Gah! Weird profiles after reducing account priviliges

[[email protected]]

Hi - After dropping any account from admin level to "user", I've
noticed the following:

1 - The wallpaper's gone.

2 - I can't create or delete files in the Windows folder. (I get an
access denied message.)

3 - When I right click on the desktop, I get the context menu. Under
New> , I only get Shortcut and Folder, I don't have Notepad, Word doc,
Image etc.

4 - When I do display properties, I can't choose a different theme,
and the desktop preview is black, with only the top edge of the
Recycle Bin showing.

I'm sure there are some other glitches, but you get the gist.

The question is, why is this happening?

More background:
XP, SP2, all updates. New install, so Firefox installed, no other
apps.
When installing XP, I changed the default location of the Documents
and settings folder to D: drive.
I used the profile "Copy to" feature a bit (this lets you make one
profile the template for another profile) - I think this might have
caused problems.

Ah yes - another bit of weirdness - In User Accounts in Control Panel:
All the little profile pictures you can choose (the cute puppy, the
bass guitar, the snowboard dude etc) are missing. (When I create a
new profile, it gets given the Chess pieces as it's picture. I think
this is the default picture when XP doesn't know what pic to give
you.)

Any ideas? Any help?

Thanks,

Richard

[[email protected]]

On 3 Jul, 00:12, wrote:
> Hi - After dropping any account from admin level to "user", I've
> noticed the following:
>
> 1 - The wallpaper's gone.
>
> 2 - I can't create or delete files in the Windows folder. (I get an
> access denied message.)
>
> 3 - When I right click on the desktop, I get the context menu. Under
> New> , I only get Shortcut and Folder, I don't have Notepad, Word doc,
> Image etc.
>
> 4 - When I do display properties, I can't choose a different theme,
> and the desktop preview is black, with only the top edge of the
> Recycle Bin showing.
>
> I'm sure there are some other glitches, but you get the gist.
>
> The question is, why is this happening?
>
> More background:
> XP, SP2, all updates. New install, so Firefox installed, no other
> apps.
> When installing XP, I changed the default location of the Documents
> and settings folder to D: drive.
> I used the profile "Copy to" feature a bit (this lets you make one
> profile the template for another profile) - I think this might have
> caused problems.
>
> Ah yes - another bit of weirdness - In User Accounts in Control Panel:
> All the little profile pictures you can choose (the cute puppy, the
> bass guitar, the snowboard dude etc) are missing. (When I create a
> new profile, it gets given the Chess pieces as it's picture. I think
> this is the default picture when XP doesn't know what pic to give
> you.)
>
> Any ideas? Any help?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Richard

Me again - Just wondering if anyone had any good ideas on this...

[Bob I]

wrote:

> On 3 Jul, 00:12, wrote:
>
>>Hi - After dropping any account from admin level to "user", I've
>>noticed the following:
>>
>>1 - The wallpaper's gone.
>>
>>2 - I can't create or delete files in the Windows folder. (I get an
>>access denied message.)
>>
>>3 - When I right click on the desktop, I get the context menu. Under
>>New> , I only get Shortcut and Folder, I don't have Notepad, Word doc,
>>Image etc.
>>
>>4 - When I do display properties, I can't choose a different theme,
>>and the desktop preview is black, with only the top edge of the
>>Recycle Bin showing.
>>
>>I'm sure there are some other glitches, but you get the gist.
>>
>>The question is, why is this happening?
>>
>>More background:
>>XP, SP2, all updates. New install, so Firefox installed, no other
>>apps.
>>When installing XP, I changed the default location of the Documents
>>and settings folder to D: drive.
>>I used the profile "Copy to" feature a bit (this lets you make one
>>profile the template for another profile) - I think this might have
>>caused problems.
>>
>>Ah yes - another bit of weirdness - In User Accounts in Control Panel:
>>All the little profile pictures you can choose (the cute puppy, the
>>bass guitar, the snowboard dude etc) are missing. (When I create a
>>new profile, it gets given the Chess pieces as it's picture. I think
>>this is the default picture when XP doesn't know what pic to give
>>you.)
>>
>>Any ideas? Any help?
>>
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Richard
>
>
> Me again - Just wondering if anyone had any good ideas on this...
>

User accounts have reduced permissions specifically to prevent them from
"changing" things. Perhaps a review "Users and Passwords overview" in
Windows "Help and Support" would explain things.

[[email protected]]

Hi - Thanks for your reply, Bob.

I know why (and in general terms, how) reduced permission keep the
system more secure, but I don't think that explains numbers 3 or 4
(from my original post), or why the profile pictures are missing.

I have seen very little *specific* information on what things are
impossible as a non-admin. One example is changing the contents of
the 'Windows' or 'Program Folders' folders?


Any more ideas on what's giving me grief?

Thanks,

Richard


On 9 Jul, 17:49, Bob I > wrote:
> User accounts have reduced permissions specifically to prevent them from
> "changing" things. Perhaps a review "Users and Passwords overview" in
> Windows "Help and Support" would explain things.

[[email protected]]

I decided to do a complete reinstall - problem solved!

(Although, just for the record, there was still obviously a serious
glitch w/ my machine...)


On 10 Jul, 02:07, wrote:
> Hi - Thanks for your reply, Bob.
>
> I know why (and in general terms, how) reduced permission keep the
> system more secure, but I don't think that explains numbers 3 or 4
> (from my original post), or why the profile pictures are missing.
>
> I have seen very little *specific* information on what things are
> impossible as a non-admin. One example is changing the contents of
> the 'Windows' or 'Program Folders' folders?
>
> Any more ideas on what's giving me grief?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Richard
>
> On 9 Jul, 17:49, Bob I > wrote:
>
>
>
> > User accounts have reduced permissions specifically to prevent them from
> > "changing" things. Perhaps a review "Users and Passwords overview" in
> > Windows "Help and Support" would explain things.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -