OS Installation anomaly

[RobF]

When I first installed XP Home a year ago, I had some glitches in the
proceedure, reinstalls and maybe install over, don't remember what all
happened. System running OK, but a result of whatever I did was the install
of c:\documents and settings\ [user name] three times. I'm the only user.
Sizes of the folders are 526 MB, 3.14 GB, and 36.5MB. To free up space in
C:\ drive, would it be safe to delete one or two of them, or do I really
need any [username] folders at all? TIA for suggestions.

 

[Big_Al]

RobF said this on 4/29/2009 11:27 AM:

When I first installed XP Home a year ago, I had some glitches in the
proceedure, reinstalls and maybe install over, don't remember what all
happened. System running OK, but a result of whatever I did was the install
of c:\documents and settings\ [user name] three times. I'm the only user.
Sizes of the folders are 526 MB, 3.14 GB, and 36.5MB. To free up space in
C:\ drive, would it be safe to delete one or two of them, or do I really
need any [username] folders at all? TIA for suggestions.

With what I want to call a standard install, you should have 3 folders
in C:\documents and settings
"all users" and the user you created for yourself. You might have
administrator, but I don't have it any of my systems.

One caution about the documents&Settings folder. It contains files
that are of course the settings for you as a user. A lot of them. I
would venture to say that copying over the entire folder can cause a
problem. Granted there are some folders there that you want,
favorites, my docs, my pictures. But you may not want to copy
"application data" or "local settings" or "start menu". These contain
settings and data set there by programs that are installed. Which you
may not have any longer. And some of them can dump a lot of data in
there, useless data if the program is no longer installed. Copying
those folders could screw up settings put there during the install and
should not be overwritten.

I don't think you would ever copy "all users".

I'd just be cautious about how much of that doc&settings\user you copy.
.... IMHO ...

 

[RobF]

| RobF said this on 4/29/2009 11:27 AM:
| > When I first installed XP Home a year ago, I had some glitches in the
| > proceedure, reinstalls and maybe install over, don't remember what all
| > happened. System running OK, but a result of whatever I did was the
install
| > of c:\documents and settings\ [user name] three times. I'm the only
user.
| > Sizes of the folders are 526 MB, 3.14 GB, and 36.5MB. To free up space
in
| > C:\ drive, would it be safe to delete one or two of them, or do I really
| > need any [username] folders at all? TIA for suggestions.
|
| With what I want to call a standard install, you should have 3 folders
| in C:\documents and settings
| "all users" and the user you created for yourself. You might have
| administrator, but I don't have it any of my systems.
|
| One caution about the documents&Settings folder. It contains files
| that are of course the settings for you as a user. A lot of them. I
| would venture to say that copying over the entire folder can cause a
| problem. Granted there are some folders there that you want,
| favorites, my docs, my pictures. But you may not want to copy
| "application data" or "local settings" or "start menu". These contain
| settings and data set there by programs that are installed. Which you
| may not have any longer. And some of them can dump a lot of data in
| there, useless data if the program is no longer installed. Copying
| those folders could screw up settings put there during the install and
| should not be overwritten.
|
| I don't think you would ever copy "all users".
|
| I'd just be cautious about how much of that doc&settings\user you copy.
| ... IMHO ...

Thanks, Big Al. I won't do any copying. I'm curious only about how c:\docs
and setts\[my name] and [myname] and[my name] got there and whether I can
remove them, since as you point out there are also default user,
administrator, all users, and other stuff. But it's better to forget about
trying to free up space.

 

[Bill in Co.]

RobF said this on 4/29/2009 11:27 AM:

When I first installed XP Home a year ago, I had some glitches in the
proceedure, reinstalls and maybe install over, don't remember what all
happened. System running OK, but a result of whatever I did was the
install
of c:\documents and settings\ [user name] three times. I'm the only user.
Sizes of the folders are 526 MB, 3.14 GB, and 36.5MB. To free up space
in
C:\ drive, would it be safe to delete one or two of them, or do I really
need any [username] folders at all? TIA for suggestions.

With what I want to call a standard install, you should have 3 folders
in C:\documents and settings
"all users" and the user you created for yourself. You might have
administrator, but I don't have it any of my systems.

I believe that Administrator account folder is only created if you ever try
using the administrator account, which, in XP Home, requires going into Safe
Mode to do so. (Otherwise you won't have it under Documents and
Settings).

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

When I first installed XP Home a year ago, I had some glitches in the
proceedure, reinstalls and maybe install over, don't remember what all
happened. System running OK, but a result of whatever I did was the
install
of c:\documents and settings\ [user name] three times. I'm the only user.
Sizes of the folders are 526 MB, 3.14 GB, and 36.5MB. To free up space in
C:\ drive, would it be safe to delete one or two of them, or do I really
need any [username] folders at all? TIA for suggestions.

