Too Many "Profiles"??

XP SP# Home Edition - only a 20GB Hard Drive.

My "Profiles" (if that is the correct term - and/or for lack of another term) are all screwed-up. I find these in Local Disk (C)>Documents and Settings. I am not speaking of User Accounts.

There are FIVE (5) of them, though really only two people ever use this PC.

I am not sure how much info I can or should give about them (such as what they are "named") for security reasons, but I can tell you that they all have varying "Attributes" (?), ranging from "AC" and "SC" to "HAC" (I think I have figured-out that the "C" in the attributes stands for "Compressed"?) ... I do not know what the "A" or the "H" stand for.

The fact that they also range in "size" (which I am taking from the "Properties" of each) from 283KB (the Admin., actually), to 331MB, though there are differences between "Size" and "Size on Disk" (I think because all except one are compressed). I think having five is too many, and certainly can't be helping this PC which almost literally seems to gasp for speed. At the very least, I think I am using-up far too much space (331MB, 264MB, 121MB, 1.26MB & 283KB).

Anyone willing to walk me through this a bit, or are there good articles on it?

Thanks in advance.

 

Thanks for the reply, but now, "Default Users" has suddenly disappeared?? I think it disappeared since I UN-compressed it? I am very confused here, and concerned that I am vulnerable, security-wise, as I don't know what the "Attributes" are. I mean, I understand that they are "permissions" (?), but of the four "Profiles" (and I suppose it's ok to type them here online??) Administrator is "SA" (?), All Users is "A" (?), House is "AC" (?), and Owner has NO Attributes assigned??

They're all listed as "File Folders" (is that what they're supposed to be?), and they all show the "Owner" as being "Administrators"? I simply don't understand if any of this is as it should be.

 

Man this stuff is a nightmare, and these are "issues" created months (and years) ago when I knew even less than the little bit I know now.

I un-compressed it by clearing the checkbox for "Compress Contents to Save Disk Space" in Local Disk (C)>Documents and Settings>Properties>Advanced>Advanced Attributes>Compress or Encrypt Attributes ...

 

When I go in under Control Panel>System>System Properties>Advanced (tab)>User Profiles>settings (button) there are only two shown there:

Name of Computer\"House" &
Name of Computer\"Owner"

This "situation" is just not setting well with me at all ...

 

I have (and always have had) A LOT of trouble trying to "find" things on this PC, and think this is a big reason why. Things are disorganized, there are lots of things on the PC that should NOT be here - and I simply don't understand why it all has to be so complicated.

I am thinking when I buy a new machine here soon (probably a laptop) that I should switch (finally) to Apple/Mac. Won't this simplify things - somewhat?

Ok, I "found" "Default Users" in a "Search" - now, how might I "Move it" back please?

 

It is normal.
I have 7 folders under C:\Documents and settings. But only 2 Users.
The other ones are for use by Windows, or if you log on as Administrator.
All Users, Guest, Admin, Default User, Local Service, Network Service, and Me.

 

Open another window C:\Documents and Settings and drag it back.

 

The Goddamn time limit here is a pisser.
Network and Local service are hidden protected OS files.
Default User is just normally hidden, what all you see depends on Folder View settings.
Yes you shouldn't mess with the folders other than your named users.
Moving the folder may cause it to lose some attributes.

 

Ok, thanks to all (and yes the "New & Improved" edit-time-out here has proven problematic for me most every time I post).

It won't let me Drag it back. I get:

"Error Moving File or Folder"
"Cannot move Default User. The Destination is the same as the source folder"

Oh, and how will I know if it's lost Attributes - and what they should all be??

 

Default User is just hidden, Not System

To check attributes-

Select details view in Explorer. Right-click on the column titles, select attributes.

 

I can't even find "Explorer" now. I'm switching back and forth between the UA that I use for online activity and the Admin., and I have them displayed differently (in some half-baked attempt to try and conserve ever precious resources, I set-up the Admin. as an older style of windows?), and now I'm just flat-out completely confused ...

Now I'm afraid to restart for fear that I may completely lose the Default User ... File? Folder??

