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Question

Windows Classic View switches back to XP view @ boot up

Apr 4, 2014 11:46AM PDT

How can I make the Windows Classic theme "stick" so the machine will boot to that theme when I turn it on each day?

I'm trying to configure a hand-me-down VAIO VGN-N150P laptop that has Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600] already installed on it.

I'm an old guy, and the older I get the more resistant to change I become, so I'm trying to make XP look and behave like the old Windows GUIs in Win 98SE or Win 2K.

I've tried setting the Display Properties by right clicking on the desktop>Properties>Themes>Windows Classic>Apply>OK

This works for that session. But the next time I start the computer, the display revertsto the Windows XP theme.

Any ideas on how make the Windows Classic theme permanent?

Will in Seattle
a.k.a. "Clueless"

Discussion is locked

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Clarification Request
Odd. That would have been OK for years? Right?
Apr 4, 2014 12:02PM PDT

Is there more to this story? Did it stop working? Is this a new to you machine? Did you try another Admin account?

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More to the story....
Apr 4, 2014 2:41PM PDT

Stop working? Yes, now that you mention it, the machine did lock up a few times when I first received it, apparently from overheating. But that was a couple or so weeks ago, and it's been behaving itself lately.

New to me? Yes! It's a hand-me-down I received from a friend. It has his installation of XP on it, along with a lot of his software. I've deleted a lot of the software that was installed on it.

Another Admin account? I'm afraid I never did understand this business with different accounts. I live alone and am the sole user of my computers (all of them hand-me-downs) so I try to figure out how to set them up as single user machines. Now that you mention it, though, I do remember running into some problems when I first got the machine and created my own logon account, and then deleted the previous owner's account.

Could that be the place to start looking for the source of the problem?

In the User Accounts list I see that I've somehow ended up with two accounts named "Owner" and one named guest, like this:

owner Computer administrator
Owner Limited account
Guest Guest account is on

Will in Seattle
a.k.a. "Clueless"

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I'd create a new admin account and test it there.
Apr 4, 2014 3:16PM PDT

Why? Because Microsoft never did correct the "corrupt profile" issue. As you know, Microsoft is exiting the XP scene any day now.
Bob