The subfolders of c:\Documents and Settings contain the various user
profiles. Since you are the only user on this machine, you can remove the
two unused profile folders. Let's assume the profile folders are called
Rob1, Rob2 and Rob3. Here is what you do:
1. Click Start, then Run.
2. Type the three letters cmd
3. Click OK.
4. Type this command:
set userprofile
then press the Enter key.
5. Make a note of the name.
6. Type the following commands and press Enter after each of them:
md c:\Junk
cd "\Dokuments and Settings"
dir
(make a note of the "Rob" folder names)
move "Rob?" \Junk
move "Rob?" \Junk
Note: Leave the Rob folder from Step 5 alone but move the other two Rob
folders. You must replace the question marked names with the correct folder
names.
7. Wait a week.
8. If all is well and if you don't miss any files or folders, delete the
folder c:\Junk, then empty your Recycle Bin.

 

[RobF]

|
| | > When I first installed XP Home a year ago, I had some glitches in the
| > proceedure, reinstalls and maybe install over, don't remember what all
| > happened. System running OK, but a result of whatever I did was the
| > install
| > of c:\documents and settings\ [user name] three times. I'm the only
user.
| > Sizes of the folders are 526 MB, 3.14 GB, and 36.5MB. To free up space
in
| > C:\ drive, would it be safe to delete one or two of them, or do I really
| > need any [username] folders at all? TIA for suggestions.
| > --
| > RobF
| > Address invalid
|
| The subfolders of c:\Documents and Settings contain the various user
| profiles. Since you are the only user on this machine, you can remove the
| two unused profile folders. Let's assume the profile folders are called
| Rob1, Rob2 and Rob3. Here is what you do:
| 1. Click Start, then Run.
| 2. Type the three letters cmd
| 3. Click OK.
| 4. Type this command:
| set userprofile
| then press the Enter key.
| 5. Make a note of the name.
| 6. Type the following commands and press Enter after each of them:
| md c:\Junk
| cd "\Dokuments and Settings"
| dir
| (make a note of the "Rob" folder names)
| move "Rob?" \Junk
| move "Rob?" \Junk
| Note: Leave the Rob folder from Step 5 alone but move the other two Rob
| folders. You must replace the question marked names with the correct
folder
| names.
| 7. Wait a week.
| 8. If all is well and if you don't miss any files or folders, delete the
| folder c:\Junk, then empty your Recycle Bin.

Thanks, Pegasus. I began as you directed. "Set userprofile" brought up one
of the two identical usernames. I found that they cannot be renamed in Win
Explorer, so I can't identify which it was. I ran a DIR command to see total
size. It did not match the size of any of the three directories I had
obtained from a software HDD tree size app. I didn't proceed. I'm not as
skilled at this type of operation as I should be. Anyway, the size was much
smaller than the largest of the 3 username folders. I'm wondering if by
"setting" userprofile, I made that directory the controlling one for
computer operations generally. If that's what I did, how do I find and
establish as the controlling one the large directory? No disturbing events
so far.

I don't remember what appeared previously in the DOS box in routine
operations ( I rarely use it), but there now appears on the opening lines
"C:\Documents and Settings\[username]". Set userprofile then brings up
something like "user profile= D&S username, as in previous sentence. Is
there something I've done that I should undo? If so, I'll get back to where
I was before I mistakenly embarked on an adventure too advanced for me. I
appreciate your help.

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

|
| | > When I first installed XP Home a year ago, I had some glitches in the
| > proceedure, reinstalls and maybe install over, don't remember what all
| > happened. System running OK, but a result of whatever I did was the
| > install
| > of c:\documents and settings\ [user name] three times. I'm the only
user.
| > Sizes of the folders are 526 MB, 3.14 GB, and 36.5MB. To free up
space
in
| > C:\ drive, would it be safe to delete one or two of them, or do I
really
| > need any [username] folders at all? TIA for suggestions.
| > --
| > RobF
| > Address invalid
|
| The subfolders of c:\Documents and Settings contain the various user
| profiles. Since you are the only user on this machine, you can remove
the
| two unused profile folders. Let's assume the profile folders are called
| Rob1, Rob2 and Rob3. Here is what you do:
| 1. Click Start, then Run.
| 2. Type the three letters cmd
| 3. Click OK.
| 4. Type this command:
| set userprofile
| then press the Enter key.
| 5. Make a note of the name.
| 6. Type the following commands and press Enter after each of them:
| md c:\Junk
| cd "\Dokuments and Settings"
| dir
| (make a note of the "Rob" folder names)
| move "Rob?" \Junk
| move "Rob?" \Junk
| Note: Leave the Rob folder from Step 5 alone but move the other two Rob
| folders. You must replace the question marked names with the correct
folder
| names.
| 7. Wait a week.
| 8. If all is well and if you don't miss any files or folders, delete the
| folder c:\Junk, then empty your Recycle Bin.

Thanks, Pegasus. I began as you directed. "Set userprofile" brought up one
of the two identical usernames.

*** Have another look. It is impossible for two names to be identical.

I found that they cannot be renamed in Win Explorer

*** Does "they" mean "User profile folders"?

I ran a DIR command to see total size.

*** This won't work - there are many hidden files and folders.

It did not match the size of any of the three directories I had
obtained from a software HDD tree size app. I didn't proceed. I'm not as
skilled at this type of operation as I should be. Anyway, the size was
much
smaller than the largest of the 3 username folders. I'm wondering if by
"setting" userprofile, I made that directory the controlling one for
computer operations generally.

