How to Restore an XP Profile
Windows XP profiles provide each user with a login that loads preferences and applications saved during the user's session. These profiles are saved on the computer's hard drive, so each time the user logs in, the profile is loaded and updated. Saving Windows XP profiles is a part of disaster recovery, in case the computer's hard drive crashes or the operating system fails to load. You can use these backups to restore the XP profile and recover preferences and settings.
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Instructions
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Log into your Windows XP machine using the administrator user name and password. You can also use a user name with administrator privileges. Click the Windows "Start" button and select "Control Panel."
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Click "User Accounts" in the Control Panel. In the window that opens, click "Create a New Account." Enter a new user name for the profile you are restoring. Select "Administrator" as the user type. Click "OK" to save the settings.
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Right-click "My Computer" on the desktop and select "Properties." Click the "Advanced" tab and click "Settings" in the "User Profile" section.
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Click the old, corrupted user profile in the list of users displayed. With the user selected, click the button labeled "Copy To."
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Click "Browse" to open a dialog box listing your computer hard drive's folders. Select "c:\documents and settings\<new_user>" in this window. Replace "<new_user>" with the name of the profile you created above. Click "OK" to copy the profile. This copies your old profile to the new one and rebuilds it.
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Reboot the machine and log in using the new user name. Your profile and preferences are restored and loaded the next time you log into the machine.
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References
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