 

Just use one account with admin privileges.
Log out the other user.
by explorer I mean when you open a window, you are in windows explorer.
Not Internet explorer.

At the top of window select view > details
then right click in bar where it says Name Size Type etc.
from the list choose attributes to check.

 

Time limit again.

I reread what you said you did to the file.
I believe the folder will be there after a reboot, you didn't move it or delete it.
You just uncompressed it and maybe it is hidden again.

 

Things are screwed-up ... for some reason I'm getting a script error about my "Active Desktop" being "turned-off". There is nothing other than that on my desktop (wait, I right clicked and got the icons back - but still the message about the active desktop having been turned-off), and "Details" is not listed under "View" (I am in Firefox) - should I use IE instead to do this?

 

Ok. I have it, but don't understand the 2nd right-click, what I'm looking for at that point, and what do I do from there? Neither of the panes is showing Default User (neither before or after I click on Docs & Settings).

 

Thanks, I'll have to go over your instructions several times anyway to make sure I understand clearly.

Yes, I compressed the stuff almost two years ago, though no, it wasn't in "blue" (I don't know what that would mean if it was?)*EDIT* Oh, if you mean the letters, I think maybe they were in blue, though I'm not positive about that.

I would like to turn the Active desktop off also and have been practically begging for suggestions such as this from this site to help me gain ANY speed out of this PC.

Thanks again, I'll try to catch-up with you (or someone) tomorrow ...

PS - There is no "Web tab" when I right click on the desktop and then properties ... oh, I found it - but everything is getting jumbled and confusing now.

 

Well, it appears there is a problem with "finding" the Admin account (as in, it's "lost"). I don't seem to be able to "get to it" ("find" it).

When I attempt to either Log-off or Switch user from this User Account, things just basically seem to freeze (though not the mouse). I allowed it about an hour this morning to work its (painfully slow) "magic" - to no avail. I finally performed the dreaded forced shut-down, just basically so I could get here and report this.

I suppose the good news is that I have all of the Original CD's from Dell/Microsoft for re-install purposes - but I absolutely dread that. I went through it here about a year-and-a-half/not quite two years ago, and there just seems to be so much room for error when I'm doing it with help from someone online (such as, when I was in the middle of it, and had questions, which seemed ALL important, but was not able to connect online and ask, because the system had been wiped.

Anyone have any other suggestions besides or before I have to go that route?

Thanks in advance ...

PS - I did this:--> You need to navigate to the folder where you said your search revealed the location. Then in the other pane, navigate to the C:]Documents and Settings folder and see if Default User folder is there. Click your mouse in the right side of the Documents and Settings folder and then hit the F5 key. It may refresh and "magically" appear. --> but there was no magic. I was trying to get to the admin this morning to verify that the Active Desktop was turned-off (disabled) there as well as it is now in this UA. My whole purpose and intent here was to clean-up things for speed/performance (to get some ... ANY speed at all), eliminate things that don't need to be on the PC (that are dead-spaced), etc. - of which I am certain there are many (files/folders/etc.).

 

Please disregard this at least for the time being - the admin account has "magically" reappeared ...

There are a number of issues that I would very much like to address though - once and for all (i.e. "learn" something [more] of the security, and speed/performance delicate balance).

Thanks ...

 

Thanks, sorry for the delay, I've been traveling for the past few days.

When I said; "Oh, I found it", I was referring to the "Web tab" (in reference to the Active Desktop).

Under msconfig I have six (6) programs set - AV,FW (3rd Party),AS x2, jusched (Sun Java), and ctfmon (which keeps reactivating itself no matter what I seem to do).

Now, under the "General" tab (in msconfig), I think there may be stuff going-on there that I don't need (such as "[Mail]" under the WIN.INI sub-tab, because I don't use Outlook Mail (currently). May I/should I uncheck that?

Here's what my msconfig (General tab) looks like:
Selective Start-up
Process SYSTEM.INI File
Process WIN.INI File
Load System Services
Load Startup Items
Use Original BOOT.INI - and EVERYTHING is checked in the SYSTEM.INI and WIN.INI tabs ...

