User Settings and NTUSER.DAT

Just had a hard disk fail, but fortunately had some (but not all) user files backed up.

The new hard disk has a fresh W2K install, the computer name and domain set correctly for the LAN domain, and the Administrator account works fine, though obviously all the user settings have been lost.

The individual users files have been restored, including the NTUSER.DAT files in c:/documents and settings/<username>

BUT - when I come to create the user account, a new user is created. This is either <computername>/<username> if I create it as a local user, or <domainname>/<username> if I create is as a LAN domain user.

The result is I get 2 copies of the user files, the original c:/documents and settings/<username> restored from backup, and a new c:/documents and settings/<username>.<domainname> (or c:/documents and settings/<username>.<computername>)

How to I convince W2K that the new user is in fact the same person as before, and to please use the restored files and not create new ones?????

1.Rename the "saved" profile (the one that you want to use) to %username%_saved.
2.Delete any domain profile folders that are %domainname%/%username% and local profile folders that are %computername%/%username%.
3. Login as the user.
4. Logout and login as an admin.
5. Navigate to <documents and settings>.
There should now be a profile folder that is named just %username%.
6. Copy the contents of %username%_saved into the new %username% folder. (Make sure you do this with all hidden and system files shown)
7. Logout and login as the user.
8. Everything you saved should be there.
That's it.

I have a similiar flavour to the problem.

I was in a Logon/restart loop with WinXP(i.e. could not get into Windows).

To remedy I ended up booting from XP CD and select install and used Repair (Dynamic) install. At the time I had 2 users in Documents and Settings.
Administrator
User (limited control)
+ the All Users and Default of course

After the Dynamic install (reinstall) I have the same users plus one - Administrator.compname.

Now when I startup the Welcome screen has the same as before the reinstall - Administrator and User, but when I log into Administrator it is really logging into the newly created Administrator.compname.

I probably need some XP User/Group management 101 education but my first need is to get back to when I log on as Administrator I have the same desktop and application/files access as before.

Where I really want to get to and this is why I created the User account is to have 2 accounts - 1 administrator and 1 user. Administrator will not be used except for security and other Full priviledges requirements.

I would like to have User used for all day-to-day usage. Unfortunately I installed a lot of application when logged on Administrator (e.g. all office suite).

So I think I have 2 problems:

1. Get rid of Administrator.compname such that when I log on as Administrator it has all desktop, preference, applications, files as it did before reinstall
2. Get User setup to have all the desktop, preference, applications, files to be same as the original Administrator.

HEY - I just realized maybe the way to go based on my current situation is to:
1. copy all desktop, preference, applications, files from the original Administrator to User and then use Administrator.compname as the Administrator
2. Delete original Administrator
3. Use User for all new installs.

But I am unsure how to do this and based reading a lot of what I can find out their for help I am concerned I will do things that will make things worse or unstable.

Sorry for the long post
Inquisito :(