User account does AND does not exist at the same time!!!!!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kev Black
  • Start date Start date
K

Kev Black

I recently deleted an account on my PC (XP SP3)
The delete user (including delete files) function just sat there forever,
and eventually (an hour later) I gave up and shut the PC down!

Now the "User Accounts" part of control panel no longer shows the old account.
So it is gone.
However I can still see the directory tree for the user, and interestingly
(!?) if I try to create a new account with the same name as the old account
is refuses, saying the account already exists. So it is also still there!

If I try to delete the accounts directory trees (from a different "admin"
account, from explorer, it will delete most of them, but the "username"
directory, under c:\documents and settings certain files (NTUSER.DAT and
application data folder for example) don't delete.

so, two questions....
1: I'm assuming there is no "risk" in this account being left in a wierd
state, I can't see there would be but what do I know?
2: I'd like to understand why, and how to fix it, just because learning is
good.

I'm assuming that the delete acccount thing got stuck, and there are bits
left maybe in the registry, but I was hoping someone could help me understand.

I can supply registry dumps etc if it helps,

Thanks in advance
 
Kev Black said:
I recently deleted an account on my PC (XP SP3)
The delete user (including delete files) function just sat there forever,
and eventually (an hour later) I gave up and shut the PC down!

Now the "User Accounts" part of control panel no longer shows the old
account.
So it is gone.
However I can still see the directory tree for the user, and interestingly
(!?) if I try to create a new account with the same name as the old
account
is refuses, saying the account already exists. So it is also still there!

If I try to delete the accounts directory trees (from a different "admin"
account, from explorer, it will delete most of them, but the "username"
directory, under c:\documents and settings certain files (NTUSER.DAT and
application data folder for example) don't delete.

so, two questions....
1: I'm assuming there is no "risk" in this account being left in a wierd
state, I can't see there would be but what do I know?
2: I'd like to understand why, and how to fix it, just because learning is
good.

I'm assuming that the delete acccount thing got stuck, and there are bits
left maybe in the registry, but I was hoping someone could help me
understand.

I can supply registry dumps etc if it helps,

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Deleting an account does not result in deleting its files and folders.
What you are seeing is expected behavior.
If you have no need for the files and folders, just delete them.
Jim
 
Jim said:
Deleting an account does not result in deleting its files and folders.
What you are seeing is expected behavior.
If you have no need for the files and folders, just delete them.
Jim
Click to expand...

thanks, but no that's not right.
I selected the "delete files" option in the "delete account" process.

I've just rechecked by creating and deleting another account and it DOES
delete the files when I do that.

Additionally, it DOES in general allow me to recreate an account with the
same name as an account previously used and then deleted - but it won't for
the specific account I'm wresting with here - says the accound exists. But
does not show it on the main "account" screen.

Finally, I can't just delete the files from this specific account as, as
said in my OP, it wont delete them when I try - e.g. NTUSER.DAT

So this particular account from my OP is "half" deleted....cause the "hang"
in the delete account process when I did it.

Resolution....not known
 
Kev Black said:
thanks, but no that's not right.
I selected the "delete files" option in the "delete account" process.

I've just rechecked by creating and deleting another account and it DOES
delete the files when I do that.

Additionally, it DOES in general allow me to recreate an account with the
same name as an account previously used and then deleted - but it won't
for
the specific account I'm wresting with here - says the accound exists. But
does not show it on the main "account" screen.

Finally, I can't just delete the files from this specific account as, as
said in my OP, it wont delete them when I try - e.g. NTUSER.DAT

So this particular account from my OP is "half" deleted....cause the
"hang"
in the delete account process when I did it.

Resolution....not known
Click to expand...
If you go to the control panel, click Administrative Teels, and click
System, does the account appear in the users tab?
What are the permissions on NTUSER.DAT and who owns the file?
What errors do you receive when you try to delete these files?
If XP says that the files are open, who does Process Explorer say the owner
is?
Jim
 
Jim said:
If you go to the control panel, click Administrative Teels, and click
System, does the account appear in the users tab?
What are the permissions on NTUSER.DAT and who owns the file?
What errors do you receive when you try to delete these files?
If XP says that the files are open, who does Process Explorer say the owner
is?
Jim
Click to expand...

Under Control Panel then Administrative Tools I have:
Component Services
MS .NET Framework 1.1
Computer Management
Data Sources
Performance Management
Services
Event Viewer

I can't find a tab called "Users".

for NTUSER.DAT in the "odd account" directory, I don't see how to find the
Permissions, or owner, it just give me (when I go "properites") creation date
etc???

If I try to open it with say notepad, I get the response:
The process cannot access the file as it is being used by another process.

Cheers
 
Kev Black said:
I can't find a tab called "Users".
Click to expand...

Hang on
In control panel/system if I look under Advanced/user profiles/settings

I get a window with a list that includes a profile for the account I deleted.

Shall I just delete that profile?

K
 
Yeah try that.
If that doesn't work
try deleting the files by the command prompt ;)
 
Sigmundur Jonsson said:
Yeah try that.
Click to expand...

OK, interesting, that has deleted the folder tree.

Interestingly (to me) tho, I still can't recreate an account with the same
name again (it says account already exists - despite not appearing in the
list of accounts, user profiles, or having a directory tree.

"so why worry?" I hear you say...fair enough, this is an "interest" thing
now....
Why does XP not allow me to create this account again?

I know I can create, delete and account called "fred" and the create an
account called "fred" again.

but this account seems very resistant to being deleted and clearly still is
recognised somewhere?

So, where is it that XP is still holding the fact I had an account called
"fred" even though I've tried very hard to delete it?
 
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