jimmuh

You've very welcome, Kristy. Please post back if you run into any problems
with the cleanup.

"Kcpirana" wrote:

> Thanks again! I'm going to follow your directions very carefully! I doubt
> my husband saw anything out of the ordinary this morning, or he would have
> mentioned it, I'm pretty sure.
>
> :-)
>
> Kristy
>
> "jimmuh" <jimmuh@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:0056E09B-62B9-4D9C-BA48-3D86F88CF2DE@microsoft.com...
> > That's good news. It sounds as though the system automatically recovered
> > from
> > the condition that was causing you so much grief. (It can revert
> > automatically to a restore point OR it can offer the option of booting to
> > a
> > last known good configuration at boot time, I guess. I wonder if your
> > husband
> > saw anything when he started the system this morning?)
> >
> > No, I wouldn't activate the Administrator account. It isn't supposed to be
> > activated - -except when it is automatically activated during
> > emergencies --
> > like when there is no other admin account available on the system.
> > Normally,
> > you are not allowed to log in under Administrator in Vista, and that's the
> > way it's supposed to work.
> >
> > Another point: I suggest that you NOT delete the "bad" account -- at least
> > not if it's name is very close to the name of your "good" account.
> > Instead,
> > rename it to something really different. Then log back in to be sure that
> > you
> > really are using the account you think you are using. While you are logged
> > on
> > to your good account, open a command line interface -- Start | Run, type
> > "cmd" in the Open field, hit Enter. Look at the prompt before the blinking
> > cursor in that window. It tells you where your profile for that account is
> > located. Take note of it so that you know where all of your "stuff" is.
> >
> > Likewise, if you decided to get rid the directory under C:\Users which
> > contains the profile that you think you don't need any more. Just try
> > renaming that directory. If you rename it and operate without any problems
> > for a few days, then go ahead and delete it.
> >
> > I think / hope you're okay now.
> >
> > Oh, and as for the "us idiots" comment. Don't be hard on yourself. Just be
> > careful. After all, how do you think I learned this stuff?
> >
> > ;-)
> >
> > Trust me on this. If you're human, you're an idiot -- at least part of the
> > time. The trick is to learn to minimize the damage you do.
> >
> > "Kcpirana" wrote:
> >
> >> Thank you so much for the information! I'm sorry I neglected to identify
> >> my
> >> OS - It's Vista Home Premium 32-bit.
> >>
> >> As of this morning (and my husband got up before me, so chances are he
> >> just
> >> booted it up because he didn't know anything about this), I can log on to
> >> my
> >> account as normal, access the control panel, internet options, etc, with
> >> absolutely no problems. Under USERS in the CP, I see now two accounts
> >> with
> >> my name - both identified as adminstrators. Since it's in the CP Users
> >> (accessible even to us Idiots), I imagine I can delete it without
> >> concern,
> >> as my now-working account is easily identifiable.
> >>
> >> So, barring anymore difficulties, I think I'm reading that you don't
> >> *think
> >> the Administrator account was activated, correct? If so, should I
> >> activate
> >> it?
> >>
> >> You have been great! Thanks so far and TIA!
> >>
> >> Kristy
> >>
> >> "jimmuh" <jimmuh@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> news:2673849C-21DF-40B7-8E28-6D6F27A3A503@microsoft.com...
> >> > Okay. You've pretty much confirmed my suspicions. It is almost
> >> > certainly
> >> > true
> >> > that you have NOT done anything to the Administrator account. You have
> >> > still
> >> > not told me what version of Vista you are running, but your observation
> >> > that
> >> > there is no Local users and groups in the Computer Management console
> >> > seems
> >> > to indicate that you have one of the versions of Vista that is devoid
> >> > of a
> >> > policy editor. (I'm not familiar with these versions. I avoid them like
> >> > the
> >> > plague, but only because they just wouldn't work for me. My computers
> >> > all
> >> > have to be members of domains, and you can't do that with computers
> >> > running
> >> > Windows versions that don't have policy editors.)
> >> >
> >> > If you boot into Safe Mode (hit F8 key repeatedly after passing the
> >> > BIOS
> >> > screen at startup time, you may be able to log in as Administrator (no
> >> > password) and fix the system. I say "may" because it's possible that
> >> > the
> >> > system doesn't think your "Owner" account has been damaged sufficiently
> >> > to
> >> > warrant allowing the automatic logon to the built-in Administrator
> >> > account.
> >> > The problem is that you have done some damage (from what I can tell) to
> >> > your
> >> > profile, but it may not be totally disabled. In that case you may have
> >> > to
> >> > straighten things out from within the farkled Owner account.
> >> >
> >> > In the future please remember the first rule of holes: When you are in
> >> > over
> >> > your head, stop digging! You really must learn something about the way
> >> > Vista
> >> > handles its user accounts and the way ntfs permissions work before
> >> > trying
> >> > to
> >> > do the sort of invasive manipulations you've been doing. Were you not
> >> > seeing
> >> > warnings from User Account Control as you made these various changes?
> >> > UAC
> >> > wasn't turned off, was it?
> >> >
> >> > You see, each user account has its own location for storing its
> >> > profile.
> >> > You
> >> > started off, apparently, with an "Owner" account. That was probably set
> >> > up
> >> > by
> >> > the OEM that installed the OS on your computer. Once you log on to any
> >> > account in Windows a profile location with that name on the directory
> >> > structure is created, and that may have been done effectively even
> >> > before
> >> > you
> >> > ever got the computer by the unattended install method used by the OEM.
> >> > Now,
> >> > you could have changed name of the Owner account to one that suited you
