Restore Windows XP user account accidentally deleted

DAVEINCAPS September 5, 2013 at 19:43:33

According to MS you can't recover a deleted account. However if you chose the option to 'keep files' when deleting the account then the desktop and 'my documents' folders are saved. You should be able to create a new account and copy the saved folders to it. To recover unsaved files you'd need to look into recovery software.

Derek September 6, 2013 at 10:02:35

Recuva freebie might help: http://www.piriform.com/recuva EDIT: See also response #3 on here - this might be a better alternative to Recuva but I've not used it myself: http://www.computing.net/answers/di... It might be better to just go for System Restore but this will not restore the contents of your My Documents folder - just the account. Always pop back and let us know the outcome - thanks message edited by Derek

Thanks, but the files were deleted also. I ended up taking it to a local computer shop where the hard drive was scanned using 3 different programs. Everythings gone. Now in the process of re-creating the acct.

Thanks, but the files were deleted also.

riider September 7, 2013 at 06:48:00

"but the files were deleted also" Recuva will recover deleted files, that's why it's called "recuva". Deleted files are not actually removed when they're deleted, only the references to the file's location are removed. They files themselves are still there. And until that location is overwritten by new files, the old files can still be recovered. I'd like to know how you "accidentally" delete a user account? There are deliberate steps that have to be taken to do so plus there are warnings along the way. It seems to me it was done on purpose.

Derek September 7, 2013 at 07:54:42

"the hard drive was scanned using 3 different programs" Depends what that means. If they used "recovery programs" then sure but it would have taken much more than deleting files to have wiped all traces off the hard drive. Always pop back and let us know the outcome - thanks

I have my problem solved. I no longer will be part of this forum. Thanks.

Derek September 7, 2013 at 09:36:04

"I have my problem solved OK, fine but we generally assumed, maybe wrongly, that you wanted your files back too. Thanks for letting us know anyhow. Always pop back and let us know the outcome - thanks