*** In spite of its name, the "set" command does not "set" anything
*** when used in this context.

If that's what I did, how do I find and
establish as the controlling one the large directory? No disturbing events
so far.

I don't remember what appeared previously in the DOS box in routine
operations ( I rarely use it), but there now appears on the opening lines
"C:\Documents and Settings\[username]". Set userprofile then brings up
something like "user profile= D&S username, as in previous sentence. Is
there something I've done that I should undo? If so, I'll get back to
where
I was before I mistakenly embarked on an adventure too advanced for me. I
appreciate your help.

I suggest you start again with Steps 1 to 5, then report back here. Perform
these addional steps:
5a. cd /d "c:\documents and settings"
5b. dir
5c. Make a note of the folder names you see.

Report carefully - statements such as "brings up something like" are of no
use.

 

[RobF]

|
| | >
| > | > |
| > | | > | > When I first installed XP Home a year ago, I had some glitches in
the
| > | > proceedure, reinstalls and maybe install over, don't remember what
all
| > | > happened. System running OK, but a result of whatever I did was the
| > | > install
| > | > of c:\documents and settings\ [user name] three times. I'm the only
| > user.
| > | > Sizes of the folders are 526 MB, 3.14 GB, and 36.5MB. To free up
| > space
| > in
| > | > C:\ drive, would it be safe to delete one or two of them, or do I
| > really
| > | > need any [username] folders at all? TIA for suggestions.
| > | > --
| > | > RobF
| > | > Address invalid
| > |
| > | The subfolders of c:\Documents and Settings contain the various user
| > | profiles. Since you are the only user on this machine, you can remove
| > the
| > | two unused profile folders. Let's assume the profile folders are
called
| > | Rob1, Rob2 and Rob3. Here is what you do:
| > | 1. Click Start, then Run.
| > | 2. Type the three letters cmd
| > | 3. Click OK.
| > | 4. Type this command:
| > | set userprofile
| > | then press the Enter key.
| > | 5. Make a note of the name.
| > | 6. Type the following commands and press Enter after each of them:
| > | md c:\Junk
| > | cd "\Dokuments and Settings"
| > | dir
| > | (make a note of the "Rob" folder names)
| > | move "Rob?" \Junk
| > | move "Rob?" \Junk
| > | Note: Leave the Rob folder from Step 5 alone but move the other two
Rob
| > | folders. You must replace the question marked names with the correct
| > folder
| > | names.
| > | 7. Wait a week.
| > | 8. If all is well and if you don't miss any files or folders, delete
the
| > | folder c:\Junk, then empty your Recycle Bin.

| >
| > Thanks, Pegasus. I began as you directed. "Set userprofile" brought up
one
| > of the two identical usernames.
| *** Have another look. It is impossible for two names to be identical.
*******Right. One is First Name space second name, the other is
first name no space second name.
|
| > I found that they cannot be renamed in Win Explorer
| *** Does "they" mean "User profile folders"?
**********Yes. Now I see they can easily be discriminated in dos
box
|
| > I ran a DIR command to see total size.
| *** This won't work - there are many hidden files and folders.
******OK
|
| > It did not match the size of any of the three directories I had
| > obtained from a software HDD tree size app. I didn't proceed. I'm not as
| > skilled at this type of operation as I should be. Anyway, the size was
| > much
| > smaller than the largest of the 3 username folders. I'm wondering if by
| > "setting" userprofile, I made that directory the controlling one for
| > computer operations generally.
| *** In spite of its name, the "set" command does not "set" anything
| *** when used in this context.
*******Glad to hear it.
|
| > If that's what I did, how do I find and
| > establish as the controlling one the large directory? No disturbing
events
| > so far.
| >
| > I don't remember what appeared previously in the DOS box in routine
| > operations ( I rarely use it), but there now appears on the opening
lines
| > "C:\Documents and Settings\[username]". Set userprofile then brings up
| > something like "user profile= D&S username, as in previous sentence. Is
| > there something I've done that I should undo? If so, I'll get back to
| > where
| > I was before I mistakenly embarked on an adventure too advanced for me.
I
| > appreciate your help.
| > --
| > RobF


| I suggest you start again with Steps 1 to 5, then report back here.
Perform
| these addional steps:
| 5a. cd /d "c:\documents and settings"
| 5b. dir
| 5c. Make a note of the folder names you see.
|
| Report carefully - statements such as "brings up something like" are of no
| use.



"brings up something" is literally: USER PROFILE =c:\documents and
settings\first name last name.

Dir command at c:\Docs & Stngs shows: (following <dir> dot and <dir>
dot dot
Administrator
All Users
All users.windows (then as noted above)
First name
First name space second name
first name no space second name

The above notes are for a sense of closure on this. I don't need the space I
had thought I craved. Thanks again for your attention.

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

The above notes are for a sense of closure on this. I don't need the space
I
had thought I craved. Thanks again for your attention.

Fine.