Lost user settings on a win XP machine

January 11, 2008 6:59 AM

Please help me restore my user settings (Win XP Pro). All of my wife's personal settings (also folders and files) have beem sent to the recycle bin upon restart. I tried to use the recycle bin restore feature, but to no avail. There is only one user account, and that seems to be set to new machine status. She wants her desktop back ! Last time, you guys saved my butt...can you do it again? Thanks.
posted by lobstah to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

You might try the System Restore option, if you have that enabled already.
posted by me & my monkey at 7:16 AM on January 11, 2008

Response by poster: I tried that first...It claims there were no changes to the computer. Why would everything be sent to the Recycle Bin?
posted by lobstah at 7:28 AM on January 11, 2008

I honestly don't know. I'd recommend that you google "accidentally deleted user profile". You may have to find or purchase an undelete tool, which will often let you get to files that have "officially" been deleted.
posted by me & my monkey at 7:36 AM on January 11, 2008

All user settings are in the folder Documents and Settings in the root of your XP install. Her user folder should still be there if she can log in. Copy the files in the recycle bin to the appropriate Desktop, My Documents, Application Data folders.
posted by mphuie at 9:31 AM on January 11, 2008