Should everything under the General Tab be checked such as this, because it's pretty much everything?

There is an extra icon in the lower right that I can't seem to get to get rid of (to "Safely Remove Hardware"), but that's it other than my AV, FW and one AS program in the taskbar lower right-hand corner - next to the clock.

And yes, I use ccleaner (seemingly incessantly) to clean, and "edit" (?) the registry. Also I Defrag OFTEN (again, a free 3rd party - JKDefrag, which is a small program and which I like, as this PC has only a 20GB Hard Drive).

 

Ok sorry, before I go any further, I need to ask something here please ...

I am now getting a message from System Config. Utility that says/asks:

"You have used the SCU to make changes to the way Windows starts. The SCU is currently in Diagnostic or Selective mode, causing this message to be displayed and the Utility to run every time Windows starts.

Choose the Normal Startup mode on the general tab to start Windows normally and undo the changes you made while using SCU

[then a checkbox for:] Don't show this message or launch SCU when Windows starts"

All I did was uncheck and then re-check (un-select/re-select) the "Mail" checkbox in the WIN.INI tab (thinking; "as I don't use Outlook, I don't need this enabled ...", but then quickly changed my mind as I don't know that-that is what it meant?) .

What should I do here please?

PS - and yes, the script error is gone now thanks!

 

Ok, great, thank you, I got that much accomplished (I think).

Now, I sort of forgot where we were with it all, but I do know that I have a concern about still not being able to locate the "Default Users" file/folder (it was located under Local Disk/C>Documents and Settings).

Should I be concerned about this? I mean, the PC "seems" to be operating "ok", but I'm afraid this issue of not knowing where this file/folder is might come-back to bite me in the future (?).

In reference to the other things you wrote in the post preceding your last one:

1. I will look at the possibility of another Registry Tool here. I am familiar with the ratings and the safe downloading from here.

2. I don't currently use a flash drive, but will before long, so I'm understanding from your post that it's probably best to just leave the "Safely Remove Hardware" icon where it's at. I can't recall exactly how it came about presenting itself there, but I know it had something to do with fooling with my printer here a couple of weeks ago. Strangely during this same time period, I somehow "acquired" an "E" drive (Removable Storage") setting on this PC, which I think had something to do with me fiddling-around in Device Manager while I was trying to get some things straightened-out. But I don't (currently) have any removable storage on the PC (?).

Lastly, I did eliminate ctfmon (yet again), but I am a bit concerned about preventing jusched from starting automatically. I just recently re-enabled it to start automatically after realizing that my Java was out-of-date (and reading that this had left me "vulnerable", security-wise). I suppose it's a trade-off ... either deal with it and the extra resources used by it always starting-up or check for updates from Sun often, right?

Thanks again,
Glenn ...

 

You should NOT be using msconfig to control start up processes.

Please familiarize yourself with this link http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=149804

@grc123 - please return your computer to normal startup mode through msconfig, and then use the information and instructions provided in the above link to control what starts on your PC at boot up. I highly recommend StartUpCPL btw

 

Thanks for getting back to me ...

When I look in Add/Remove I see "Java 6 Update 11". now my understanding is that there are security vulnerabilities if you have the program but are not updated. I am not tech-savvy enough (not by a long-shot) to risk that. I don't think it asks necessarily, other than just showing the icon in the taskbar when it is in fact updating itself, but I suppose that it's always listening for an update through the Firewall (please correct me if this is incorrect?).

I don't know if you use Firefox, but I found an add-on ("Java Quick Starter 1.0) that is supposed to speed things along in that department so, just thought I'd pass that along.

It does seem odd to me also that jusched is still on your machine (AND enabled??) after a reformat (I think that's what you are saying) - perhaps it was shipped with the system and, um, part of the OS (for lack of a better explanation?) - anyway, I think you might wish to look into it as perhaps it won't listen for updates if it is so far behind (version 1)?

Thanks again, I have to run at the moment, but I may need to revisit this thread for some suggestions/info. in the near future (?).

