Users and Administrators confusion- How to Delete all and combine

Alexpho · 13 Jul 2010

Hi Folks ! I hope someone can help before I chucked this computer out the window. Excuse my tone but this is very frustrating.

It has been a month now since installing Windows 7. Everything appears to be fine except this " access denied " errors on some of the files for certain users. I finally managed to turn on the hidden " administrator " feature in command prompt to unlock some.

What's the problem ?? Aside from the design of users potentially " locking " themselves out of their own documents ( because of they are not logged in as an Admin, even though they have all admin privileges. I was going around in circles giving each other permission when the real admin was never enabled. Now its effecting the programs and installation. For example, if Daddy logs on and try to install a program that requires a command prompt, I can't because I did not log in as an Admin.

It is very frustrating. Now we have 3 separate users, each with their own documents, programs, and desktop settings.

My question is... I WANT TO DELETE ALL USERS AND COMBINE ALL THE DOCS, PROGRAMS, ETC. INTO ONE EASY ACCESS AND ONE USER. NO PASSWORDS, NOTHING. SO AS SOON THE COMPUTER BOOTS UP WINDOWS, IT SHOULD READY TO GO, EVERYTHING.

COULD SOMEONE PLEASE SHOW ME HOW???

THANK YOU!

ALEX

richc46 · 13 Jul 2010

Dont know if this is the easiest, but I would tranfer all to a finger drive or cd then tranfer to new account. But I do not have much personal stuff.
Just right click and send to.

derekimo · 13 Jul 2010

I think this would be your easiest, least frustrating way to do that

Repair Install

When setting up for the first time, just create your one account.

DeaconFrost · 13 Jul 2010

As mentioned, I'd move all the important data off the primary drive, and somewhere safe. Create one user account (or log into the one you want to keep), and then delete all the others. Restore the data to the proper folders. If you see any access denied messages now, you may have to take ownership of the newly restored files.

Alexpho · 13 Jul 2010

I would really like to avoid moving documents and programs off the system. There are simply too much stuff.

Is this a design flaw or something ??? We got Suzy not being able to get to Johnie's files and Johnie not being able to get to Suzy's files, and both are labeled admins. Meanwhile the real admin was originally " hidden " in command prompt. Now since the real admin is unlocked, HE CAN'T GET IN BOTH SUZY AND JOHNIE'S FILES TO UNLOCK THEM EITHER. This is a very bad prank and I am very disappointed. Microsoft should have known by now. Almost have to say it is inexcusable to build an OS like this. I don't even recall having this problem in the other versions.

I guess the real solutions would be the questions of...

1- When logging in as Admin, can he bring all the other files from all the users in an unlock status to his log in ??

2- What happens to the files, settings, and programs after a user is deleted?

Again, sorry. I am very aggravated. I've spent too much time and money to be this disappointed. I know you guys are only trying to help.

Thanks

fseal · 13 Jul 2010

Well no it's by design. Why should suzi or jenny be able to mess with each others files?

And as to your opriginal post: I think you may have misinterpreted an "Access Denied" error and sent you way off the right path. Users should not be able to lock them selves out of their own files without doing something REALLY exotic. (Like purposely removing their own permissions from all all file access). What you may have seen is a false "Access Denied" from a "Documents and Settings" folder created by the use of an old XP program. The files are all actually under /users and can be access normally from there.

You have a lot of mixed up scenarios that are a little hard to work out but If you want people to be able to mess with each others files, then don't use the "My documents" (etc) folders for the user accounts, save files to a common area or common folder you create, or just let everyone log into a single user account.

Unfortunately at this point you may have so messed over the permissions for each account it may be impossible to tell without actually being there how to fix it.

Best thing would be to start over, and don't mess with the permissions for anything.

Realize that all users data is private to themselves and use folders outside the /users folders to store documents that you want to share between users. Realize that no one should ever mess with anything directly inside /windows or /Documents and Settings and that any access denied messages you get from those folders does not mean you are locked out of your own files..

As far as merging all the data in user accounts... that's a tough one. Merging all the ie Favorites? Mail? My* file folders and all other program settings? It may be possible but some amount of work...

Maybe take things one at a time. Clearly describe a single issue at a time and maybe we can work though them one by one.