starting "users" feature has lost all my old data

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ryan
  • Start date Start date
R

Ryan

I have run windows XP for two years without a problem
without "user" accounts. For some reason I thought I
might like to open this feature.
I now have a user - administrator. ButI have "lost" all
the past two years worth of files! Gone and no longer
listed. Can find some important documents. Can anyone
help me???
 
Ryan said:
I have run windows XP for two years without a problem
without "user" accounts. For some reason I thought I
might like to open this feature.
I now have a user - administrator. ButI have "lost" all
the past two years worth of files! Gone and no longer
listed. Can find some important documents. Can anyone
help me???
Click to expand...

- Have a look in "c:\My Documents".
- Have you ever considered this new and bold idea about
backing up your important files once every week? If you
don't do it then it's only a matter of time until you lose
the lot, be it because of a glitch, a malfunction, a crash,
user error, theft, fire etc.
 
Ryan said:
I have run windows XP for two years without a problem
without "user" accounts. For some reason I thought I
might like to open this feature.
I now have a user - administrator. ButI have "lost" all
the past two years worth of files! Gone and no longer
listed. Can find some important documents. Can anyone
help me???
Click to expand...


You were always using the multiple users feature, you just didn't know it.
You cannot use XP without using it.

However, which version of XP are you using - home or professional?

What directories are listed under C:\Documents and Settings\?
 
I don't have such a folder (windows xp)

Instead I have c:doucments and settings...
this contains three more folders: admiinistrator, all
users and ryan (the sole "user"). When I try the
admisintrator folder it says files are not accessible and
access denied!

help!
 
Shenan,

I have windows xp professional.

The folders in c:\doucments and settings are now:
administrator, all users and ryan (ie me). I am logged in
as ryan.

This is something else that has changed - I never had to
log in before... the computer would just start up and go
straight to the desktop. Now it has an intermediate step
where I am required to type in my password.
 
anonymous said:
I don't have such a folder (windows xp)

Instead I have c:doucments and settings...
this contains three more folders: admiinistrator, all
users and ryan (the sole "user"). When I try the
admisintrator folder it says files are not accessible and
access denied!
Click to expand...

Administrator is the original user. You can log into that user by likely
pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL twice after rebooting before logging in as Ryan. Then
change the username to administrator and type in the old password.

If XP Home, you will have to boot in Safe Mode to get in as the
administrator, I think.

Also, if you really want the stuff under the Administrator user directory,
take ownership of it:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=308421
 
If I am guessing correctly you do not have much if anything
to be concerned about.
Now that you have defined another account, the one your
had been using is simply not being displayed as a login
option ? Is this it? The you cannot get to the files because
you cannot log in with the prior account ??

At the Welcome screen, without any accounts being switched
out, press alt-cntrl-del-del and manually log in with your prior
account. If this is indeed the issue then you can get TweakUI
from the XP Powertoys and adjust the visibility of the prior
account on the Welcome screen.
 
Click Start, Run and enter CONTROL USERPASSWORDS2 In the users list, select the user that you want logged on automatically. Then uncheck the box Users must enter a username and password............. Click Apply. In the next dialog, enter the password for the account that you selected, if any.
 
This did not work, don't know why.
I did what doug knox suggested - and it worked!

Thanks very much for your help on this question - you are
a gentleman and a scholar!
 
the strange thing was that I didn't used to have a
password... I'd just press the start button on the
computer and it would rattle along right to the desktop
with no pauses for "users" or passwords.

I tried the c-a-del sequence multiple times without luck.

I did what doug knox suggested with : CONTROL
USERPASSWORDS2 and it worked - although I had to
allocate a password to administrator that I previously
did not have for it to work.

thanks for your help!
 
Thanks mate - this did the job, and I am back and "in
control" of my information again. You certainly helped
out a very worried Aussie - now much happier!

cheers,
Ryan


-----Original Message-----
Click Start, Run and enter CONTROL USERPASSWORDS2 In
Click to expand...
the users list, select the user that you want logged on
automatically. Then uncheck the box Users must enter a
username and password............. Click Apply. In the
next dialog, enter the password for the account that you
selected, if any.
 
Back
Top