Thanks again,
Glenn ...

 

Thank you very much Lev (I just noticed your post here). I do have StartUpCPL, and try to use it, but not very familiar with it all. I have found Windows (MS) Defender more user-friendly, but not too sure that it works as well StartUpCPL which was recommended by several others here at MG's.

I will the instructs in the link you provided!

Thanks again,
Glenn ...
PS - Since I had already used ccleaner (as well) to control Start-ups (as it is advised AGAINST doing in the link you provided), how should I proceed with correcting that please? Turn them all on ("Yes") there - or off ("no")??

 

You're welcome. If you need assistance setting up StartUpCPL if you decided to go that route, just give me a holler.

 

PS - Since I had already used ccleaner (as well) to control Start-ups (as it is advised AGAINST doing in the link you provided), how should I proceed with correcting that please? Turn them all on ("Yes") there - or off ("no")??

 

Go and change msconfig back to Normal Start Up. Any further changes, don't use Ccleaner - use a start up manager specific for this purpose like StartUpCPL.

Making further changes to correct what you have already done using CCLeaner will only serve to further exasperate the situation, so leave it as it now stands. If after you have changed msconfig back and there are process at start up you wish to be turned off, let me know what they are and I can walk you through StartUpCPL process.

 

Ok, "somehow" I have msconfig behaving now (set to "Normal Startup"), and would very much like to take-you-up on the offer to walk-through StartUpCPL. Things seem "off" to me, there.

Thanks again, and in advance,
g ...

 

OK...here goes

Download StartUpCPL from here http://majorgeeks.com/Startup_CPL_d619.html

It will download the StartUpCPL.zip folder. You will need to extract the files to install the .exe file. To do this right0click the .zip folder and click Extract All. Just click NEXT throughout the Wizard that appears. Once extracted you should get a window pop up with the StartUpCPL.exe file. Double click that file to install StartUpCPL.

Once installed click Start>Control Panel. Scroll down in the Control Panel window until you find StartUp. Double click this. You should now have opened the StartUpCPL application.

Go to the tab HKLM/Run. This is the tab you will use to control which applications start at bootup. Click to uncheck any you do not want to start at bootup, and check any that you do want to start, if they are not already checked. You can also use the StartUp tab and the HKCU/Run tab in the same way. That's all there is to it If you are unsure, post screenshots of each tab open, so I can advise you what to check etc.

Let me know if you have any questions.

 

Ok, here goes nuttin' ..................

 

And the last couple of tabs ....

 

Awww what the heck ....

 

Whoa. Who peed in yer Wheaties?

Look, thanks for the reply, but you really helped me - not. I suppose if we were all geniuses (such as yourself) there'd be no reason for sites such as this - but unfortunately that's not the case. I didn't even know HOW to post these screenshots ON here without assistance from some other members here, so I'm actually rather proud of myself for; a. asking for help with something that I didn't understand, and couldn't seem to figure-out on my own, and b. for getting ANYTHING to show-up (display) in the first place.

This stuff is NOT so "self-explanatory" plodr, in fact, as I don't believe that you had been involved in this thread previously, you've taken things out of context in your reply ("Screen 4").

As far as "Screen 5", I cannot make-them-out (view/see them), as posted (I obviously don't know that "self-explanatory" trick yet either!). I can't see (read) them. However, as that is how they posted, that is how they are. I've had folks send me the same (new?) type of screenshots recently, and I couldn't make-those-out either - and simply (very simply, plodr) don't know how to enhance the quality, so as to be able to view them (?!?).

Your reply to "Screen 3" is simply smart-***ed (and could be down-right dangerous to a member/poster of lesser knowledge/understanding), and "Screen 6", well, it's clear that you wasted even more time by responding to it ....

How's about YOU "think" next time!?! in fact, how's about thinking of not bothering!!! ("!!!").

You are off-base here, and again, out of context. I'd suggest more fiber in your diet.

 

Got that out your system? Good Now we can get back to tech stuff in the tech forums....

Screen 1 - Uncheck msnmsgr - you don't need it on start up. You can open Messenger manually if you want it.

