User account migration

[Jim Macklin]

I've been helping an acquaintance setup her two computers
since she moved back to the state since a divorce. Her
ex-husband bought and setup her computer originally. He did
not create a user account for her [I think he wanted her to
not have anything on the computer he didn't control.]

As a result she has been using the default administrator
account for several years, without a password either.

Question, is it worth the effort to create a user account
with administrative rights and another with limited rights
at this time?

She has two partitions C: and D: [which seems to be a
recovery partition]. So far I have been just making the
mechanical connections as she finds and unpacks computers,
monitors, scanner and printer. Have not even defragged yet.

She is a friend of my wife, so I can't just walk away.

 

[Malke]

I've been helping an acquaintance setup her two computers
since she moved back to the state since a divorce. Her
ex-husband bought and setup her computer originally. He did
not create a user account for her [I think he wanted her to
not have anything on the computer he didn't control.]

As a result she has been using the default administrator
account for several years, without a password either.

Question, is it worth the effort to create a user account
with administrative rights and another with limited rights
at this time?

She has two partitions C: and D: [which seems to be a
recovery partition]. So far I have been just making the
mechanical connections as she finds and unpacks computers,
monitors, scanner and printer. Have not even defragged yet.

She is a friend of my wife, so I can't just walk away.

It only takes a few minutes to create a new user account and copy over the
data and settings from the old user account. I'd make a new one for her and
do this. You will need to log into the new account once before you can copy
anything to it and you will need at least three accounts on the system. You
can delete the third account (from which you will copy the Administrator
account to the new user account), but having an extra account never hurts.

Copy a User Account - http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=811151

HOW TO Create and Configure User Accounts in Windows XP -
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;279783

Malke

 

[Jim Macklin]

Thanks, that's what I thought. But I wanted something to
show her, she can be stubborn. She got cable for her
Internet but did not originally want me to connect both her
computers to it. I did get her to buy a router and now she
is pleased to have both computers. but she was more
resistive to a suggestion about user accounts.

Thanks again.


| Jim Macklin wrote:
|
| > I've been helping an acquaintance setup her two
computers
| > since she moved back to the state since a divorce. Her
| > ex-husband bought and setup her computer originally. He
did
| > not create a user account for her [I think he wanted her
to
| > not have anything on the computer he didn't control.]
| >
| > As a result she has been using the default administrator
| > account for several years, without a password either.
| >
| > Question, is it worth the effort to create a user
account
| > with administrative rights and another with limited
rights
| > at this time?
| >
| > She has two partitions C: and D: [which seems to be a
| > recovery partition]. So far I have been just making the
| > mechanical connections as she finds and unpacks
computers,
| > monitors, scanner and printer. Have not even defragged
yet.
| >
| > She is a friend of my wife, so I can't just walk away.
|
| It only takes a few minutes to create a new user account
and copy over the
| data and settings from the old user account. I'd make a
new one for her and
| do this. You will need to log into the new account once
before you can copy
| anything to it and you will need at least three accounts
on the system. You
| can delete the third account (from which you will copy the
Administrator
| account to the new user account), but having an extra
account never hurts.
|
| Copy a User Account -
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=811151
|
| HOW TO Create and Configure User Accounts in Windows XP -
|
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;279783
|
| Malke
| --
| Elephant Boy Computers
| www.elephantboycomputers.com
| "Don't Panic!"
| MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

 

[Malke]

Thanks, that's what I thought. But I wanted something to
show her, she can be stubborn. She got cable for her
Internet but did not originally want me to connect both her
computers to it. I did get her to buy a router and now she
is pleased to have both computers. but she was more
resistive to a suggestion about user accounts.

Glad to have been of service. It's always funny to me how end users don't
want more than one user account - until the day when their account becomes
corrupted. With XP Home, there's always the built-in Administrator account
but if they have Pro and are using the built-in Administrator account for
themselves, they are s.o.l.

Cheers,

Malke