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Windows XP User Profiles |
How to Configure Windows XP to Automatically Log On a User Account
For Windows to automatically log on a user account during the
startup process, the following must be met:
- The Welcome screen must be available
- Guest account access must be turned off
- There must be only one user account on the computer
- The user account must not have a password
To make the Welcome screen available:
1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click User Accounts.
2. Click "Change the way users log on or off".
3. Click to select the "Use the Welcome screen for fast and easy logon" check
box.
4. Click OK.
To turn off Guest account access:
1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click User Accounts.
2. Click the Guest account.
3. Click "Turn off Guest access".
To remove the password from the user account:
1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click User Accounts.
2. Click the user account.
3. Click "Remove my password".
4. Type the password in the "Type your current password" box, and then click
Remove Password.
User Accounts Created During Setup Are Administrator Accounts
To change the security levels and assign passwords to these
accounts:
1. Log on as a user that will continue to have administrative privileges.
2. In Control Panel, double-click Users.
3. Click "Change an account".
4. Click the user account that you want to modify.
5. Click Change Account Type.
6. Click the type of account that you want to have for this user account.
7. Click the Change Account Type button.
8. To assign a password to this account, click "Create a password".
How to Create and Configure User Accounts in Windows XP
To open the User Accounts tool, open Control Panel from the
Start menu, and then double click User Accounts.
To create a new user account, follow these steps:
1. Click "Create a new account" in the "Pick a task" list box.
2. Type the name that you want to use for the account, and then click Next.
3. Select the desired account type, and then click Create Account.
To make changes to an account, follow these steps:
1. Click "Change an account" in the "Pick a task" list box.
2. Click the account that you want to change.
3. Select the item that you would like to change:
- Click "Change the name" to change the name that appears on the Welcome screen
for the account.
- Click "Change the picture" to change the picture that is used to represent the
user account. You can use any image file on the computer for the user's picture.
- Click "Change the account type" to change the account type to increase or
decrease the user's rights on the computer.
- Click "Create/change the password" to create or change the password for the
user and create or change the password hint.
- Click "Delete the account" to delete the user account from the computer. When
you delete the account, you are given the
option to save the user's files on the
computer.
Note: You can not delete the account for a user that is currently logged on to
the computer.
When you use Windows XP, you belong to one of two groups: Administrators or Users. Administrators are all-powerful: if you have a so-called Admin account, you can make system wide changes and change other users' accounts. While this power is a boon to the ego, it's also dangerous. If, for example, you encounter a virus, a Trojan horse, or a worm while you're logged on as Administrator, you could wreck all the accounts on your entire system.
Log in as User, on the other hand, and any damage you cause will be less extensive, because ordinary users are prevented from making system wide changes. A word to the wise: Do your everyday computing as a regular user and log on as Administrator only when it's absolutely necessary, such as when adding a new user or changing security settings. To sign on as User, use the Run As command: just right-click a shortcut and select Run As. As long as you know the username and password, you can sign on as another user.
How to Check User Profiles on a Windows XP-Based Computer
To locate the list of local user profiles, right-click My Computer, click Properties, and then on the Advanced tab, click Settings under User Profile. Click Start, Run and enter CONTROL USERPASSWORDS2 or enter LUSRMGR.MSC
Error Message: Windows Cannot Load Your Profile Because It May Be Corrupted
Suggestions:
Right click My Computer, Properties, Hardware, Device Manager. Locate the
entries for your hard disks and double click each entry. On the Policies tab,
uncheck Enable write caching.
You will see a performance decrease because of this, but if the corrupt
registry/user profiles problems cease, then you'll be certain of the cause.
Logon to another account with admin privilege and run System Restore. Choose the
most recent restore point and SR should restore the user hives.
Or...
Boot into safe mode and log in as Administrator. Copy ntuser.dat from %windir%\repair
to "Documents and Settings\[your user id]". Now do a system restore to a point
in time prior to when the corruption message began to appear.
Or...
Relocate NTUserdat
Look in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList
and find the profile you want to change and then change ProfileImagePath to the
ntuser.dat folder that you want to use. You must manually copy or move the
ntuser.dat file there.
Corrupt Hive:
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_sys32.htm
How to Recover from a Corrupted Registry:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q307545
Recovery Console Fix for XP SP1 (Line 58):
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
A user profile defines customized desktop environments, which
include individual display settings, network and printer connections, and other
specified settings. You or your system administrator may define your desktop
environment.
Types of user profiles include:
A local user profile, which is created the first time you log on to a computer
and is stored on a computer's local hard disk. Any changes made to your local
user profile will be specific to the computer in which you made the changes.
A roaming user profile, which is created by your system administrator and is
stored on a server. This profile is available every time you log on to any
computer on the network. Any changes made to your roaming user profile will be
updated on the server.
A mandatory user profile, which is a roaming profiles that can be used to
specify particular settings for individuals or an entire group of users. Only
system administrators can make changes to mandatory user profiles.