> >> > through the Windows Control Panel | User Accounts interface, but the
> >> > name
> >> > of
> >> > the DIRECTORY where the profile for that account is stored would not
> >> > (and
> >> > should not) be changed at that point. If you do change the name of that
> >> > directory the account won't be able to find its profile at boot time,
> >> > and
> >> > it
> >> > will create another one, usually with an extension added to the name.
> >> >
> >> > I don't know what to tell you now. You might just be better off saving
> >> > any
> >> > data to an external drive or to another system and then doing a fresh
> >> > re-installation of the OS -- assuming the OEM has provided recovery
> >> > media
> >> > or
> >> > a recovery partition. You might also learn quite a bit by trying to fix
> >> > this.
> >> > It doesn't sound as though the system is really messed up badly, but it
> >> > could
> >> > be pretty difficult for someone who isn't familiar with the way user
> >> > accounts
> >> > and the file system work to fix.
> >> >
> >> > BTW, if you do a fresh re-installation, maybe you'll be happiest if you
> >> > create a new account for yourself with your own name. Its profile will
> >> > be
> >> > stored under the name you choose for the account. That user account
> >> > could
> >> > be
> >> > a non-admin user, and you would reserve the use of the Owner account
> >> > for
> >> > administrative purposes. The neat thing about Vista is that, when you
> >> > are
> >> > logged in as a non-admin and try to do something that requires admin
> >> > privileges, UAC will prompt you for credentials instead of just
> >> > refusing
> >> > to
> >> > do the task. You would then enter "Owner" as the admin name and the
> >> > password
> >> > for the "Owner" account in order to be able to proceed with the task.
> >> > It's
> >> > a
> >> > recommended way of using Vista. When you're logged in as an admin and
> >> > try
> >> > to
> >> > do something that requires admin credentials UAC will simply ask you if
> >> > you
> >> > wish to proceed. If you choose yes it assumes you know what you're
> >> > doing
> >> > and
> >> > activates the admin credentials to perform the task. (That's the
> >> > default
> >> > setting, anyway.)
> >> >
> >> > I hope you get it figured out. I can imagine that this situation is
> >> > very
> >> > annoying.
> >> >
> >> > "Kcpirana" wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> To clarify, I succeeded in changing "owner" to my name on the folder
> >> >> that
> >> >> shows up on the desktop and in the start menu, but not "Owner" in the
> >> >> actual
> >> >> Users file, which is what I tried.
> >> >>
> >> >> Kristy
> >> >> "Kcpirana" <kcpirana@aol.com> wrote in message
> >> >> news:OqcxfuBmHHA.4032@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> >> >> > OK, I used "compmgmt.msc" and I don't see "local users and groups"
> >> >> > anywhere.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Let's see - I booted up the computer and started working and using
> >> >> > the
> >> >> > account that was there when I booted up. When looking for the
> >> >> > administrator account, I did try to rename the Owner folder with my
> >> >> > name
> >> >> > and I succeeded in the regular user accounts area, but not in
> >> >> > changing
> >> >> > the
> >> >> > name "Owner". I tried to correct that, and that's when two Owner
> >> >> > accounts
> >> >> > showed up and I have no access to the Control Panel, etc. I can't
> >> >> > perform
> >> >> > a system restore, as the "there was an error detected in the Volume
> >> >> > Shadow
> >> >> > Copy Service." I'm afraid to log off, as I've never set any
> >> >> > passwords
> >> >> > and
> >> >> > my account is somehow lost or changed, even though I'm on it right
> >> >> > now.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Kristy
> >> >> >
> >> >> > "jimmuh" <jimmuh@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> >> > news:9A644E8D-B130-45B1-831C-3BEFC6E8F933@microsoft.com...
> >> >> >> You'd have to provide quite a bit more information for me to be
> >> >> >> sure,
> >> >> >> but
> >> >> >> I'm
> >> >> >> guessing that Owner is your regular account. And it is an
> >> >> >> administrative
> >> >> >> account. (You can check in User Accounts in the Control Panel to be
> >> >> >> sure.)
> >> >> >> Guest is, of course, the default Guest account, and it normally
> >> >> >> shouldn't
> >> >> >> be
> >> >> >> enabled. Administrator isn't showing up because you never (I hope)
> >> >> >> activated
> >> >> >> it and logged into it. You don't have to enter a password because
> >> >> >> you
> >> >> >> never
> >> >> >> created one. And you can't create an account called "Administrator"
> >> >> >> because
> >> >> >> there already IS an account with that name -- the built-in
> >> >> >> Administrator
> >> >> >> account.
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> I can't really know this, because, as I said, you haven't given us
> >> >> >> enough
> >> >> >> information. But if you didn't take special steps to activate the
> >> >> >> built-in
> >> >> >> Administrator account, then I'm betting my guess is accurate. The
> >> >> >> only
> >> >> >> way
> >> >> >> you could accidentally wander into using the Administrator account
> >> >> >> in
> >> >> >> Vista
> >> >> >> is if the original installation of the OS was botched -- badly. So,
> >> >> >> if
> >> >> >> neither you nor anyone else deliberately activated that
> >> >> >> Administrator
> >> >> >> account
> >> >> >> (It's not something you do by making a couple of moves with the
> >> >> >> mouse.),
> >> >> >> I'm
> >> >> >> thinking you're safe.
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> In order to activate the built-in admin account you would have had
> >> >> >> to
> >> >> >> issue
> >> >> >> a command from an Administrator-run CLI, or you would have had to
> >> >> >> use
> >> >> >> the
> >> >> >> compmgmt.msc console, or you would have had to use a special
> >> >> >> feature
> >> >> >> of
> >> >> >> the
> >> >> >> unattended install process. If you didn't do those, then you're
> >> >> >> probably
> >> >> >> okay.
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> BTW, I just realized that you could just go to Start | Run, enter