I am running Windows XP Home, SP1 integrated, clean install.
Problem: When I try to create a new account with one particular name I get a message saying "The account already exists." I should be able to reuse this name as I deleted this user account some days ago but I have since found evidence that some traces of it remain as noted below.
1. the users logon picture file (username.bmp) still exists in folder C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\User Account Pictures. 2. When I do a Copy Profile, this username appears on the list titled "Select user or group". See note 1 below.
Other than the two items noted above, I see no other traces of this username. The folder is gone from c:\documents and settings\username. This name does not appear in Control Panel > User Accounts. This name does not appear in Run "control userpasswords2". This name does not appear in the registry, per search.
In addition to wanting to remove any remains of this old account, this is the name of the computer owner and I would like to create a new account using this name.
I ran the Registry Cleaner in the latest version of www.jv16.org Power Tools in the hopes it might remove the remnants, but the problem persists.
I tried deleting the picture file mentioned about, and restarting, but no change, the problem persists. So I restored this remnant until I get a proper procedure for this.
Does anyone know what I can do to delete the remnants of this old user account? Any ideas appreciated.
Thank you, Lilla
Note 1. Copy Profile Procedure. The instruction below tells how I get the list that includes an old/deleted user name that is stuck in my system and I don't know how to remove it!
First, log in with an account having administrator privileges that is not the account you want to copy the settings to or from.
· R-Click My Computer > Properties > Advanced Tab · In the User Profiles section, click the "Settings" button. · Select the user profile you want to copy from, click "Copy To" button. · In the Copy To box, click the Browse button and navigate to the location you want to copy to, most likely C:\documents and settings\<newly created user>. · In the "Permitted to use" section, click the "Change" button. · Click the "Advanced" button. · Click the "Find Now" button. · A window titled "Select User or Group" is displayed, with a column titled "Name(RDN)".
PROBLEM: It is this list that contains the user name that has been deleted, as explained above I am not able to remove the remnants of this user.
· Select the new user. Click OK and the profile/settings will be copied to the new user account and permission to the files will be granted.
> I am running Windows XP Home, SP1 integrated, clean install.
> Problem: When I try to create a new account with one particular name I > get a message saying "The account already exists." I should be able to > reuse this name as I deleted this user account some days ago but I > have since found evidence that some traces of it remain as noted > below.
> 1. the users logon picture file (username.bmp) still exists in folder > C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\User > Account Pictures. > 2. When I do a Copy Profile, this username appears on the list titled > "Select user or group". See note 1 below.
> Other than the two items noted above, I see no other traces of this > username. The folder is gone from c:\documents and settings\username. > This name does not appear in Control Panel > User Accounts. This name > does not appear in Run "control userpasswords2". This name does not > appear in the registry, per search.
> In addition to wanting to remove any remains of this old account, this > is the name of the computer owner and I would like to create a new > account using this name.
> I ran the Registry Cleaner in the latest version of www.jv16.org Power > Tools in the hopes it might remove the remnants, but the problem > persists.
> I tried deleting the picture file mentioned about, and restarting, but > no change, the problem persists. So I restored this remnant until I > get a proper procedure for this.
> Does anyone know what I can do to delete the remnants of this old user > account? Any ideas appreciated.
> Thank you, Lilla
> Note 1. > Copy Profile Procedure. The instruction below tells how I get the list > that includes an old/deleted user name that is stuck in my system and > I don't know how to remove it!
> First, log in with an account having administrator privileges that is > not the account you want to copy the settings to or from.
> · R-Click My Computer > Properties > Advanced Tab > · In the User Profiles section, click the "Settings" button. > · Select the user profile you want to copy from, click "Copy > To" button. > · In the Copy To box, click the Browse button and navigate to > the location you want to copy to, most likely C:\documents and > settings\<newly created user>. > · In the "Permitted to use" section, click the "Change" button. > · Click the "Advanced" button. > · Click the "Find Now" button. > · A window titled "Select User or Group" is displayed, with a > column titled "Name(RDN)".
> PROBLEM: It is this list that contains the user name that has been > deleted, as explained above I am not able to remove the remnants of > this user.
> · Select the new user. Click OK and the profile/settings will > be copied to the new user account and permission to the files will be > granted.
It sounds like the account deletion was incomplete. If the account doesn't appear in User Accounts or userpasswords2, the registry or the profile, then it likely only exists in the SAM database. This is where MBSA looks for accounts and MBSA is known to have issues with some OEM accounts that are created as part of the install and then (improperly or only partially) deleted.
The problem is, we have no tools to inspect or edit the SAM database.
> I am running Windows XP Home, SP1 integrated, clean install.
> Problem: When I try to create a new account with one particular name I > get a message saying "The account already exists." I should be able to > reuse this name as I deleted this user account some days ago but I > have since found evidence that some traces of it remain as noted > below.
> 1. the users logon picture file (username.bmp) still exists in folder > C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\User > Account Pictures. > 2. When I do a Copy Profile, this username appears on the list titled > "Select user or group". See note 1 below.
> Other than the two items noted above, I see no other traces of this > username. The folder is gone from c:\documents and settings\username. > This name does not appear in Control Panel > User Accounts. This name > does not appear in Run "control userpasswords2". This name does not > appear in the registry, per search.
> In addition to wanting to remove any remains of this old account, this > is the name of the computer owner and I would like to create a new > account using this name.
> I ran the Registry Cleaner in the latest version of www.jv16.org Power > Tools in the hopes it might remove the remnants, but the problem > persists.
> I tried deleting the picture file mentioned about, and restarting, but > no change, the problem persists. So I restored this remnant until I > get a proper procedure for this.
> Does anyone know what I can do to delete the remnants of this old user > account? Any ideas appreciated.
> Thank you, Lilla
> Note 1. > Copy Profile Procedure. The instruction below tells how I get the list > that includes an old/deleted user name that is stuck in my system and > I don't know how to remove it!
> First, log in with an account having administrator privileges that is > not the account you want to copy the settings to or from.
> · R-Click My Computer > Properties > Advanced Tab > · In the User Profiles section, click the "Settings" button. > · Select the user profile you want to copy from, click "Copy > To" button. > · In the Copy To box, click the Browse button and navigate to > the location you want to copy to, most likely C:\documents and > settings\<newly created user>. > · In the "Permitted to use" section, click the "Change" button. > · Click the "Advanced" button. > · Click the "Find Now" button. > · A window titled "Select User or Group" is displayed, with a > column titled "Name(RDN)".
> PROBLEM: It is this list that contains the user name that has been > deleted, as explained above I am not able to remove the remnants of > this user.
> · Select the new user. Click OK and the profile/settings will > be copied to the new user account and permission to the files will be > granted.
Kent thank you for your reply. Here's some additional information.
There is no OEM involved. It is Microsoft retail version of XP Home, the latest one with SP1 integrated on the CD. I installed it, no one but me has used the computer since I installed it. It's a new hard drive, no other OS was every installed on this drive. NTFS on entire drive.
New information on this problem follows, and it is strange stuff.
It turns out that this old deleted user, is a actually a phantom user account that is still able to log but behaves strangely as noted below.
On a whim, I decided to try to log on using the deleted users account name, and to my amazement, it let me in. Note, this user does not appear in User Accounts, or control userpasswords2, or User Profiles. But, this user can still log in, strange!!!
In User Accounts I find more weirdness. This logged on user has the capabilities of a Limited User, ie it can control it's own password (something a Guest cannot do), but but beneath its username it said "Guest account" instead of Limited account. Weird!
