Changed Domain Lost All Files/Access

Hi All,

You will have to bare with me as my technical knowledge of computers is very limted!
Whilst trying to join the local homegroup network, I found out the issue was that my WORK laptop was connected to a domain & unable to share files because of being connected to this EX company domain/network.

Naively, without first checking consquences, disconnected from the WORK domain & made the computer use for home & renamed it. Upon doing so, was asked to re-boot.

On re-booting, the adminstator login password had resorted back to the one when setup originally?? As my normal password was not being accepted. I must add - I NO LONGER WORK FOR SAID COMPANY AND HAVE NO WAY OF ACCQUIRING PASSWORD/NETWORK/DOMAIN ACCESS DETAILS ANYMORE!

I then used the windows password unlocker tool (£20 paid) to gain access back to my laptop. Obviously now realising a lot of very important information, emails, all desktop icons & file locations were no longer where they were supposed to be I spent an hour searching everywhere... The hard drive is still saying it has 150gigabyte of use & certain files display more data in 'properties' than is actually displayed in the folder itself.

After doing a little research it looks like all my files, emails etc are in this imaginery 'domain' that I am now unable to access at all & no longer have the details to re-join again! A few files are still dotted around where they are supposed to be but a lot no longer accessable.

With no access details to re-join this domain, is there any way AT ALL of re-claiming these files? Any 3rd party software, hard drive recovery software? Easiest way, cheapest way possible would be extremely helpful.

Thanks in advance to all.

From what I've seen, the files are in a different username.

Look under C:\users\
and sort by date. Under there you'll hopefully find your files. The
normal place will be something like C:\users\domain-user-name\my documents
You'll also want to check other folders like desktop, pictures, videos.
Outlook lives in C:\users\[username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook
Firefox, thunderbird, and many other programs are similar to outlook and store
a complete set of data under the Appdata tree.

Your registry settings are harder to get back and merge so usually they're just gone. Technically they are still there if you're that into it. They start with ntuser.dat.

If you're having trouble finding them, think of a file you had, such as resume.doc or catpix.jpg and do a find-files for it starting at C:\. Also, you can do:
Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> Command prompt
Dos Box appears (black, white text)
CD \
dir /s catpix.jpg
dir /s resume.doc

Hi
I have the same challenge. I was able to locate the files under C:\Users. All the files are there. I want use that user again. What do I have to do to accomplish this?

JoosB said:

Hi
I have the same challenge. I was able to locate the files under C:\Users. All the files are there. I want use that user again. What do I have to do to accomplish this?

If the User account is corrupted there is a way to fix that.

Fix a corrupted user profile

You can create a new user and copy the important files from the old user to the new user. Things like "mydocuments", appdata->roaming->mozillafirefox->profiles, IE-favorites, *.PST for outlook, etc.

I've had to do this many times and it always works. Some programs like to store their settings in the registry, and that is much harder to move across unless you can find it, export it, and import it for the other user.

The easiest way, and what should have been done right away, is a clean install.

All of your files are still accessible, you just need to take ownership of them. If not, connect the hard drive to another computer and pull the files you need from it. Then, wipe the drive clean and do a fresh install of the OS you have a license for.