Personal Settings File

[Pete Williams]

I got frisky and deleted my personal settings file, wherever it was, by
running an antivirus. Now I get the welcome screen, sign in with my password
and get the loading personal settings notice Instead of loading personal
settings, Windows logs me off before I have access to anything. How can I get
into my machine short of destroying my C: drive and starting from scratch?
HELP!!!! What I really need is to recreate the furshlinger file.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

I got frisky and deleted my personal settings file, wherever it was, by
running an antivirus. Now I get the welcome screen, sign in with my
password
and get the loading personal settings notice Instead of loading personal
settings, Windows logs me off before I have access to anything. How can I
get
into my machine short of destroying my C: drive and starting from scratch?
HELP!!!! What I really need is to recreate the furshlinger file.

Is this XP Home or Pro? Can you log onto the Administrator account? On
XP Home, this is availabe in Safe Mode.

If you can get in this way, create a new account and log into that. If
that works, the worst-case does not include you having to reinstall. You
would just have to follow the directions here, to move files from a damaged
account:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;326688

By the way, this is an illustration of why you should not use the actual
Administrator account as a user account. Keep it in reserve for repairs
and maintenance.

HTH
-pk

 

[Pete Williams]

It's the Home Editiion and Yes, I was stupid enough to use the Administrator
Account as my own, SO it just logs me off as fast as can be. No, it doesn't
work due to my due diligence in screwing up. Any other suggestions?

 

[Patrick Keenan]

It's the Home Editiion and Yes, I was stupid enough to use the
Administrator
Account as my own, SO it just logs me off as fast as can be. No, it
doesn't
work due to my due diligence in screwing up. Any other suggestions?

If it's XP Home, you actually aren't likely to have been using the built-in
Administrator account.

By default, and without very specific and little-known action on your part,
that account can *only* be accessed in Safe Mode on XP Home.

More likely is that you were using an administrator-level account, and that
is NOT the same thing as the actual built-in Administrator account.

Reboot to Safe Mode, and on the Welcome screen, you'll see an account titled
Administrator, along with the account you were using. Log into that, by
default the password is blank, and create the new account.

HTH
-pk