Screen 2 - Uncheck SunJavaUpdate - you don;t need this on startup

Screen 3 - Leave Avast checked as this is your AV and needs to run from startup.

Screen 4 - It only shows deleted items and you do not need to take any action on this screen.

Screen 5 - This is the same screenshot as #2 that you gave us.

Screen 6 - Nothing there to modify, so ignore.

Screen 7 - Nothing there to modify, so ignore.

Hmmm...just re-read that lot and it seems to say exactly what Plodr was telling you You did do good in getting all that posted up, and it made it much easier to help you. But maybe you owe Plodr and apology - after all, she did help you, even if it was perhaps a little sharp

 

Ok, thanks Lev, I "think" I have StartUpCPL under control, for the time being at least.

Much more pressing of an issue is in reference to the original subject of the thread.

Problem Du Jour:

The "Default Users" Profile is still "missing". Anyone got any clues as to where it could have "gone" (be?)? Also, the "Owner" Folder is "Empty" ... ?!

Here is where this seems to have been left on this thread (Post #3), and thank you in advance:

Quote:
Originally Posted by reghakr View Post
This is one area of Windows you don't want to mess with. First try a search for default user....maybe you moved it to another directory. If so, move it back......otherwise

I'd do a system restore immediately if it were me, but remember that if you've installed software or made any other modifications to your system and don't have a recent restore point, all that will be wiped out. You should have left well enough alone.

 

~*FOR ADMIN. - I SOMEHOW INADVERTENTLY DUPLICATED THIS POST (#37), EXCEPT THAT THIS SECOND ONE DID NOT INCLUDE THE SCREENSHOT I HAD INTENDED FOR IT AS IN POST #36. #36 IS SUFFICIENT, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THIS LAST (#37) UNNECESSARY POST*~

Ok, thanks Lev, I "think" I have StartUpCPL under control, for the time being at least.

Much more pressing of an issue is in reference to the original subject of the thread.

Problem Du Jour:

This "Default Users Profile is still "missing". Anyone got any clues as to where it could have "gone" (where it could be?)? Also, the "Owner" Folder is "Empty" ... ?!

Here is where this seems to have been left on this thread (Post #3), and thank you in advance:

Quote:
Originally Posted by reghakr View Post
This is one area of Windows you don't want to mess with. First try a search for default user....maybe you moved it to another directory. If so, move it back......otherwise

I'd do a system restore immediately if it were me, but remember that if you've installed software or made any other modifications to your system and don't have a recent restore point, all that will be wiped out. You should have left well enough alone.

 

Default user is a hidden folder, so you will need to show hidden files and folders through the Tools > Folder options > View tab of Windows Explorer first.

 

Viola ... and there it is. Thanks as always Lev.

And I think I'm understanding (having viewed it through Admin) that the Owner Folder displaying as "Empty" is due to having viewed it through the Limited Account. It does not show as Empty in Admin.

The usual recommendation is to switch these (Hidden Files & Folders) back to "Hidden" - correct? The same with "Hide Extensions for known file types"?

Thanks as always Lev ...

 

Yes, go ahead and return them to hidden status afterwards.

 

Ok. This is my PUBLIC apology to plodr: I apologize plodr. :-o

Upon subsequent forays back into StartUpCPL, it appears that much of my confusion came from the fact that I was (rather, I "thought" that I was) able to control the program from both UA's ... which kinda-sorta seems to be the case - only not.

Flipping between the two UA's as I do, was causing changes in StartUpCPL that, later-on, seemed unexplainable to me. I seemed to be able to control parts of the program from the Limited UA, but other parts of it were causing programs that I was trying to prevent from Starting with the machine, to actually "double" ... to dublicate or multiply (!?!).

As they had already been set to "Start" in the Admin UA, attempting to delete or un-check them in the Limited UA was doubling them there, rather than having them behave as I intended.

So, whether or not that made any sense - it's time for me to bury this thread (I now have some - "New & Improved" "issues" to address ... "coming to threads near you"!).

Again, my thanks to ALL.
Glenn