Login problem in XP Home

[kipper2258]

I have a HP pavillion system (t550.uk) running Windows XP.
I am NOT part of a network, and connect to the internet directly over DSL.
Whenever I try to create a new user and log them in I recieve the error:
User Enviroment
Windows cannot log you on because your profile cannot be loaded...
DETAIL: The system cannot fine the file specified.

I believe this problem came about when I renamed the computer to MAIN accidentally. Does anyone have any ideas why this porblem occurs, and how it can be fixed? I am perfectly happy to go registy editing.

Many thanks
Ian

 

[gpalmer711]

It sounds like your default user profile is corrupted, see

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;318011

and

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=811151

for what you would do if your actual profile was corrupt.

I'm not sure if there is a way of regenerating the Default user profile, if not then you could do the procedure in the second link but copy the details from a known good profile to the default profile.

Alternativly if you have another PC that you have access to you could copy the Default Users profile from that machine and replace your corrupt one.

Greg Palmer
Freeware Utilities for Windows Administrators.

http://www.palmersoft.co.uk

 

[kipper2258]

So, where is the default profile held?

 

[gpalmer711]

Same as all other profiles c:\documents and settings

In here you will find a folder called "Default User", this is a hidden folder so you may have to change your view settings to show hidden and system files.

Greg Palmer
Freeware Utilities for Windows Administrators.

http://www.palmersoft.co.uk

 

[kipper2258]

WELL, i have turned off hide everything, but there is no such folder

 

[gpalmer711]

I guess that is the problem then. When you create a new user account and log into it for the first time, it basically copies the contents of the Default Users profile to the Documents and Settings folder and names the folder whatever the user name is.

Create a Folder in Documents and Settings called "Default User", Then copy the contents of a known good profile to that folder.

Make sure you empty the My Documents folder in the new Default User profile folder, otherwise all new users will start off with the documents you have at the moment in their My Documents folder.

Greg Palmer
Freeware Utilities for Windows Administrators.

http://www.palmersoft.co.uk