How to Copy a Corrupted Profile to a New Profile in Windows XP

Microsoft Windows systems have the ability to be used by a number of different users, each having their own profile. Each user profile can contain different settings, access permissions, desktops and applications. By using multiple profiles on a computer, each user has the ability to customize their Windows experience without forcing their changes on other users. When a user profile becomes corrupted, it is a lot easier to recover settings from the corrupted profile than starting from scratch on a new user profile.

How to Copy a Corrupted Profile to a New Profile in Windows XP

Create a new profile. Click "Start Menu," "Control Panel," then "User Accounts". Select the "Advanced" tab, and then click "Advanced." Select the "Users" folder. Select "New User" from the "Action Menu" and enter a profile name. Then click "Create."

Click the "Start Menu" button, then "Computer." This will bring up Windows Explorer.

Press "alt" and "T" at the same time to bring up the Tool Menu in Windows Explorer.

Select "Tools," then "Folder Options." Select the "View" tab and place a check next to the "Show hidden files and folders" box.

Uncheck the "Hide protected operating system files" box. Click "OK."

Navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\X, where "X" is the name of the profile you want to copy from. Select and copy each file and folder to C:\Documents and Settings\Y, where "Y" is the new profile, excluding "Ntuser.dat," "Ntuser.dat.log" and "Ntuser.ini."

Log off the current profile and log into your newly created profile.

Tips

If there are multiple users on a computer, Microsoft recommends that the administrator account only be used when administrative processes need to be performed, not for normal computer use. The system administrator should instead create a profile for herself for typical daily use.

Consider setting up regular backups of your system. To do this, click "Start Menu," "Accessories," "System Tools," then "Backup." This will open the "Backup and Restore" wizard. Follow the onscreen prompts for creating a backup. You can elect to backup specific files or all of the information on your computer. To create regular backups, select the "Advanced" tab on the "Completing the Backup or Restore Wizard" page and selecting the parameters for your regularly scheduled backups.

Warning

Don't delete the corrupted profile until you have tested the new profile and are sure that all information was carried over.