messs with
the user accounts without knowing the adverse impact that might result.

As to recovery, with the aid of a friend some data was recovered using On
Track. I know little about this program, but it did work. Some data was
lost or corrupted probably as the result of write-over.

renegade

 

[Paul]

When the administrator was changed on a computer with XP Pro all the data
files, email files and email address book were lost. Is this the effect
when
an administrator or user account is deleted from XP? Is there some way to
recover from this data loss without special programs or the help of a
professional computer technician? I am in a world of hurt on this one as
some of the email files and address book are essential to completing a
memorial service for a friend. Thanks for any rush help you can provide.

Have you looked for the files in c:\Documents and
Settings\<oldadministrator> and its subfolders where <oldadministrator> is
the name of the previous administrator account? This may not get you every
thing your looking for but it would be a start.

I am sure there is a Microsoft Knowledge Base article that describes how to
do the transfer, but I do not have time to look for it now.

Paul

 

[Guest]

Thanks, Paul. Most data was recovered but not all. That may be the result
of rebooting several times. Anyway, this ends the problem and I want to
thank all for their help.

renegade

 

[Irradicant]

If you still need to recover more or such a situation happens again
Active@ Undelete can be used. This data recovery solution is very good
indeed http://www.active-undelete.com/