Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

Windows XP lists an extra name that is not a user!

Feb 8, 2004 3:03PM PST

I'm less than one month into XP and find its peculiarities comical. The Dell whiz who set this new Dell XPS up listed him/herself as the first Administrator. When I logged on for the first time through SBC Yahoo! DSL, my Administrator ID was automatically set up using my complete first name. I then set up another account, also as an Administrator/User with the name I am most used to on my computers...Chris13. My Dell XPS loaded with Windows XP Professional has now listed another Chris13_2 in Documents and Settings. No matter what I do, I cannot find this second edition of my own name anywhere under Users...even through Computer Management which lists all Administrators and Users plus additional designations for XP Pro. Does anyone have any idea whatsoever as to what causes this behavior and how to remedy it? I voted NO on cloning sheep...I hate having a clone named after me...LOL!

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Re:Windows XP lists an extra name that is not a user!
Feb 8, 2004 4:21PM PST

What do you mean by When I logged on for the first time through SBC Yahoo! DSL, my Administrator ID was automatically set up using my complete first name. ? Do you mean that you logged in via SBC Yahoo! DSL, and the account was automatically created, eithout asking for details ?

Go to Control Panel-System -Advanced Tab. Go to profile settings. Is your clone listed there ?

- Collapse -
Another place to check for names:
Feb 8, 2004 4:55PM PST

At Control Panel, go to Administrator Tools, then Computer Management. At the left pane expand Local Users and Groups. Click on Users. Is the extra name listed at the right pane ? Details of Name- Full Name ?

- Collapse -
Re:Another place to check for names:
Feb 9, 2004 6:43PM PST

Thanks for your reply Papa Echo. Unfortunately I had already checked all the places you mentioned and my clone is not listed in any of them. What I mean by SBC Yahoo! DSL setting up my account is just this. SBC activated my DSL account under my full name with a pre-selected password. Both of those items were my official log-in credentials until such time as I changed them. I did change them and created a log-in/user name and password I am more familiar with. The original name is not the name of the clone. The name of my clone is Chris13_2...Chris13 being the change I made to my original SBC Yahoo! DSL log-in/user name. Thanks for trying to help...maybe someone out there knows something neither one of us has thought of. I sure hope so!

- Collapse -
Re:Re:Another place to check for names:
Feb 9, 2004 11:09PM PST

Obviously, when you registered your DSL connection, it created the Chris13 logon for you automatically, you then went to chage this to "Chris13" not realizing that the ID already existed, so Windows created a new ID with the "_2" addition. Check in network connections, and you may find that 2nd logon ID which is not really a 2nd user, but a 2nd "shortcut" to logon with.
Fred M
IT System Administrator

- Collapse -
Re:Re:Re:Another place to check for names:
Feb 10, 2004 4:20PM PST

Hmmmmmm...Hello Fred!

What is obvious is that you missed the beginning of the thread where I said that SBC Yahoo! DSL used my full first name for my account...I am the person who changed it to Chris13! SBC may be good at making money but they're not terrific at crystal ball gazing...LOL! No Fred, they had no idea what my screen name was or what I may have wanted to have as a screen name. If you could come up with another possibility I'd be happy to have your input. Thanks...Chris13

- Collapse -
Re:Re:Re:Re:Another place to check for names:
Feb 16, 2004 4:14PM PST

This may sound simplistic...But have you tried
sending a message to "Criss13@SBC.COM"...???

And then try signing on as "Criss13"...!!!

I believe the other gentleman was right when he
said that the original Criss13 is still registered
at SBC. They always assign a "_?" to an existing
registered name.

What you have to do is call SBC and convince them
that you are INDEED the original "Criss13".

Or choose a new user name...(Such as Criss1313). Happy

I hope this helps

Richard

- Collapse -
Re:Re:Another place to check for names:
Feb 9, 2004 11:40PM PST

Try searching for all files and folders named "Chris13_2" or files named *.* with "Chris13_2" in them. If there are results, they may indicate the why and how.

BTW, what is the name of your computer ? (as seen by other computers, not the brand name)

- Collapse -
addendum
Feb 9, 2004 11:48PM PST

You have made references to your Yahoo! DSL account, but I do not see any connection or effect of that to your Win XP users account. So, may I ask-- is there any reason why you made the reference ? Is it possible that there has been some mix up in the user names used ?

- Collapse -
Re:addendum
Feb 10, 2004 4:47PM PST

Hello again Papa!

To answer the suggestion about doing a search. I had done that in the past and came up with the clone under documents & settings in a variety of folders under my user names (I always use two). Tonight, after you suggested it, I searched again. I found both my original 'full first name' folder and my clone folder in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Support.com\profiles. I have moved both folders to my desktop in order to ascertain if they will be recreated in support.com again or added to in some way on the desktop. Also, I found a clone folder in my other screen names documents and settings folder (not Chris13!) and again in the Logictech (mouse)folder under users! This is going to drive me nuts...LOL. Thanks for your ongoing help Papa...I do appreciate your time and interest. Chris13

- Collapse -
Re:Re:addendum PS!
Feb 10, 2004 4:54PM PST

PS...I almost wish I could delete Chris13 altogether but the system won't let me...I keep getting a message that it's a system file or folder and cannot be deleted! Oh yes...I don't think that it would have been Dell who would have assigned the original user name. I do believe it was SBC Yahoo! DSL since I created the provider/subscriber relationship account with them. All Dell knew was that I bought the computer, and I might have purchased it for someone other than myself. BTW...I don't know what you mean when you ask what the "name" of my computer is. Please explain...thanks!

- Collapse -
Continue..Re Addemdum....
Feb 10, 2004 7:22PM PST

I am now confused. Are you saying that SBC Yahoo! DSL can get into your system and do such things as creating accounts and changing names ? If that is so, then SBC Yahoo! is in a better position to solve the problems--whatever they may say about their 'responsibilities'. I am not familiar enough with Win XP to know whether they allow such. Perhaps you can share more ?

As for the computer name, it can be found at Control Panel> System. There is a tab for 'Computer Name'. You have to log in as the Administrator or a user with Admin rights.

- Collapse -
Re:Continue..Re Addemdum....
Feb 16, 2004 2:15AM PST

Hello Papa! No, I am not saying that SBC Yahoo DSL can get into my system to change anything. What I have said is that when SBC and I got the DSL service up and running it had already assigned an email address, password and name to my computer. The name that was assigned is my full first name...not my usual log in-or its clone. I changed that name to my usual log-in, the one I am most familiar with. I have not assigned my usual name to anything else so I cannot figure out where the clone came from! BTW...in Systems, the computer is named Dell-XPS.

- Collapse -
Re:Re:Continue..Re Addemdum....
Feb 16, 2004 11:04AM PST

Do what Im gonna do. Ive got 6 mts. left with SBCGLOBAL.NET and Im outta there. I threaten them every day with leaving, they dont even come back to me anymore. I hate them. I want them outta my house now.