Open System in Control Panel. On the User Profiles tab, and
under Profiles stored on this computer, click the user profile you want to copy,
and then click Copy To.
In the Copy To dialog box, under Copy profile to, type the location for the new
profile, or click Browse to select the path.
Click Change to open the Choose User dialog box, click a new user from the Names
list, and then click Add. The new user name will appear in Add Name. Click OK to
add the user as a new user profile on your computer.
Note: You must be logged on as an administrator to the local computer to
copy user profiles. To open a Control Panel item, click Start, point to
Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click the appropriate icon.
Note 2: You cannot copy the account you are currently logged in on. You must log into another account.
Note 3: If you create a new account, you must logon once before you copy another account over top of it. Windows creates the user profile at logon, not at account creation, and it will not use the copy you created before that first logon, it will create a user.COMPUTERNAME folder instead.
Note 4: To resolve this issue, verify that the user
account is not logged on before you try to copy its profile. If you are
currently logged on as this user, log off, log on again by using a different
user account, and then copy the profile. If
you are not logged on as the user account that you are trying to copy, that
account may be logged on in a different session (using Fast User Switching).
To force that account to be logged off, start Task Manager,
click the Users tab, click the user account, and then click Logoff.
To work around this behavior, you can also create a user who has administrative
privileges, log on as that user, and then copy the profile of the first user.
Delete a User Profile:
Open System in Control Panel. On the User Profiles tab, under Profiles stored on
this computer, click the user profile you want to delete, and then click Delete.
Note: You must be logged on as an administrator to the local
computer to delete user profiles. To open a Control Panel item, click Start,
point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click the appropriate
icon.
Switching between a Roaming and Local User Profile:
Open System in Control Panel. On the User Profiles tab, under Profiles stored on
this computer, click the user profile you want to change, and then click Change
Type. In the Change Type dialog box, click Local profile or Roaming profile.
Note: To open a Control Panel item, click Start, point to Settings,
click Control Panel, and then double-click the appropriate icon. If Roaming
profile is unavailable, this indicates that the profile is a local user profile
See your system administrator to create a roaming user profile.
To avoid downloading the roaming profile when you have a slow network
connection, select the Use cached profile on slow connections check box after
you click Roaming profile. If you use a roaming profile on more than one
computer simultaneously, it will preserve the settings from the last computer
that logs off.
Disable Roaming Profiles and Cache
Start/Run/gpedit.msc
Local Computer Policy/Computer Configuration/Administrative
Templates/System/User Profiles/Only Allow Local User Profiles.
If you enable both the "Prevent Roaming Profile changes from propagating to the
server" setting and the "Only allow local user profiles" setting, roaming
profiles are disabled.
Delete Cached Copies of Roaming Profiles
If this setting is enabled, when users with roaming profiles log off, the system
will delete the cached copy of their roaming profile. This will help to save
disk space where that are lots of roaming users.
Create a new DWORD value, or modify the existing value, called 'DeleteRoamingCache' and edit the value according to the settings above.
Value Name: DeleteRoamingCache
Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Value Data: (0 = disabled, 1 = enabled)
Exit your registry, you may need to restart or log out of Windows for the change to take effect.
Windows XP Professional File Sharing:
How to set up your Windows XP Professional computer to share its disks and folders with other Windows computers on a network, give access to desired users, and keep other users out. Explained Here.
Switching Users (Fast User Switching)
With the Fast User Switching feature in Windows XP, you can
easily interrupt your work without closing your files. All you need to do is:
Click Start, and then click Log off. Click Switch User.
Doing so displays the Welcome screen where another account holder can log on.
When finished, that person can log off the same way, and you can simply log back
on to find your open files just as you left them. What's more, if the other user
accidentally shuts down the computer instead of returning to the Welcome screen,
Windows XP automatically saves all open files and any application programs that
are running, so that they are restored when the computer is restarted.
To improve performance, you must log on to the other session and close some of the programs. If logging on and closing down some of these other programs isn't an option, you can restart the computer to close the other sessions and free resources. If you are an administrator, you can run Task Manager and terminate other users' processes.
To Enable or Disable:
If you hold a computer administrator account you can turn on or disable Fast User Switching. Here’s how:
Notes:
1. Fast User Switching will not
appear if it has not been turned on in User Accounts in Control Panel.
2. Fast User Switching is not available on
computers that are members of a network domain.
3. Only users with a computer administrator
account on a computer can turn on or turn off Fast User Switching.
4. Fast User Switching cannot be turned off while
multiple users are logged on to the computer.
5. When Fast User Switching is not turned on,
programs shut down when you log off, and the computer runs faster
for the next user who
logs on.
Create Start Menu Entries for All Users
If your application is meant to be run by anyone who has access to the machine, then create the application's start menu entry in the all users profile. You can use SHGetFolderPath with the appropriate CSIDL to store application data depending on your needs. For per computer, nonuser specific, and non-roaming data, use CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA.
