Repost: New users file problem -- please help

[Nightowl]

Hello all. . . hoping someone can help me with a strange problem. My
original plea for help was a bit long (maybe that's why I didn't get any
replies) so I'll try to be briefer this time.

Basically the problem is that, when I create a new user and log into it,
all the files that should have been marked Hidden and/or System -- *and
that were "inherited" from the Default User* -- have lost their
attributes. That is, all the desktop.ini's in Docs and Settings\username
Application Data, Local Settings, Send to, Start Menu and all its sub-
folders, plus ntuser.dat, ntuser.dat.log and ntuser.dat.ref.log. Folders
aren't affected.

But desktop.ini's that were generated by the new profile itself in My
Documents, Favorites and Recent (those folders in the Default User are
empty) are correctly shown as HSA. So is ntuser.ini, and ntuser.pol
is RHSA.

Because the desktop.ini file in Startup has become visible, it "runs" on
login, causing Notepad to open; that was what first alerted me to the
problem.

My first thought was that the Default User profile was broken, but in
fact all the troublesome files are shown with the correct attributes.
Then I wondered if perhaps there was something wrong with the User
Accounts applet, so I tried creating a new user and then copying the
Default profile to it manually, as in Knowledge Base article 811151:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;811151
When copying the affected files Windows asked me if I wanted to replace
the existing desktop.ini, but though it appears to do so, the
attributes are not copied :-(

Deciding that the Default User profile must after all be corrupt, I
backed it up, then used User Profiles in My Computer > Properties >
Advanced to create a new one from my Administrator settings. I followed
the instructions in How to Create a Custom User Profile, in:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;319974

But -- even though all files have correct attributes in the original
Administrator profile, and the new Default User profile made from it --
new users still have the attributes missing. I've resorted to the
Command prompt to put them back, but I'm stumped as to what's gone
wrong. It's probably a month or so since I last created a new user, but
the function certainly used to work. Copying a file from Default User in
the normal way works perfectly well, with attributes carried over.

SFC found nothing; I've also done a repair install of XP. The computer
is a four-year-old Dell Dimension 4300, 1.7GHz, 512MB of RAM, running
XP2 Pro SP2.

All I can think of is that it may be one of those obscure .dll problems
Ramesh and David are so good at.

Please help, anyone?

 

[Guest]

This is still a huge post. I get through half of it and get lost. Sorry.

Quick & Dirty: What problem are you having? Or what are you trying to do?

 

[Nightowl]

This is still a huge post. I get through half of it and get lost. Sorry.

Hi Ryan

Oh dear. . . I tried to abbreviate but thought I should say what I'd
tried already. Unfortunately it makes it rather long..

Quick & Dirty: What problem are you having? Or what are you trying to do?

System files in the new profile are not being copied with the correct
attributes when I create a new user. One consequence is that Notepad
opens with desktop.ini displayed when the user logs in. I can fix the
problems manually but obviously I want to get the user-creation working
correctly again.

 

[Guest]

I may be wrong, but I believe XP creates new users based off of the local
administrator account. If you make sure this profile is good, you can rename
ntuser.dat, to ntuser.man to force the profile. You can also check the
msconfig to see if notepad is setup to auto start.

If you are using a domain, then something is wrong with your default account
setup.

 

[David Candy]

It's based on default user.

 

[Nightowl]

I may be wrong, but I believe XP creates new users based off of the local
administrator account.

Thanks for the reply. It's the Default User that's used as the
"template", though.

If you make sure this profile is good, you can rename
ntuser.dat, to ntuser.man to force the profile.

I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean by "force the profile". The
Default User does seem good, however -- all files have correct
attributes. I also tried copying it manually to the new user profile,
and creating a new Default User profile from my Administrator account.
No change, same problem.

You can also check the msconfig to see if notepad is setup to auto
start.

Ryan, it isn't Notepad, it's the desktop.ini file in the user's Startup
folder. By losing its attributes it causes Notepad to "run" it. But
that's easily fixed, and isn't the problem, just a symptom. Seems you
didn't read much at all of my "too long" post :-(

If you are using a domain,

I'm not, it's a workgroup/standalone computer. For the benefit of anyone
else who may be reading, I have also run SFC and a repair install of XP.
Still no luck.

 

[Guest]

No need to get upset with people who are trying to help you.

If "The Default User does seem good, however -- all files have correct
attributes. " then what is your problem?

If desktop.ini is starting up in Notepad everytime a user logs in, then the
attributes are clearly not correct. Which would lead to an issue with your
default profile.

Does this happen when you log in as administrator? If not, then try using
the Copy To command to copy the administrator profile to another profile
having this issue. If the users account then works, you know you have a
problem with your default profile.

 

[Nightowl]

No need to get upset with people who are trying to help you.

I'm not upset, just wryly amused. I took your point about my post being
rather long; however, that information about desktop.ini and Notepad was
in the second paragraph.

If "The Default User does seem good, however -- all files have correct
attributes. " then what is your problem?

I am obviously not making myself clear. In the Default User profile
itself all files have correct attributes -- those that should be Hidden
and System are. However, when a new user is created (from this profile),
these attributes are not being copied. That is my problem.

If desktop.ini is starting up in Notepad everytime a user logs in, then the
attributes are clearly not correct. Which would lead to an issue with your
default profile.

That is what I originally thought. But see below.

Does this happen when you log in as administrator? If not, then try using
the Copy To command to copy the administrator profile to another profile
having this issue. If the users account then works, you know you have a
problem with your default profile.

All my existing accounts are fine. As I have explained, I have tried
manually copying a profile to an incorrect one; it doesn't work because
Windows doesn't recognise a file with S and H attributes as being any
different from one without, so they are not added when the file is
overwritten. Try it for yourself.

I also tried making a new custom Default profile from my Administrator
account. Again, the Admin account's files are all correct; new users
made from it are not.

I don't believe now that it is actually the Default User profile that is
at fault. I think it must be some obscure problem with the
copying/creating mechanism, maybe one of those .dll problems Ramesh and
David are so good with

Thanks for your efforts at helping me, though.