Bonnar said:
Got the dreaded blue screen and "registry cannot load hive file"
error msg yesterday. After using the recovery console etc. to get XP
up and running again, I find that it has created an "owner.Bonnar"
(Bonnar is the machine name)user -- which is empty of all my files,
favorites, programs but which my session now defaults to. I am the
only user of this machine and had set it up with no logon screen. I
can't seem to log on as "owner" -- the place where all my programs
and files are. How do I get access to my old configurations?? I would
like to set it up again to default to "owner".
You may be able to point the profile to the old owner profile in the
registry.
MAYBE.
If all you really are concerned with (in the end) is the files and folders
you had - then just go to c:\documents and settings\owner and take ownership
of it and all subfolders (do this either way) as the user you are currently
logged in as.
How to Take Ownership of a File or Folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=308421
How to disable simplified sharing & set permissions
on a shared folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=307874
Once you have taken ownership, you will find you can explore and move/copy
things from the directory as needed. I suggest you just copy the My
Documents contents, the Favorites contents and other files you created with
the other user and just worry about getting the new desktop you have to look
like the old one the same way you did before. It's a good upkeep project.
However, if you insist on trying to make the new user completely into the
old user..
Make sure you "take ownership" as shown above then...
Create a new adminstrative user.. (or log in as the actual administrator -
just any user but the one you are logging on as now and want to change to
use the old users profile) and log in as that new user/administrator user.
Start -> RUN -> regedit
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList
Look for the SID (the really nasty looking number starting with S-1-5
usually) folder that when you select it on the left and look on the right in
the value for "ProfileImagePath" has the value for the user you are now
logging in as profile path (from what you describe: %SystemDrive%\Documents
and Settings\owner.Bonnar.) Change that to be the path of the old user you
want it to be.. (from what you describe: %SystemDrive%\Documents and
Settings\owner) and then close the regedit and reboot. Log on as the
"Owner" and see if that helps.