Default to the My Documents Folder for Storage of
User-Created Data
To default to the My Documents folder, call the Common File Open/Save with
no parameters. Otherwise, target the My Documents folder directly by passing
CSIDL_PERSONAL to SHGetFolderPath(). The My Documents folder is for user-created
data, but not for temporary storage or application state data. For imaging
applications, it is recommended to use CSIDL_MYPICTURES, a descendant of My
Documents, in place of My Documents.
Restrict Users from Running Specific Applications
Start/Run/Regedit
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer.Value
Name: DisallowRun
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Policies\Explorer]
Create a new DWORD value and name it "DisallowRun" set the value to "1" to
enable application restrictions or "0" to allow all applications to run.
Then create a new sub-key called [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Policies\Explorer\DisallowRun] and define the applications the are to be
restricted. Creating a new string value for each application, named as
consecutive numbers, and setting the value to the filename to be restriced (e.g.
"regedit.exe"). Restart Windows for the changes to take effect.
Restrict Applications Users Can Run
Start/Run/Regedit
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer.
Value Name: RestrictRun Open your registry and find the key [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
\Policies\Explorer] Create a new DWORD value and name it "RestrictRun" set the
value to "1" to enable application restrictions or "0" to allow all applications
to run.
Then create a new sub-key called [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
\Policies\Explorer\RestrictRun] and define the applications that are allowed.
Creating a new string value for each application, named as consecutive numbers,
and setting the value to the filename to be allowed (e.g. "regedit.exe").
Restart Windows for the changes to take effect.
Note: If you are the person who applies Group Policy, do not apply this policy
to yourself. If applied too broadly, this policy can prevent administrators from
running Group Policy or the registry editors. As a result, once applied, you
cannot change this policy except by reinstalling Windows.
How to Troubleshoot Service Startup Permissions
When a service does not start because of a logon failure, the
following error messages may be displayed. When you restart the server,
the following error messages may be displayed in the system event log:
- Source: Service Control Manager
Event ID: 7000
Description:
The %service% service failed to start due to the following error:
The service did not start due to a logon failure.
No Data will be available.
- Source: Service Control Manager
Event ID: 7013
Description:
Logon attempt with current password failed with the following error:
Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.
No Data will be available. Full detailed information
here.
How To Upgrade Windows 98/Me Profiles to Windows XP Domain
The following steps enable the Windows 98 and Windows Millennium
Edition (Me) profiles to be retained throughout the process.
Your best method to retain the profiles is to join the domain during
the upgrade installation process. Otherwise, you must use a workaround method to
transfer the profile information over to the Windows XP profile.
During the upgrade installation process, at the networking section, the
administrator is offered the choice to join a domain or a workgroup. If you join
the domain at this juncture, you ensure that all the existing profiles are
migrated successfully to the Windows XP-based installation.
If you did not join the computer to the domain during the upgrade process, you
must use the following workaround method:
1. Join the upgraded computer to the target domain.
2. All applicable users must log on and log off (which generates a profile).
3. Copy the appropriate Application Data folder from the Windows 95, Windows 98,
and Windows Me profiles to the
newly created user profiles.
How to Change a Computer Name or Join a Domain in Windows XP
You can perform the preceding tasks by using the Computer Name
tab in the System Properties dialog box. To locate this tab, use one of the
following methods: For more information and procedures,
click
here.
- Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties. The System Properties
dialog box is displayed.
- Click Start, click Control Panel, double-click "Performance and Maintenance",
and then click System.
- In the Startup and Recovery section, click the Settings button.
How to Set Security in Windows XP Professional in a Workgroup
In Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional, if
working in a workgroup, the Security tab is hidden by default. This behavior
occurs because in Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional, guests
are forced to
log
on to a workgroup. To view the Security tab, press CTRL, right-click the file,
and then click Properties.
NOTE: Security can only be set in an NTFS partition. If you remove the Everyone
group from the NTFS permissions, the file or folder is inaccessible over the
network.
When Simple file sharing is enabled, the user is presented with the Simple File
Sharing UI rather than the classic "Security" and "Sharing" tabs. This new UI is
implemented by default in Windows XP, Windows XP Home Edition, and Windows XP
Professional when working in a workgroup. However, the computer is started in
Safe mode, the ACL editor is displayed.
The simplified Sharing UI is different for My Documents and the folders that are
located in My Documents. When the My Documents folder is opened, the following
options are displayed:
- "Only I have access to this folder"
- "This folder is shared on the network"
-Share name:
- "Allow other users to change my files"
When a user password is created in Control Panel, the "Protect The My Documents Folder" option is displayed. On a Windows XP Professional-based computer, only you can make a registry change to show the classic security UI.
Remove Shared Documents
Start/Run/Regedit. Navigate to...
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MyComputerNameSpace\DelegateFolders\{59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c5-5595fe6b30ee}
Right Click, Delete.
XP Support-
01/01/2005 12:43 AM -
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