User ID "lost"

[cspz]

All of my User ID information is on my PC under Documents
and Settings, but my actual ID at startup has
disappeared. How can I either recreate my ID or create a
new one but reunite the ID with the information that is
already stored? Frustrating. Help, please.

 

[Sharon F]

All of my User ID information is on my PC under Documents
and Settings, but my actual ID at startup has
disappeared. How can I either recreate my ID or create a
new one but reunite the ID with the information that is
already stored? Frustrating. Help, please.

Was your old ID the original administrator account? This original account
disappears from the Welcome screen as soon as another user account is added
to an XP Pro system.

A few choices to make:
--You can take ownership of the files and move them into your current user
account:
HOW TO: Take Ownership of a File or Folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308421

--You can copy the old admin profile to your new one. See Help and Support
for information on how to copy a user profile.

--You could use TweakUI to force the default Admin account to show on the
Welcome screen again. Really don't recommend this alternative though as
it's good practice to keep this account in reserve (and leave it hidden)
for troubleshooting purposes.

TweakUI is one of the Power toys for XP. This version is *only* for XP with
SP1:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp

If you do not have SP1, the earlier version can be found at
http://download.microsoft.com/download/whistler/Install/2/WXP/EN-US/TweakU
iPowertoySetup.exe

 

[cspz]

Thanks very much, Sharon. Unfortunately, neither of the
first two options works. In the first, the option
to "Copy to" is grayed out and won't let me access it.
In the second case, I read and printed out the
instructions from MS, but in fact, what they describe
does not happen. The tabs they say to expect do not
appear and so the actions they describe can't be
performed. Great help! Hoping to find another option
soon. Thanks again.

 

[Sharon F]

Thanks very much, Sharon. Unfortunately, neither of the
first two options works. In the first, the option
to "Copy to" is grayed out and won't let me access it.
In the second case, I read and printed out the
instructions from MS, but in fact, what they describe
does not happen. The tabs they say to expect do not
appear and so the actions they describe can't be
performed. Great help! Hoping to find another option
soon. Thanks again.

When copying a profile, you cannot be logged on to the account that you're
copying from or that you are copying to. Create a new account in the
administrator group. This will be a "throwaway account" because you'll
delete it when you're finished with it.

Log on to the newly created account. Now copy the old profile over to your
current user account. Log on to that current account to make sure that
everything was transferred properly. Once you're sure everything is set to
go, delete the "throwaway" account.

 

[SonicClang]

Oh boy, I hope it's not as easy as I think it is and you followed that
guy's directions.... ehh...

Ok, I don't know if you know how to look at the users and groups so I'm
going to instruct you how to get there. Click on Start > Run, and type
MMC and hit enter. Click File > Add/Remove Snap-in, click Add, Scroll
down to Local Users and Groups. Select it and click Add, click Finish.
Close the "Add Standalone Snap-in" window. Click Ok on the "Add/Remove
Snap-in" window. Click the + in front of Local Users and Groups. Click
on the Users folder. On the right hand side of the window should be a
list of every user on your computer. If the account is still listed
there you have a chance to get it back. If it actually HAS disappeared
then you're screwed!

If the account is still listed double-click it. Click the Member Of
tab. If nothing is listed in the Member of: field, that's your problem.
Click Add. Type Users in the "Enter the object names to select" field
and click Check Names. Click OK. And that should do it. It should show
back up on the start window.

If I'm WAY off and I sent you on a wild goose chase, I'm sorry but I
just had this happen to me last week, so I know in my situation it
worked. I have XP pro though, so I don't know if you have Home it might
not work.

Later,
-Clang


SonicClang