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Question

Why I cannot login after attempting to change username?

Nov 21, 2014 2:06AM PST

I was following these article to do so:
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/19834.how-to-rename-a-windows-7-user-account-and-related-profile-folder.aspx

Details of my laptop:-
Operating system: Windows
Windows version: 7
Bit: 32


At Step 3, I failed to create a temporary user with administrator privileges through Command Prompt. So, I created it manually through Control Panel with the same exact name and password as instructed.

Then, I proceeded on...

Until Step 6 onwards, problems arise. I changed the username to Default. Step (c) I failed to access the Advanced user management, so I skipped it until Step 7. I also changed the folder's name to Default but it says that there is already a folder named Default existed and asked me if I want to replace.
I then immediately tried to go back to Step 6 and rename it to previous name but failed, so I clicked "Yes" to merge folder and replace the existed folder. At this moment, the only Users folder window frozen. I then realised it happens when I attempted to replace after many times trying.

Also, at the end, I successfully changed back all the names to how previously it was named in Step 6 and Step 7 but I still stuck at user login "Welcome" forever when trying to login to the account I made changes.

Although I made a system restore before doing all these as a precaution, but I fail to restore since only administrators can do restoration. Sad

<div> This thread is also exist on Microsoft Community Forums:
Why I cannot login after attempting to change user's username and user's name folder in Users?

</div>

Discussion is locked

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Answer
I see it.
Nov 21, 2014 2:34AM PST

You attempted to change the user's folder name and essentially toasted (broke) that account. Next time create a new account with the name you want and move to the new account. Nothing's busted here. That is, renaming the user's home folder in C:\Users is not something anyone should do. Unless they were trying it out to see how to break the system.
Bob

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I did not any how do myself to break the system
Nov 21, 2014 5:34PM PST

I followed the official instructions by Microsoft carefully just that I really had to skipped some steps since it is not available for Home Premium.

And now even if I create a new account, most softwares like Photoshop keep saying they missing xxx.exe or something else in C:\Users\default. Even now when I attempt to create a restore point, I also receive a similar message to that.

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Ahh
Nov 22, 2014 12:28AM PST

So you used some instruction for another version. Ouch.

As to the Photoshop, well, we never touch C:\Users\default for reasons we would break a lot more things but that's no problem. Just reinstall Photoshop.

Nice way to learn what not to do with Windows.
Bob

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The "default" name is hidden
Nov 22, 2014 2:25AM PST

I did not intentionally tried to be a smart-alec to replace/and or merge the "default" folder even though it was there. The folder was nowhere else suddenly say itself was an existing folder.

And even if I replaced and merged, the files should still be there. How come all gone?

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That would take some weeks in the usual courses.
Nov 22, 2014 2:37AM PST