Dual Administrator Access / assigning user privelages and Admin access/ XP usisng two Admin users at once(???)

I do not where to begin with this, so here it goes:

A co-worker received a Compaq Presario PC from her parents
a couple of years ago. It was display model from a local Fry's Electronic
Store. It worked fine, until after awhile it started acting sluggish
and she neglected it due workload at her job.

She figured it was a virus, so I gave her my copy of McAfee ViruScan 8.0
(I had already upgraded to ViruScan 9.0, so this wasn't pirating). She
and her roommate ran the scanner and found many virii. That was solved
but then discovered that it didn't seem to stop the PC from being so
sluggish. So she called me in. I discovered that their PC was saturated
with SpyWare, AdWare, and their variants. I fixed that with Lavasoft
AdAware.

Then I advised updated Windows XP with Service Pack 2. I got my disc
and discovered for some reason it would not install. So I had ordered
the updated CD from Microsost's site. It arrived and they tried to
install it to no avail. I did the same, to no avail.

After logging in as Administrator (under Safe Mode) I found out that the
PC was originally setup for a user named "frys store". Somehow the
system would not allow any major changes to occur if this user was not
logged in.

However, _**no such user was visible on the Welcome screen or the Safe
Mode screen**_. BUT the folder for "frys store" was still in the
'Documents and Settings' folder. My co-worker logs with her name, not
"frys store". I figured that when my co-worker's Parents they gave the
PC to her they created her account and simply gave it Ad min access
(thus creating a Super-User account) and deleted the "frys store"
account without deleting the actual folder. OR they re-named the "frys
store" account to here name.

It seems that whenever she logs on, all her settings, under her own
account name, are being stored in the old "frys store" folder, and
not the "Owner" or "wendys" (thats her account name). In fact, there
is NO "wendys" user folder.

The 'D&S' folder is supposed to have "Administrator", "All Users",
"Default User", "LocalService", "LocalService", and "Owner" folders
along with any additional accounts. Hers these BUT the additional are:
"frys store" and "frys store_2" (the latter I created, thinking it may
solve the problem, but it created a new user folder. I would think that
when XP is setup all settings fo to the "Owner" folder, but hers
is not. That folder is basically empty as ALL of her "wendys" user
settings are in stored the "frys store" folder.

So when she logs on as 'wendys' the system won't allow her to update
to WinXP SP2, because it stores all the information in the "frys store"
folder assuming that is the "Owner" folder. But when it tries to locate
the files it cant find them and aborts the SP2 update. Because they're
not in the "Owner" folder, they're in the "frys store" folder.

Some how her Admin privelages are whacked. She logs in as 'wendys' but
the system is looking for the user 'frys store'. I created a 'frys
store' user but it didn't work as it just created an additional account
adjacent to the original folder (with an appended "_2").

If you can help me figure this out I would most appreciated. She can
work and get online, but can't install WinXP SP2. The only solution is
to use the Recovery CD and blast the HD back to factory default. She
declined and decided to bite the bullet and deal. But I would like to
solve this problem for her.

Keep in mind I have been only using WinXP since October 2004. So I may
not be correct on how WinXP is assigning user privelages and Admin access.

Thanks in advance

PJC

Use the Compaq Restore CD to reinstall Windows XP.
It's extremely difficult to undo the damage caused by
virus infections.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

Be Smart! Protect Your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/secu...t/default.mspx

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Paul James Chatman" wrote:

|I do not where to begin with this, so here it goes:
|
| A co-worker received a Compaq Presario PC from her parents
| a couple of years ago. It was display model from a local Fry's Electronic
| Store. It worked fine, until after awhile it started acting sluggish
| and she neglected it due workload at her job.
|
| She figured it was a virus, so I gave her my copy of McAfee ViruScan 8.0
| (I had already upgraded to ViruScan 9.0, so this wasn't pirating). She
| and her roommate ran the scanner and found many virii. That was solved
| but then discovered that it didn't seem to stop the PC from being so
| sluggish. So she called me in. I discovered that their PC was saturated
| with SpyWare, AdWare, and their variants. I fixed that with Lavasoft
| AdAware.
|
| Then I advised updated Windows XP with Service Pack 2. I got my disc
| and discovered for some reason it would not install. So I had ordered
| the updated CD from Microsost's site. It arrived and they tried to
| install it to no avail. I did the same, to no avail.
|
| After logging in as Administrator (under Safe Mode) I found out that the
| PC was originally setup for a user named "frys store". Somehow the
| system would not allow any major changes to occur if this user was not
| logged in.
|
| However, _**no such user was visible on the Welcome screen or the Safe
| Mode screen**_. BUT the folder for "frys store" was still in the
| 'Documents and Settings' folder. My co-worker logs with her name, not
| "frys store". I figured that when my co-worker's Parents they gave the
| PC to her they created her account and simply gave it Ad min access
| (thus creating a Super-User account) and deleted the "frys store"
| account without deleting the actual folder. OR they re-named the "frys
| store" account to here name.
|
| It seems that whenever she logs on, all her settings, under her own
| account name, are being stored in the old "frys store" folder, and
| not the "Owner" or "wendys" (thats her account name). In fact, there
| is NO "wendys" user folder.
|
| The 'D&S' folder is supposed to have "Administrator", "All Users",
| "Default User", "LocalService", "LocalService", and "Owner" folders
| along with any additional accounts. Hers these BUT the additional are:
| "frys store" and "frys store_2" (the latter I created, thinking it may
| solve the problem, but it created a new user folder. I would think that
| when XP is setup all settings fo to the "Owner" folder, but hers
| is not. That folder is basically empty as ALL of her "wendys" user
| settings are in stored the "frys store" folder.
|
| So when she logs on as 'wendys' the system won't allow her to update
| to WinXP SP2, because it stores all the information in the "frys store"
| folder assuming that is the "Owner" folder. But when it tries to locate
| the files it cant find them and aborts the SP2 update. Because they're
| not in the "Owner" folder, they're in the "frys store" folder.
|
| Some how her Admin privelages are whacked. She logs in as 'wendys' but
| the system is looking for the user 'frys store'. I created a 'frys
| store' user but it didn't work as it just created an additional account
| adjacent to the original folder (with an appended "_2").
|
| If you can help me figure this out I would most appreciated. She can
| work and get online, but can't install WinXP SP2. The only solution is
| to use the Recovery CD and blast the HD back to factory default. She
| declined and decided to bite the bullet and deal. But I would like to
| solve this problem for her.
|
| Keep in mind I have been only using WinXP since October 2004. So I may
| not be correct on how WinXP is assigning user privelages and Admin access.
|
| Thanks in advance
|
| PJC

Thank you Carey

I should have proof read that before sending..it was full of typos.

I did figure as you did that her parents simply re-named the original
account to her
own name. I will tell her roommate when I see that her only option is to
use the
Recovery CD. In fact, I was going to do that, but she backed out, as she
was apprehensive.
Since the PC works, to a degree they can backup their data to CDs.

Thanks for your input. Also, as for error messages. When I looked at
WinXP's System History
(using MSINFO32) I noted that there were error logs, and many had
mentioned the failure of
locating and.or authenticating the 'frys store' user name.

Thank you again

Paul JC

Carey Frisch [MVP] wrote:

>Use the Compaq Restore CD to reinstall Windows XP.
>It's extremely difficult to undo the damage caused by
>virus infections.
>
>
>