And further, it had it's own picture, it doesn't use the Guest suitcase even though it says "Guest Account" beneath it's name. Remember, I said in my initial post that this deleted/phantom user account's picture was still in the All User pictures folder, well that picture is the one that I was seeing here. Now just in case you are wondering as I did, if by chance this phantom users name might have somehow gotten entered into the full name field of the Guest account, I checked that and nope, the Guest full name field is blank as is normal.
5. Another observation, at the top of the Start Menu it gives the users name, not Guest. And the system had created a folder for this user under "c:\documents and settings\username". If this were truely a Guest account, it would work under "c:\documents and settings\Guest".
7. I check control userpasswords2 to see if the phantom users name now appeared there, nope.
8. I check User Profiles to see if the phantom users name appears there, YES it did now appear there now. This is new, as I reported in my intitial post, it did not appear there before this. OK, so there is the opportunity then to delete it using the delete button on this window. I'm thinking this could be good, I will click the delete button and it will remove everything related to this phantom user.
No such luck. It acts like it is deleting stuff, I hear the hard drive accessing the drive like it is deleting, but when I restart the computer the account c:\d&s\username folder still exists, and the user name still shows up in User Profiles, and 'Permitted to use', and MBSA. However, it does not appear in User Accounts, or control userpasswords.
QUESTIONS: Is there a way to change the registry so it knows that this account is a Limited account (not a guest account). If I could do this, then maybe it would be healthy enough to allow me to delete it.
Thanks in advance for any ideas you might have for me.
> It sounds like the account deletion was incomplete. If the account > doesn't appear in User Accounts or userpasswords2, the registry or the > profile, then it likely only exists in the SAM database. This is where > MBSA looks for accounts and MBSA is known to have issues with some OEM > accounts that are created as part of the install and then (improperly or > only partially) deleted.
> The problem is, we have no tools to inspect or edit the SAM database.
> > Problem: When I try to create a new account with one particular name I > > get a message saying "The account already exists." I should be able to > > reuse this name as I deleted this user account some days ago but I > > have since found evidence that some traces of it remain as noted > > below.
> > 1. the users logon picture file (username.bmp) still exists in folder > > C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\User > > Account Pictures. > > 2. When I do a Copy Profile, this username appears on the list titled > > "Select user or group". See note 1 below.
> > Other than the two items noted above, I see no other traces of this > > username. The folder is gone from c:\documents and settings\username. > > This name does not appear in Control Panel > User Accounts. This name > > does not appear in Run "control userpasswords2". This name does not > > appear in the registry, per search.
> > In addition to wanting to remove any remains of this old account, this > > is the name of the computer owner and I would like to create a new > > account using this name.
> > I ran the Registry Cleaner in the latest version of www.jv16.org Power > > Tools in the hopes it might remove the remnants, but the problem > > persists.
> > I tried deleting the picture file mentioned about, and restarting, but > > no change, the problem persists. So I restored this remnant until I > > get a proper procedure for this.
> > Does anyone know what I can do to delete the remnants of this old user > > account? Any ideas appreciated.
> > Thank you, Lilla
> > Note 1. > > Copy Profile Procedure. The instruction below tells how I get the list > > that includes an old/deleted user name that is stuck in my system and > > I don't know how to remove it!
> > First, log in with an account having administrator privileges that is > > not the account you want to copy the settings to or from.
> > · R-Click My Computer > Properties > Advanced Tab > > · In the User Profiles section, click the "Settings" button. > > · Select the user profile you want to copy from, click "Copy > > To" button. > > · In the Copy To box, click the Browse button and navigate to > > the location you want to copy to, most likely C:\documents and > > settings\<newly created user>. > > · In the "Permitted to use" section, click the "Change" button. > > · Click the "Advanced" button. > > · Click the "Find Now" button. > > · A window titled "Select User or Group" is displayed, with a > > column titled "Name(RDN)".
> > PROBLEM: It is this list that contains the user name that has been > > deleted, as explained above I am not able to remove the remnants of > > this user.
