Help!

[sophia jane]

I need computer help and I hope someone here can give it to me cuz I'm in full panic mode. Last night I set up a password for the existing administrator account on my computer (I have Windows XP). This morning when I got up that account is missing. On the log on screen, etc that account is not listed.
Can I find it somewhere or is it gone? Because EVERYTHING was saved to that account. All my music downloads, my stories, my poems, my pictures. EVERYTHING is gone.

Someone please tell me I can find the account again! I've gone into user accounts and when I try to make a new admin account, it tells me one already exists with that name, so I'm hoping that's a good sign. I've rebooted, logged off, etc several times.

SJ

 

[Guest]

Do you have XP, or XP Home? Probably the latter.

 

[sophia jane]

Do you have XP, or XP Home? Probably the latter.

XP Pro

 

[Guest]

XP Pro

Wow - a geek girl. I think I love you.

OK, seriously, let me check a few things. I'll be right back.

 

[English Lady]

Hubby Says:

The admin account is only visible on the welcome screen if no other accounts have been defined OR your in safe mode (to access tap f8 repeatedly while your computer is booting up then you'll get the safe mode options)

So you'll need to login via safemode and delete the other accounts if you want to use the Admin account as your main account, or while logged in via safe mode you can move the files from the admin account to another one, its upto you..

 

[sophia jane]

Hubby Says:

The admin account is only visible on the welcome screen if no other accounts have been defined OR your in safe mode (to access tap f8 repeatedly while your computer is booting up then you'll get the safe mode options)

So you'll need to login via safemode and delete the other accounts if you want to use the Admin account as your main account, or while logged in via safe mode you can move the files from the admin account to another one, its upto you..

Okay. I'll try that. Thanks.

 

[Guest]

I'd move data while in safe mode, not delete accounts.

 

[Guest]

I just re-booted the one PC I have have with XP Pro (the other has XP Home).
It does not list the accounts (only XP Home does that I think). Instead XP Pro has a text box where you type in the account name, another for password and another for domain.

SJ : do you normally have a list of the accounts, or what I described above?

 

[logophile]

Sophie signed off. I can call her and tell her what you've said, though.

 

[sophia jane]

i used system restore and I have access to my stuff again. Thanks for your help everyone.

New question- I need to copy a bunch of files over to create a new account for me (besides the admin one obviously)- so what's the best/quickest way to copy files over? (I'm hoping it's not copying to cd cuz I'm out of blank discs).

SJ

 

[Guest]

i used system restore and I have access to my stuff again. Thanks for your help everyone.

New question- I need to copy a bunch of files over to create a new account for me (besides the admin one obviously)- so what's the best/quickest way to copy files over? (I'm hoping it's not copying to cd cuz I'm out of blank discs).

SJ

Create the new account -
Then log back in as administrator (or an account with administrative rights)
You should be able to copy and paste the info from one user to another.

Look for a a folder c:\documents and settings. In there should be the various usrs, with their files in the my document folder

 

[sophia jane]

Create the new account -
Then log back in as administrator (or an account with administrative rights)
You should be able to copy and paste the info from one user to another.

Look for a a folder c:\documents and settings. In there should be the various usrs, with their files in the my document folder

You deserve at least a dozen s. Thanks so much!!

SJ

 

[Guest]

You deserve at least a dozen s. Thanks so much!!

SJ

I take it it all worked? Good.

You are very welcome.

 

[sophia jane]

I take it it all worked? Good.

You are very welcome.

Yes I think I have everything the way I wanted it. Thanks to you and EL (and hubby!)

SJ

 

[sincerely_helene]

I been going through the same thing. Something keeps on "eating" my log in feature, but I have discovered it's easy enough to find through either explore, my computer, or the search function. Just a pain in the ass, 'cause I got no idea why I keep on losing that stupid startup login thingie.

 

[Guest]

I been going through the same thing. Something keeps on "eating" my log in feature, but I have discovered it's easy enough to find through either explore, my computer, or the search function. Just a pain in the ass, 'cause I got no idea why I keep on losing that stupid startup login thingie.

I've had issues with XP too. I no longer keep anythign in My documents, but in another folder since I've had it eat accounts and trash the My Documents folder assocated with the account.

 

[sophia jane]

I've had issues with XP too. I no longer keep anythign in My documents, but in another folder since I've had it eat accounts and trash the My Documents folder assocated with the account.

Really? I don't want to hear that!
Where do you keep everything?
SJ

 

[CrimsonMaiden]

My husband's computer has XP pro. He had the regular welcome screen with his log in and my daughters. For some reason one day, it suddenly changed and no longer showed the welcome screen but popped a box up saying the computer had been locked and you had to manually type in the user name and password. System restore didn't fix it. Ended up having to reformat to get it to work right again.

Of course... now the mobo is screwed up and you can't use the computer at all because it crashes every couple of minutes.

 

[TheEarl]

Really? I don't want to hear that!
Where do you keep everything?
SJ

Just go to 'My Computer', then 'C:'. Then you click the right button of the mouse on the white space of the new window, to make the menu appear. Then select 'New' -> 'New Folder'

That'll create a new folder which you can store all of your stuff in.

The Earl

 

[sincerely_helene]

I've had issues with XP too. I no longer keep anythign in My documents, but in another folder since I've had it eat accounts and trash the My Documents folder assocated with the account.

I also find XP too complex, and it takes up too much room. I don't need half the "features," and my cache, cookies, and temp files rarely make any sense. Wtf is a CDOEERKDKFG folder, and why does it contain a document called DFDAFERW? I was perfectly content with windows 98.

 

[TheEarl]

I was perfectly content with windows 98.

Why? You a big fan of the BSOD?

The Earl

 

[sincerely_helene]

Why? You a big fan of the BSOD?

The Earl

I'm not really sure :scratchy head emoticon:

 

[Guest]

SJ - Earl gave good advice.

BSOD - blue screen of death - common in win 98

 

[CrimsonMaiden]

blue screen of death I'm assuming is what BSOD means if that's why you were scratching your head

 

[sincerely_helene]

I actually never had that problem. I would likely prefer it over XP's 'dong of death and big bold faced fatal error taunt,' though.