WindowsXP Pro Black edition and missing user account files.

[sundogdayze]

I built a computer for my mother a few years ago, and used Windows Pro Black edition for her OS. It's been fine, have had no problems until she somehow deleted some detrimental user account files. The only user account that was enabled at the time was the admin account, which is the one she used.

The computer boots to the Windows splash, but then an alert pops up telling me that the user files for admin cannot be located and logs me into a temporary user account. The first thing I tried was copying all the folders in the admin user account folder in docs and settings, and creating a new account and pasting those folders into it. I named the account "Janet" and deleted the admin account.

This worked somewhat. I boot into the splash screen, and still get the same error message, but then I get an option to log in under a new user account. I can then enter "Janet" and it tries to load. However, it restarts, and I can only load the user account in safe mode.

I have tried to do a system restore, but it tells me that it was unsuccessful no matter which date I try to use. (Probably because I deleted the admin account, like an idiot, before I tried to restore.)

Is there a way to find out how to get the computer to stop trying to load "Admin" as the default user account and to load "Janet" instead? I can't find a setting for that anywhere. If it was regular XP Pro, I know I could try using the recovery console on the disk, but this is Black Edition, and although I have the CD still, I don't want to wipe the OS off the HD if there is no recovery console for Black. Would a regular XP CD work to repair this?

Thanks for any help, she is getting a little desperate because she does a lot of her work on this computer, and in safe mode, she is very limited.

 

[Zoron]

Re-create the admin account in safe mode.

 

[sundogdayze]

Just create a new one, add the copied folders and call it admin?

 

[Zoron]

Create it, log in to make sure it works, then copy files over.

 

[sundogdayze]

Thanks! Will try tonight!

 

[sundogdayze]

Didn't work. It did the same thing, only this time instead of having to manually log into "Janet" I had to manually log in to the new "Admin" account I made. It just seems like there is something missing between the splash screen and the log in screen. I have no way of knowing what file is missing or what file is telling windows to look for the original Admin folder. If I could change that I think it would be fixed.

 

[patski]

It's currently on Mininova, I installed it, it passes all malware scans and it works great on my aging laptop.

But, according to openDNS, it the middle of the night is starts trying to access gambling sites.

Off it comes, too bad.