In trying to connect my old (practically ancient) laptop to my desktop I fiddled with one too many settings and have, through sheer ignorance, deleted my main user profile...I can't access my original desktop and everything I had on it...
When I check user profiles in system properties in control panel I see that one is labeled "Account unknown"--the size tells me that this is my original account...
I need to get it back and set the system straight so that I'm not getting login prompts anymore (which is the reason I tweaked the thing in the first place)...
Thanks for your help!

Can you see the profile under Documents and Settings?

What login prompts are you talking about? Ctrl-Atl-Delete?

Life is more painless for those who are brainless.

Thanks Jennifer,

The profile does indeed exist in documents and settings...now all I need is to put things to rights!

The login prompts I'm talking about are windows asking for login name and password when I start the computer...these started popping up after I started messing around with network settings...originally the computer just went straight to my desktop as I didn't have a network and didn't really intend on having one.

Any ideas on how I get things back the way they were?

Thanks again!

Take ownership of the items in the Documents and Settings folder for your old user account.

Then, go into User Accounts in profile and uncheck the "Require users to press Ctrl+Alt+Delete (NOT recommending you do this though....) Although this is not related to network settings in any way.

Life is more painless for those who are brainless.

Hi there,

I have been able to change ownership in Documents and Settings, but I'm having difficulty accessing the files...

Ctrl+Alt+Delete was already unchecked...

Ugh...I just want my original settings...I want the computer to go directly to my original desktop without asking me for a login and password...how do I disable this non-existent network of mine? It's just a home PC connected to nothing...

Thanks for your help...

Hi JumpingSpider:

You might want to try this:

Require or disable a logon password in a workgroup setting

To require or disable a logon password in a workgroup setting
1. Open Users and Passwords in the Control Panel.
2. On the User tab, do one of the following:

● Click the “User must enter a user name and password to use this computer” check box to require users to provide this information when they log on.

or

● Clear the “User must enter a user name and password to use this computer” check box to allow a user to automatically log on. You will be prompted to provide the name and password of the user who will be automatically logged on each time the computer starts.

Notes: The “User must enter a user name and password to use this computer” check box only appears if your computer is not connected to a network domain.

You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group to use Users and Passwords.

To open a Control Panel item, click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click the appropriate icon.

CoffeeBreak

CoffeeBreak, he said that the option was disabled.

Spider,

Go to this Registry Key:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

Add a new String value called AutoAdminLogon, and set the value to 1
Add a new string value called Default Password, and set it's value to the password of the user shown in DefaultUserName (should be your regular login id)

Again, I don't recommend you do this, especially if your primary account is the default Admin (or any Admin) account.

Life's more painless for the brainless.

I just lost my desktop settings by fiddling with tweakui. One definitely needs to get the name of the User whose settings you want your system to boot to. Opening Users and Passwords in the Control Panel is good, or opening Administrative Tools in Control Panel and clicking on Computer Management. Under System Tools is Local Users and Groups. Pick Groups and see if you recognize any User name. Perhaps "Account unknown" *is* the name.

I am using XP. I was fortunate enough to use tweakui again. Under Login option i simply typed in the name of the User whose settings i wanted to boot to. Thankfully, this worked. Otherwise, i fear i would have had to go into the registry as the last folks have recommended.

So long as the User Settings are not *THE* Administrator or *IN* the Administrator group (which can be seen Computer Management - System Tools - Local Users & Groups - Users) then this reg fix should work and you shouldn't be too afraid to use it.

tweakui is a proggie that alters the ui or user interface.... stuff like user settings. Almost all software that changes your settings simply changes your registry.

I'm an intermediate user, but this little slip really freaked me out! Go slow and easy. I've a feeling you'll be ok.

-gnomon