Windows XP creates a new user profile on login

Asked By owenevans821 0 points N/A Posted on - 07/22/2011

When a domain user e.g. Smith Jane logs in, her machine continues to create a new profile called username. ABC i.e. Smith Jane. ABC.  I have tried to erase that profile named Smith Jane. ABC but new profile is created again after she logs in.  The machine seems that it doesn't use the old profile.

I have tried to copy her documents, favorites and desktop to the new profile and delete the old one and then new profile is changed to her username. This solution does not work either.

Could anyone help to solve this?  Thanks a lot.

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Answered By ayegired 5 points N/A #87540

Windows XP creates a new user profile on login

Hi, First you have to log on as administrator. When new profile is created, the old profile will be corrupted.  So rename the old profile as backup user or whatever and save it to any location.

Then all of that user’s profiles have to be deleted and put logback-user in logback out.  And new profile will be created in ‘My Documents and Settings’.

According to Microsoft, you can then import all files in that folder that files are backed up into new profile except Ntuser.ini, Ntuser.dat and Ntuser.dat.log.  You have to reconfirm that you cannot find these three files in the new profile.  Otherwise the same corruption problem will appear again.

Additionally please read below to clarify any misunderstanding about how to create a user profile.
1. Logon as User.
2. Created a new profile folder according to logon name.
3. The user Security ID (SID), which is specific and unique to that user, is saved in the registry together with the path of storage of user profile.
4. If that user profile e.g. USER, is already used, name of USER.DOMAIN is then created.  Domain is where you connect to.
5. If USER.DOMAIN is used, then new profile will be called USER.DOMAIN.000.

Registry path is very important and double check the path for that user. Also their profile has to be recreated.  The list can be found at here
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE / SOFTWARE / Microsoft / Windows NT / CurrentVersion / ProfileList
Security ID are stored in the registry and each Security ID is called Profile Image Path.

Hope this could help. Thank you for your attention.

Anilkumar

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• Posted on - 07/22/2011
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Answered By mozak 5 points N/A #87542

Windows XP creates a new user profile on login

 

I have a domain user who's machine keeps creating a new profile named username.domain name (example: joan smith.ABC ) when she logs in. 

I tried deleting the new profile (joan smith.ABC) but when she logged in again it created the file again. It doesn't want to look at the old profile (joan smith). 

I tried copying her desktop, favorites, and documents to the new profile, deleting the old one and remaining the new one just her username but it created another new one.

Found this on another board and it seems to have fixed it.

Login as administrator. When your creating a new profile because an old one is corrupt, rename the old profile to user backup (or whatever) to a backup location. Then delete every profile for that user on the computer. Have the user log back in log back out. This will create their new profile location in My Documents and Settings. According to Microsoft you can import the whole folder that you backed up into the new profile except for three files:

• Ntuser.dat

• Ntuser.dat.log

• Ntuser.ini

Make sure these files are not copied to the new profile or you will have the same corrupt profile problem again.

Additionally to clear up any misconceptions about how the user profile creation works read the following:

1. User logs in.

2. A new folder for their profile is created based on their login name.

3. That user's SID (Security ID; unique to that users account) is recorded in the registry, along with the path of where that users profile is stored.

4. If the users profile for example, USER, is already taken it will create USER.DOMAIN, where domain is the domain you are connected to.

5. If USER.DOMAIN is already being used, it will create a new profile called USER.DOMAIN.000 and so on.

It is important to check the registry path for that user also after you have changed recreated their profile so that it is pointing to the right place, as sometimes this does not change when they login and a new profile is created.

It can be found at:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionProfileList

That is where the SID's are stored in the registry. There is a key in there for each SID called ProfileImagePath where it will show you where that profile is stored on the computer.

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• Posted on - 07/22/2011
• Question Category: Windows XP