> > · Select the new user. Click OK and the profile/settings will > > be copied to the new user account and permission to the files will be > > granted.
"Lilla" <li...@earthlink.net> wrote in news:ekD1HYu2CHA.1520 @TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl:
> I am running Windows XP Home, SP1 integrated, clean install.
> Problem: When I try to create a new account with one particular name I > get a message saying "The account already exists." I should be able to > reuse this name as I deleted this user account some days ago but I > have since found evidence that some traces of it remain as noted > below.
> 1. the users logon picture file (username.bmp) still exists in folder > C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\User > Account Pictures. > 2. When I do a Copy Profile, this username appears on the list titled > "Select user or group". See note 1 below.
> Other than the two items noted above, I see no other traces of this > username. The folder is gone from c:\documents and settings\username. > This name does not appear in Control Panel > User Accounts. This name > does not appear in Run "control userpasswords2". This name does not > appear in the registry, per search.
> In addition to wanting to remove any remains of this old account, this > is the name of the computer owner and I would like to create a new > account using this name.
> I ran the Registry Cleaner in the latest version of www.jv16.org Power > Tools in the hopes it might remove the remnants, but the problem > persists.
> I tried deleting the picture file mentioned about, and restarting, but > no change, the problem persists. So I restored this remnant until I > get a proper procedure for this.
> Does anyone know what I can do to delete the remnants of this old user > account? Any ideas appreciated.
> Thank you, Lilla
> Note 1. > Copy Profile Procedure. The instruction below tells how I get the list > that includes an old/deleted user name that is stuck in my system and > I don't know how to remove it!
> First, log in with an account having administrator privileges that is > not the account you want to copy the settings to or from.
> · R-Click My Computer > Properties > Advanced Tab > · In the User Profiles section, click the "Settings" button. > · Select the user profile you want to copy from, click "Copy > To" button. > · In the Copy To box, click the Browse button and navigate to > the location you want to copy to, most likely C:\documents and > settings\<newly created user>. > · In the "Permitted to use" section, click the "Change" button. > · Click the "Advanced" button. > · Click the "Find Now" button. > · A window titled "Select User or Group" is displayed, with a > column titled "Name(RDN)".
> PROBLEM: It is this list that contains the user name that has been > deleted, as explained above I am not able to remove the remnants of > this user.
> · Select the new user. Click OK and the profile/settings will > be copied to the new user account and permission to the files will be > granted.
Lila,
What is the name of the account, if you care to share. Can you see this account when you start / run control userpasswords2
When you open a command prompt (start run cmd) and enter net user what do you get relative to the phantom account ?
Let's say the account is named "phantom" and it was listed. In that case what happens if you enter net user phantom /delete ??
If it was not listed by the first (net users) command what happens if you enter net user phantom somepassword /add
Discussion subject changed to "Problem has been resolved, per details in this post. Re: I see remnants of an old user account, how do I remove ?" by Lilla
> What is the name of the account, if you care to share.
Twilda (she is my sister)
> Can you see this account when you start / run > control userpasswords2
No, it is not listed.
> When you open a command prompt (start run cmd) and enter > net user > what do you get relative to the phantom account ?
Yes, Twilda (phantom account) is listed along with the "healthy" accounts names.
> Let's say the account is named "phantom" and it was listed. > In that case what happens if you enter > net user phantom /delete > ??
It says "The command completed successfully." At this point, it looks hopeful, so I restart the computer in case that might help in some way. Then I restart, and check things out again.
- I check c:\D&S and find that the Twilda folder still exists. - I check "cmd > net user", and this time Twilda (phantom user) is gone. - I check User Profiles and find that it now includes a new entry titled "Account unknown". - I check the "Permitted to use" (used to Copy a User Profile) list, and lo and behold, Twilda (phantom user) is now gone. Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! - I check "control userpasswords2" and it contains only the healthy accounts, as it has all along, but just wanted to be sure the unknown account was not now showing up there. - I check the "profilelist" in the registry and see that the user sid for Twilda is still there, and it is still pointing to folder c:\documents and settings\Twilda
- I try to log on using Twilda and I could not, this is good.
