CAN'T EDIT USER.DAT

[pebe]

After transfering to a new computer, my name shown on E-Mails has got garbled. I found that the info is held on USER.DAT in the Windows folder. I have unchecked 'read only' and 'hidden' boxes in the file attributes and modified the file with Windows Wordpad and saved it. I then checked the two attribute boxes again to show the file as 'hidden' and 'read only'.

When I restarted, the message came up that I had a corrupt registry and Windows would correct it from a backup file.

It still shows the same garbled name. Has anyone any suggestions how I can edit the file? Thanks in anticipation.

 

[Alt255]

One normally opens the registry with REGEDIT.EXE (the system registry editor). Opening and modifying it with any other program can land you in a world of deep doo-doo.

Yes, gasolene is stored in a gas tank... but one doesn't open gas tanks with a cutting torch.

Actually, if you have never worked with the registry editor, I recommend that you ask a qualifified technician to do this for you.

Alt255@Vorpalcom.Intranets.com​

 

[pebe]

Thanks Alt255.

Editing a *.DAT file seemed a harmless enough excercise at the time - obviously it's not as simple as that. Is there no way I can change the name via Outlook?

 

[paulwood]

I'm not exactly sure which name you want to change, but have a look in Outlook in Tools > Accounts > Mail > Properties and you may find what you want there.

Just as clarification, User.dat is only part of the Windows registry, the other part being System.dat, and they have to be edited together so they update in synch. The only way to do this is to use Regedit.exe, or a third-party replacement. You do have to be careful because it's easy to totally mess up Windows, ie new install time!

 

[pebe]

Thanks paulwood,

I've managed to correct my first name via Outlook as you suggested. User.dat still shows the wrong name but e-mails show it correctly. I don't know whether the faulty entry in user.dat will cause problems in the future but I'll cross that bridge if I come to it!

 

[butchrecon]

Are you trying to Put a different name in for Windows? If so go to:
HKLM>SOFTWARE>MICROSOFT>WINDOWS>CURRENTVERSION. you can change the Windows (Registered Owner) name in there. James Collins
Computer Hardware Engineer
A+, MCP

email: butchrecon@skyenet.net

 

[pebe]

Thanks butchrecon,

No, I wasn't trying to put a different name in Windows. I first became aware of the problem when I sent an e-mail to a friend and he replied "Hi, Perets!" which isn't my name. I was trying to change Perets to Peter, as the sender's name.

 

[paulwood]

Bearing in mind all the dire warnings, you could still use regedit by going to Start > Run and typing regedit in the box. Once it starts, go to Edit > Find and type Perets in the box, then click Find Next. Once you find it double click on the Name Field, edit it to what you want, click on OK and close regedit. That's it.

If you are unsure at any point, then don't change anything and bail out. Come back and ask if you need to.

 

[SimonDavis]

Just an observation - you'll probably find that user.dat is in memory while you're using windows, and if you alter the file, it will just get overwritten when you exit by the version in use.

I strongly agree with the recommendations not to mess about with it or any other system files unless you are really sure what you're doing, but if you restart in MS-dos mode, most of the files that Windows won't let you play with will be available for editing etc. (Just running the DOS prompt won't work - you need to restart).

If you're going to do this, make sure you have a clean copy of the file, that it really is a text file (i.e. no strange characters) and that you have a boot disk handy in case you can't start the machine.

 

[pebe]

Thanks to all.

I used regedit as paulwood suggested and was able to edit my name OK. I then checked user.dat and the misspelt name was still there. I rechecked with regedit and the change had definitely been made. I thought perhaps the changes would be filed at shutdown and take effect at the next startup, so rebooted. Same result - regedit was showing right name but user.dat was not.

It's in a line that starts "SMTP Display NamePerets.....

But (my) sender's name on emails is now correct, so has this line any other significance?

 

[paulwood]

It is possible there is more than one entry in the registry that has been mis-spelled.

 

[pebe]

Nope. Regedit can't find another one.

 

[homer1999B]

There are entries in my USER.DAT (Websites) that I want to edit out. I can't seem to locate them in my Regedit for Win98

What do I do?

Thank you

 

[TheGodSplinter]

Homer...

Make sure that every scrap of accessible URL info is wiped from your hard drive, using softwares like...

1. Internet Sweeper. (Freeware). [ Recommended ]
2. IE Cache Cleaner. (Freeware).
3. Clean Up 2.x. (Freeware). [ Recommended ]

If you have it or can get it, use Evidence Eliminator. The 3 softwares above will do pretty much the same thing for nothing, though, where your concerns are, right now.

Use RegEdit and do an EXHAUSTIVE string search for the URLs (which, it must be said, are unlikely to be found.)

NOW...

Start up with F8 pressed, into a DOS prompt.

Type...

"cd\windows\command"

...at the prompt that immediately follows, type...

"scanreg /fix"

...and wait. Any URL traces/scraps/fragments that have been left in the USER.DAT's record of prior URL histories (due mainly to crashes leaving the damning info stranded/embedded where it's rarely wanted!!!) SHOULD...now be left out as the Registry is rebuilt on what RegScan finds as CURRENT EXISTING INFO ON YOUR DISK.

It has never failed for me.

BUT, BE WARNED: ANYTHING that can store those URLs in ANY TYPE OF HISTORY, elsewhere on your machine, MUST HAVE THE HISTORIES MANUALLY WIPED CLEAN BY YOU, EITHER BY THE FREEWARES LISTED ABOVE, OR USING A PART OF THE RELEVANT INTERNET SOFTWARE'S OWN METHODS OF DELETING THE HISTORIES. Starting all this without manual removal, first, from a forgotten part of your machine, may always result in failure.

I know how concern-worthy it can be to have tell-tale bits left where we don't want them, and the USER.DAT is notorious for harbouring them- it tends to laugh at our other security measures. As I said, this has never failed for me...thank Goddess! I sincrerely hope that this does the trick for you. If my entry sounds like gobbledigook, just E Mail me at: "thegodsplinter@btinternet.com"

If you have a way of stopping URLs from being stored at all, in Internet Softwares' histories, then use them...it's often a crash while on one of these sites that causes URLs and scraps of them to be jammed in the USER.DAT.

 

[TheGodSplinter]

CREDIT WHERE IT IS WELL AND TRULY DUE, GUYS...

About my above entry, could I just point out...

The tip I just gave to HOMER was given to this site, originally, by "REGHAKR" in the "User.dat - security flaw" thread/entry.

Reghakr: Thanks once more for rescuing me with this advice!

 

[reghakr]

You're welcome...

Even I wouldn't edit user.dat directly.
To compress the registry, you need to do the following:

Optimise=x, a value of 1 automatically optimises your current registry if it contains 500KB+ of unused space. A value of 0 does not automatically optimise your current registry by removing unused space.

So, at the command prompt, type:

cd\windows\command
then type:
scanreg /opt

This will reduce the size and most likely eliminate the incorrect name.

reghakr

 

[Guest_imported]

Make sure your administrator didn't rename your user.dat to user.man. If that has happened, your settings are MANdatory and only the admin can change it.