[sarahx]

I recently had my laptop hard drive backed up and restored at a computer shop, and as a result, I have lots of strange sounding hidden files in my C:\Windows file. (most starting with $NtUninstall) which I'm assuming are copies they made during the reinstallation. The problem is, this Windows file is now 3.03GB which is quite a lot. Is it normal for it to be so big?

Also, I get a bit confused with all the user accounts available on XP- my laptop used to be OK as I just had one user, but when they fixed my pc, they made a new user account called 'ASP.Net...A's'- do you think there is anything important stored on this or can I delete it? It doesn't appear on the Welcome screen. And I know that in the filing there is 'Default user' too- if I always use the same account, will it save the same data twice on both or just cross reference them together?

I'm also trying to tidy up our main computer (we have 3 accounts at the moment) so it just opens straight away as we never bother to log off anyway- do program files take up space for each account that they're installed on? I'm just a bit worried that despite copying all the docs etc, I'll lose some minute bit of application data when I delete an account that means we cant run a program properly... is there any way around this other than carefully checking every single file before deleting?

Thanks for all your help

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That's a lotta stuff to ask Let's take it one at a time, that way we don't get confused

I have lots of strange sounding hidden files in my C:\Windows file. (most starting with $NtUninstall) which I'm assuming are copies they made during the reinstallation.

Those belong to windows updates. They are necessary.

The problem is, this Windows file is now 3.03GB which is quite a lot. Is it normal for it to be so big?

Well...the computer I'm on right now has a Windows folder of about 1 GB. So...I'm not quite sure why yours is that big. Maybe they did not do a complete install...maybe a repair instead. Or maybe you have other Windows system programs installed that are not on the computer that I am on right now. If you don't have a lot of hard drive space, we can explore what's going on more.

Lemme know if you want to do that.

Also, I get a bit confused with all the user accounts available on XP- my laptop used to be OK as I just had one user, but when they fixed my pc, they made a new user account called 'ASP.Net...A's'- do you think there is anything important stored on this or can I delete it?

It would probably be best to ask them, but if it was my computer, I'd delete it in a heartbeat. I wouldn't want their leftover junk on my computer. But it may be something special that business put, so future repairs will be easier. So, you might just wanna give them a call.

And I know that in the filing there is 'Default user' too- if I always use the same account, will it save the same data twice on both or just cross reference them together?

The Default User is a system profile. You cannot get rid of it. When a new user is set up, they use the same settings as the Default User, until they change it. Businesses (or home users) can customize the Default User so that whenever new people sign up on the computer, they have the same exact special settings, until they change their settings.

I'm also trying to tidy up our main computer (we have 3 accounts at the moment) so it just opens straight away as we never bother to log off anyway- do program files take up space for each account that they're installed on?

The program(s), if they were installed for All users, will only be installed once. So you don't have to worry about duplicated program. Now as for having it boot up quick, when you have everyone logged on, all their programs are running still, and when you try to switch to yours, it will be slow because the resources that their programs are using are not available for yours. So by not logging everyone else off, your computer is struggling to get resources to you.

However, if you are having a problem with it booting up slowly, from a fresh start, let me know. We will address that differently.

I'll lose some minute bit of application data when I delete an account that means we cant run a program properly... is there any way around this other than carefully checking every single file before deleting?

Not quite sure what you're saying here.

Edited by computerwiz12890, 06 September 2006 - 01:02 PM.

[computerwiz12890]

That's a lotta stuff to ask Let's take it one at a time, that way we don't get confused

I have lots of strange sounding hidden files in my C:\Windows file. (most starting with $NtUninstall) which I'm assuming are copies they made during the reinstallation.

Those belong to windows updates. They are necessary.

The problem is, this Windows file is now 3.03GB which is quite a lot. Is it normal for it to be so big?

Well...the computer I'm on right now has a Windows folder of about 1 GB. So...I'm not quite sure why yours is that big. Maybe they did not do a complete install...maybe a repair instead. Or maybe you have other Windows system programs installed that are not on the computer that I am on right now. If you don't have a lot of hard drive space, we can explore what's going on more.

Lemme know if you want to do that.

Also, I get a bit confused with all the user accounts available on XP- my laptop used to be OK as I just had one user, but when they fixed my pc, they made a new user account called 'ASP.Net...A's'- do you think there is anything important stored on this or can I delete it?

It would probably be best to ask them, but if it was my computer, I'd delete it in a heartbeat. I wouldn't want their leftover junk on my computer. But it may be something special that business put, so future repairs will be easier. So, you might just wanna give them a call.

And I know that in the filing there is 'Default user' too- if I always use the same account, will it save the same data twice on both or just cross reference them together?

The Default User is a system profile. You cannot get rid of it. When a new user is set up, they use the same settings as the Default User, until they change it. Businesses (or home users) can customize the Default User so that whenever new people sign up on the computer, they have the same exact special settings, until they change their settings.

I'm also trying to tidy up our main computer (we have 3 accounts at the moment) so it just opens straight away as we never bother to log off anyway- do program files take up space for each account that they're installed on?

The program(s), if they were installed for All users, will only be installed once. So you don't have to worry about duplicated program. Now as for having it boot up quick, when you have everyone logged on, all their programs are running still, and when you try to switch to yours, it will be slow because the resources that their programs are using are not available for yours. So by not logging everyone else off, your computer is struggling to get resources to you.

However, if you are having a problem with it booting up slowly, from a fresh start, let me know. We will address that differently.

I'll lose some minute bit of application data when I delete an account that means we cant run a program properly... is there any way around this other than carefully checking every single file before deleting?

Not quite sure what you're saying here.

Edited by computerwiz12890, 06 September 2006 - 01:02 PM.