UPDATE: Last night I learned that this phantom user could still log on. Oddly, it appeared in User Accounts with "Guest account" beneath the user account name. It was very strange. And when I logged on to a healthy account, this user named did not appear in User Accounts.
- Next, I used the delete button on the User Profile window to delete the "Account unknown" entry that appeared there. - Then I restarted the computer, again just in case that helped finalize things, and restarted. - I checked the hard drive and found that folder c:\docuemnts and settings\Twilda had been deleted. Great! - Next, I checked the registry, profileslist to see if the user sid for Twilda was gone, and it is gone! Terrific! - I check MBSA and Twilda is gone from there too.
I have been struggling with this for about three days now. So, Roger Abell, thank you so very much for those magic commands. I will print them out and save them. I thought I might just live with that phantom account, but I sure didn't want to.
Bottom line: Problem Resolved! Thank you again Roger!
"Lilla" <li...@earthlink.net> wrote in news:ehjoTbF3CHA.2332 @TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl:
>> Lila,
>> What is the name of the account, if you care to share.
> Twilda (she is my sister)
>> Can you see this account when you start / run >> control userpasswords2
> No, it is not listed.
>> When you open a command prompt (start run cmd) and enter >> net user >> what do you get relative to the phantom account ?
> Yes, Twilda (phantom account) is listed along with the "healthy" > accounts names.
>> Let's say the account is named "phantom" and it was listed. >> In that case what happens if you enter >> net user phantom /delete >> ??
> It says "The command completed successfully." > At this point, it looks hopeful, so I restart the computer in case > that might help in some way. Then I restart, and check things out > again.
> - I check c:\D&S and find that the Twilda folder still exists. > - I check "cmd > net user", and this time Twilda (phantom user) is > gone. > - I check User Profiles and find that it now includes a new entry > titled "Account unknown". > - I check the "Permitted to use" (used to Copy a User Profile) list, > and lo and behold, Twilda (phantom user) is now gone. Yeah! Yeah! > Yeah! > - I check "control userpasswords2" and it contains only the healthy > accounts, as it has all along, but just wanted to be sure the unknown > account was not now showing up there. > - I check the "profilelist" in the registry and see that the user sid > for Twilda is still there, and it is still pointing to folder > c:\documents and settings\Twilda
> - I try to log on using Twilda and I could not, this is good.
> UPDATE: Last night I learned that this phantom user could still log > on. > Oddly, it appeared in User Accounts with "Guest account" beneath the > user account name. It was very strange. And when I logged on to a > healthy account, this user named did not appear in User Accounts.
> - Next, I used the delete button on the User Profile window to delete > the "Account unknown" entry that appeared there. > - Then I restarted the computer, again just in case that helped > finalize things, and restarted. > - I checked the hard drive and found that folder c:\docuemnts and > settings\Twilda had been deleted. Great! > - Next, I checked the registry, profileslist to see if the user sid > for Twilda was gone, and it is gone! Terrific! > - I check MBSA and Twilda is gone from there too.
> I have been struggling with this for about three days now. So, Roger > Abell, thank you so very much for those magic commands. I will print > them out and save them. I thought I might just live with that phantom > account, but I sure didn't want to.
> Bottom line: Problem Resolved! > Thank you again Roger!
> Lilla
Great. I am not sure how things got into that condition but it sounds better now. The profile folder in Documents and Settings is normally left behind when an account is delete - in case there is something in there one might want I guess. When the account is gone it is safe to delete the profile. Once the profile is deleted the entry in profiles and the ability to copy it should clear up.
After the profile is deleted you should be able to use that name again to define an account for her that, hopefully this time will not have this problem.
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