Adverse impact of changing administrator or user account renegade 6/10/2007 4:48:01 PM In working on a laptop computer with Windows XP Professional the administrator account was changed to a new administrator. It appears that in doing that all of the data files, email and email address book were deleted. My question: Would changing an administrator account or deleting a user account also delete all of the data files, etc. created by that administrator or user? If so, is there any way to recover the data?

Re: Adverse impact of changing administrator or user account Bruce Chambers <bchambers[ at ]cable0ne.n3t> 6/10/2007 5:46:51 PM renegade wrote: [Quoted Text] > In working on a laptop computer with Windows XP Professional the > administrator account was changed to a new administrator. It appears that in > doing that all of the data files, email and email address book were deleted. > My question: Would changing an administrator account or deleting a user > account also delete all of the data files, etc. created by that administrator > or user? If so, is there any way to recover the data? As you've discovered, once any additional user accounts have been created, the built-in Administrator account will no longer be displayed on the Welcome Screen. This is a default security feature. The built-in Administrator account really was never intended to be used for day-to-day normal use. The standard security practice is to rename the account, set a strong password on it, and use it only to create another account for regular use, reserving the Administrator account as a "back door" in case something corrupts your regular account(s). By design, the only way to log into the Administrator account of WinXP Home is to reboot into Safe Mode. For WinXP Pro, pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL twice at the Welcome Screen will produce the standard login dialog box. A wiser course of action would be to create another user account for your daily use (as you've done), and copy desired the files and settings from the Administrator account to this newly created user profile. HOW TO Create and Configure User Accounts in Windows XP http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;279783 How to Copy User Data to a New User Profile http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;811151 -- Bruce Chambers Help us help you: http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell

Re: Adverse impact of changing administrator or user account renegade 6/11/2007 12:43:01 AM "Bruce Chambers" wrote: [Quoted Text] > renegade wrote: > > In working on a laptop computer with Windows XP Professional the > > administrator account was changed to a new administrator. It appears that in > > doing that all of the data files, email and email address book were deleted. > > My question: Would changing an administrator account or deleting a user > > account also delete all of the data files, etc. created by that administrator > > or user? If so, is there any way to recover the data? > > > As you've discovered, once any additional user accounts have been > created, the built-in Administrator account will no longer be displayed > on the Welcome Screen. This is a default security feature. > > The built-in Administrator account really was never intended to be > used for day-to-day normal use. The standard security practice is to > rename the account, set a strong password on it, and use it only to > create another account for regular use, reserving the Administrator > account as a "back door" in case something corrupts your regular account(s). > > By design, the only way to log into the Administrator account of > WinXP Home is to reboot into Safe Mode. For WinXP Pro, pressing > CTRL+ALT+DEL twice at the Welcome Screen will produce the standard login > dialog box. > > A wiser course of action would be to create another user account > for your daily use (as you've done), and copy desired the files and > settings from the Administrator account to this newly created user profile. > > HOW TO Create and Configure User Accounts in Windows XP > http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;279783 > > How to Copy User Data to a New User Profile > http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;811151 > > > -- > > Bruce Chambers > > Help us help you: > http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm > http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html > > They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary > safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin > > Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell >

Re: Adverse impact of changing administrator or user account renegade 6/11/2007 12:47:00 AM Thank you for your assistance. This problem arose in a SeniorNet lab session and several SeniorNet volunteers have been working the problem. Much, but not all, of the lost data was recovered using a recovery program called On Track. It was a valuable lesson regarding the dangers of making changes to the administrator account without knowing the consequences. Our SeniorNet group is going to purchase an external harddrive to download all important files before working on someone's computer. Thanks again. renegade "Bruce Chambers" wrote: [Quoted Text] > renegade wrote: > > In working on a laptop computer with Windows XP Professional the > > administrator account was changed to a new administrator. It appears that in > > doing that all of the data files, email and email address book were deleted. > > My question: Would changing an administrator account or deleting a user > > account also delete all of the data files, etc. created by that administrator > > or user? If so, is there any way to recover the data? > > > As you've discovered, once any additional user accounts have been > created, the built-in Administrator account will no longer be displayed > on the Welcome Screen. This is a default security feature. > > The built-in Administrator account really was never intended to be > used for day-to-day normal use. The standard security practice is to > rename the account, set a strong password on it, and use it only to > create another account for regular use, reserving the Administrator > account as a "back door" in case something corrupts your regular account(s). > > By design, the only way to log into the Administrator account of > WinXP Home is to reboot into Safe Mode. For WinXP Pro, pressing > CTRL+ALT+DEL twice at the Welcome Screen will produce the standard login > dialog box. > > A wiser course of action would be to create another user account > for your daily use (as you've done), and copy desired the files and > settings from the Administrator account to this newly created user profile. > > HOW TO Create and Configure User Accounts in Windows XP > http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;279783 > > How to Copy User Data to a New User Profile > http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;811151 > > > -- > > Bruce Chambers > > Help us help you: > http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm > http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html > > They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary > safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin > > Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell >